Oprah Winfrey Speaks out on ‘Queen Sugar’ Getting Snubbed From the Emmys

Oprah Winfrey has something to say about Queen Sugar not receiving any Emmys love. In an interview with Variety, Winfrey lamented the fact that Queen Sugar has not been recognized by the Emmys. The TV icon addressed the topic during a joint interview with Ava DuVernay, the creator of the series, which airs on Winfrey’s OWN Network. 

At one point in the conversation, DuVernay and Winfrey reflected on chatting about new episodes of Queen Sugar after they have dropped. DuVernay recalled getting calls from Winfrey’s good friend Gayle King, saying, “The two of them just really get into it, and that’s the highest compliment. That’s the award. It’s been beautiful to be trusted.” Then, Winfrey addressed the fact that Queen Sugar has not been recognized by the biggest awards organization for television — the Emmys. 

“But I’m not gonna lie to you, I really wanted an award,” Winfrey said. Duvernay added, “She wanted one more than I wanted one.” The former talk show host clarified that she didn’t want an award for herself, but rather some recognition of all of the hard work that goes into Queen Sugar. Winfrey continued, “I wanted that entire team to receive the recognition that they deserve. This is the time I miss The Oprah Winfrey Show because I would’ve had them on every week. Everybody would’ve known about Queen Sugar.“

Winfrey expounded on the topic later on in the interview. She maintained that she simply wants the cast and crew of Queen Sugar to be recognized for their hard work. The producer explained, “I mean, it’s not even about winning the Emmy; it’s about Queen Sugar being recognized for the great work that it is — about it receiving some kind of recognition by people who understand what we did with this show.” Queen Sugar, based on Natalie Baszile’s 2014 book of the same name, premiered back in 2016. Winfrey and DuVernay spoke with Variety to mark the final season of the series, Season 7, which is currently airing on the OWN Network. 

Before the Season 6 finale even aired, DuVernay announced that the series would end with Season 7. The creator told Deadline about the end of the series, “It’s a radical act that it lasted this long, and it’s a testament to every single pair of hands that touched it and I am so proud of that.”