From left to right: Lauren Weedman, Madeline DiNono, Constance Zimmer, Sharon Waxman, Cindy Eckert, Abby Eptein, Julie Flakstag, Tina Ivlev, Sepideh Moafi, Brittany Allen, Angelique Cabral, Zoe Lister-Jones, Rhea Seehorn, Jackie Tohn Monica Schipper: Getty Images for TheWrap Rhea Seehorn, Constance Zimmer, Dale Dickey and more than 30 female Emmy nominees gathered Thursday, September 10, for TheWrap's inaugural "Celebration of Women of Emmy Season," to honor every woman nominated this season and reframe the cultural narrative around women in midlife and beyond. The event hosted by Wrap CEO Sharon Waxman was launched in partnership with Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute, and The Midlife Collective, co-founded by Constance Zimmer, Abby Epstein and Julie Flakstad. 
Sharon Waxman | Randy Shropshire: Getty Images for TheWrap They were joined by the actresses, showrunners, writers, directors, producers and executives behind this season's most talked-about shows, among them Sepideh Moafi (THE PITT), Abby Elliott (THE BEAR), Brittany Allen (THE PITT), Lauren Weedman (HACKS), Julianne Hough (DANCING WITH THE STARS), Tal Anderson (THE PITT), Jackie Tohn (NOBODY WANTS THIS), Elle Chapman (THE MADISON), and more. The evening was built on a simple premise: women's stories deserve the spotlight at every age, on screen, behind the camera and in the rooms where those stories get made. As Constance Zimmer put it before taking a plunge into the rooftop pool, “women in their fifties are f***ing bad**s!” “Some of the best work on television right now is coming from women at every stage of their careers,” said Sharon Waxman, founder and editor-in-chief of TheWrap. “We wanted to get all of them in one room and give them their due.” The event arrives at a moment when some of the season’s most acclaimed performances are coming from women well past the ages the industry has traditionally centered — even as the data on who gets written, cast and greenlit continues to lag behind audience appetite. “Our research has shown that the roles for women midlife and 50+ onscreen disappear as they get older,” said Madeline Di Nonno, president and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute. “We are heartened to see that for the 2026 Emmy acting nominees, many 50-plus women have been recognized across genres and categories. Their nominations reflect ongoing opportunities for 50-plus women on television." For The Midlife Collective, co-founded by Constance Zimmer, Julie Flakstad and Abby Epstein, the night is a direct expression of why the organization exists. “I was told early on which parts I’d age into and which ones I’d age out of,” said Zimmer, herself a nominee this season for her performance in “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.” “That’s not how it has to work. Some of the best roles come later.” Flakstad and Epstein added that the conversation about women in midlife usually happens without them in the room: “This is a night where they get to speak for themselves.” This event was sponsored by Addyi and Ketel One. 
From left to right: Madeline DiNono, Constance Zimmer, Sharon Waxman, Cindy Eckert, Abby Eptein, Julie Flakstag | Monica Schipper: Getty Images for TheWrap 
From left to right: Tina Ivlev, Sepideh Moafi, Brittany Allen | Monica Schipper: Getty Images for TheWrap 
Rhea Seehorn | Randy Shropshire: Getty Images for TheWrap 
Constance Zimmer | Matei Horvath: Getty Images for TheWrap 
Julianne Hough | Matei Horvath: Getty Images for TheWrap About TheWrap About the Geena Davis Institute About The Midlife Collective 
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