Both physically and metaphorically, powerful statements were made at the 76th annual Emmy Awards on Sept. 16.

Emmy-nominated D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, who is an Oji-Cree descendant, showed up to the event with a red handprint over his mouth, a symbol to raise awareness for the relatives silenced by the Missing Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis.

Woon-A-Tai made history as the first Indigenous man nominated by the Academy for Outstanding Lead Actor for Reservation Dogs. Despite his and the show’s three other nominations, it went home with no awards.

The three-season show, set in the Muscogee Nation, was notably nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series but lost to Hacks.

Marvel’s first Indigenous superhero show, Echo, only received one Emmy nomination, Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, and lost to Ahsoka.

The same goes for the Indigenous women nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series. Neither Killers of the Flower Moon heroine Lily Gladstone (Siksikaitsitapii and Nimíipuu) nor former boxer Kali Reis (Wampanoag/Cape Verdean) clinched the award.

They were the first female Indigenous actresses nominated for an Emmy in a dramatic miniseries role. The only Native American nominated for an Emmy in the category previously is the late August Schellenberg for his portrayal of Sitting Bull in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

These Indigenous creatives and shows went home empty-handed. However, the Indigenous non-profit IllumiNative noted, “This is not the end for the careers’ of these formidable Native talents.”