Billy Porter is first openly gay black man to earn Emmy nod for drama lead actor

Billy Porter has become the first openly gay black man to be nominated for an Emmy in the lead actor in a drama series category.

Porter, an American actor and singer, earned the nod for his turn as sharp-tongued emcee Pray Tell in Pose, the series about New York’s LGBT ballroom scene in the 1980s.

On his Instagram story, the 49-year-old wrote simply: “Ahhhhhhh, I’m screaming.”

The show, which is now in its second season and is broadcast on US channel FX, was also nominated in the drama series category.

Porter was also previously nominated for a Golden Globe for his work on the show, which features a number of queer and transgender actors.

Off-screen, he is known for his eye-grabbing sartorial choices.

He attended the 91st Academy Awards wearing a tuxedo-gown hybrid. The top half looked like classic men’s formalwear but the bottom blossomed out into a full velvet skirt.

At this year’s Met Gala, where the theme was camp, he wore a bejewelled gold catsuit, 10-foot wings, a headpiece and boots from Giuseppe Zanotti.

He arrived in a golden litter carried by six shirtless men and described his inspiration on Instagram at the time: “The Category Is: Old Testament Realness.”

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Porter attended Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School and later UCLA, where he earned a certification in screenwriting.

He previously won the Tony for best actor in a musical in 2013 for his turn as Lola in Kinky Boots.

The role also earned him a Drama Desk Award for outstanding actor in a musical and an Outer Critics Award for outstanding actor in a musical.

He also won the 2014 Grammy for best musical theatre album for Kinky Boots.