Emmy Awards 2025: Alan Cumming on ‘duty’ to support trans people as Traitors wins over Drag Race

Posted on by Samantha

The Traitors has snatched the Emmy Award for Best Reality Competition Program from under the nose of RuPaul’s Drag Race – for the second year in a row.

Last year, following the 2024 Emmy Awards, season 16 firebrand Plane Jane famously had some pretty fierce words for the Alan Cumming-fronted reality program The Traitors, claiming that the show of deceit and treachery ‘robbed’ RuPaul’s Drag Race of its win in Best Reality Competition Program category.

Up until then, Drag Race had snatched the statuette in the category for every one of its flagship instalments since season 10, aside from season 14.

And now, despite some eye-catching red carpet looks from the cast, season 17 has become the third season since 2018 to miss out on the accolade – losing to The Traitors for the second year in a row.

Out gay host Alan Cumming, who is set to reprise his role as Nightcrawler in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, attended the awards wearing a ‘Not a Phase‘ pin in support of trans people.

“It’s got trans colours, and it says ‘not a phase’, because [being trans] is not,” Cumming told Variety on the red carpet.

“I just feel that when you come to things like this, you know, you’re here to celebrate your work… but to do something decorative that also draws attention to something you actually feel is much more important than this, that’s why I do it.”

Cumming added: “I feel I have a duty to speak out for people who are less fortunate than me – and especially right now, with trans people in this country, who are being persecuted so unnecessarily and unfairly.”

The Scottish host previously won the title of Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program at the Creative Arts Emmys earlier this month – also over RuPaul.

The 77th Emmy Awards are live on CBS, with the ceremony starting at 5pm PST. You can also stream them live and on demand via Paramount+ Premium.

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