- Sheryl Lee Ralph serenaded the Emmys audience with a rendition of "Endangered Species."
- She won the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her performance in "Abbott Elementary."
Sheryl Lee Ralph accepted her Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series with a rousing rendition of Dianne Reeves' song "Endangered Species" that brought the room to its feet.
On Monday night, Ralph won the award for her performance as veteran teacher Barbara Howard in "Abbott Elementary," the ABC comedy series created by and costarring Quinta Brunson. Clad in a black, sleeveless dress and with sparkling rhinestones adorning her hair, Ralph's arrival to the stage prompted some members of the audience to stand.
Then, she began to sing.
"I am an endangered species / but I sing no victim's song / I am a woman I am an artist / And I know where my voice belongs," Ralph sang onstage, visibly emotional.
Her rendition prompted further members of the audience, including Brunson, to stand.
—Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 13, 2022
Ralph explained the meaning behind the song to members of the press following her win.
"I had been singing that song for years because I think of myself as an artist, as a woman, especially as a woman of color," Ralph said. "I'm an endangered species, but I don't sing any victim song. I'm a woman. I'm an artist. And I know where my voice belongs. And there's so many young actors, artists, even kids that think they know what they gonna do in life — find your voice and put it where it belongs."
In her speech onstage, Ralph thanked Brunson, her husband, her children, and "friends, like everybody who voted for me, cheered for me, loved me."
"To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn't, wouldn't, couldn't come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like," Ralph said.
Ralph told People earlier in the evening about what it meant to finally be recognized with an Emmy nomination after decades of work.
"Thirty years later, I am seen with my Emmy nomination," she said. "And thank God I didn't give up on me because it's been a rough climb, but it's worth every step."