Lena Waithe, Donald Glover make history at Emmys in comedy categories

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Donald Glover and Lena Waithe made history at the Emmys Sunday as they both became the first African Americans to win in their respective categories.

Glover took home the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for his work on FX's Atlanta while Waithe won the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series alongside Aziz Ansari for cowriting the Thanksgiving episode of Netflix's Master of None.

"First I want to thank the great algorithm that put us all here," Glover said onstage during his acceptance speech. "I want to thank my parents, who are in the audience. This is nuts! ... I just love everybody out here for letting me be up here, so thank you. Thank you all."

Glover also won Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series with Atlanta being nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Waithe, who based the Thanksgiving episode on her experience of coming out as a lesbian, thanked the LGBTQ community in her acceptance speech.

"The things that make us different, those are our superpowers. Every day when you walk out the door, put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren't in it," she said onstage alongside Ansari.

Backstage, Waithe said that she hopes her Emmy will help to inspire others, Variety reported. "It says that it is possible," she said on her award. "There's so many other funny women of color. I hope they will now have an opportunity because this door has been opened."

Waithe is currently working on a Showtime series about her upbringing in Chicago titled The Chi.

Notably, the Emmys also featured Sterling K. Brown winning the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the fourth African American ever to do so.