Essence

Emmys 2020: Meet Jemel McWilliams, Choreographer To The Stars

By Cori Murray · Updated November 4, 2020

Long before Jemel McWilliams was teaching Janelle Monáe, Lizzo and John Legend how to move, he was jumping out of his mother’s car when he heard Michael Jackson on the radio.

“I don’t know what happened, the spirit hit me,” laughs the creative and artistic director. “We were literally at the stop light, I start doing Michael Jackson dancing and my mother cursed me out like, ‘Boy, if you don’t get your butt in this car.’”

But what happened next put the Washington D.C. native on the path to becoming an Emmy nominated choreographer. McWilliams has been recognized for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming for his work shaping Janelle Monáe’s opening performance at The Oscars. His category will be presented at the Creative Arts Emmys Awards virtual ceremony on Saturday, September 19.