Emmys 2024: Sofia Vergara makes history as the first Latina nominated for lead actress

Sofia Vergara is making history. At today's ceremony revealing this year's nominees for the Emmy Awards, Vergara became the first Latina nominated as a lead actress in a limited series.

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This marks Vergara's fifth Emmy nomination and it's a special one. Vergara starred in the lead role in "Griselda," making her the first person born in a Latin country to be nominated for the “Lead Actress in a Limited Series” category. While Anya Taylor Joy , also a Latina, won the lead actress award for her work in "The Queen's Gambit," she was born in Miami.

In the past, Vergara's Emmy nominations were for her work in "Modern Family," where she played the role of Gloria Pritchett. She was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series" category.

"Griselda" follows Vergara in the lead role of Griselda Blanco, tracing her rise and fall in the '70s and '80s in Miami. The series is made up of six episodes, with Vergara playing a dramatic role and speaking in English and Spanish, a departure from the work she'd been known for for most of her career. In previous interviews, Vergara has discussed how intimidating the process was. “There were a million things that I was nervous about, mainly my performance,” she said in an interview with Deadline . “This was my first time acting in Spanish, my first time doing drama and I was nervous if I was going to be able to convince people that it wasn’t just Gloria Pritchett with a plastic nose.”

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More about this year's Latina nominees at the Emmys

It was a good year for Latinas on television. The Emmys recognized various Latinas in acting and producing roles, including Liza Colon-Zayas, for her work in "The Bear," Selena Gomez , who made history as the most Emmy-nominated Latina producer , and Eiza Gonzalez , whose series "3 Body Problem" was nominated for "Outstanding Drama Series."