It’s awards season and one Quinnipiac University grad just won her first Emmy for her work on “The Traitors,” a type of show that’s part murder-mystery wrapped in a challenge competition. It’s streaming now on Peacock.

“It’s really a whirlwind for me to be here today, to be the first black winner in my category,” Jazzy Collins, Casting Society of America (CSA) casting director, said.

She said she still pinches herself when she wakes up in the morning.

“I have an Emmy, right there. That’s so wild!” she laughed, pointing to the statute during a Zoom call from California.

What feels like a dream is the payoff of reality TV. Collins perfectly cast season one of The Traitors, earning her an Emmy for outstanding casting in a reality series. She wasn’t on the competition show, but she won the gold.

“Overall, I had a blast working with this cast on set,” Collins said of her time filming in Scotland. “Everyone was so thankful to be there and were also having a great time playing the game. So, it was a lot of fun.”

A mix of former reality show contestants and everyday people face off in challenges for cash, and along the way, try to figure out who among them have turned into murderous traitors.

“This game is about manipulation; it’s about getting people’s trust. So, we were thinking, what cool jobs would work for this show?”

Hairdressers build a lot of relationships with clients, and political analysts think strategically. Those were some of the people who were cast with reality alums of shows like Big Brother and Survivor.

“We wanted to make sure that we had really amazing characters on the civilian side. And then when it comes to the celebrity side, it’s really important to have people that, you know, the civilians will look at and go ‘oh my gosh, I’m a little bit intimidated, these people have won Big Brother,’” she said.

Collins is an alum herself, graduating from Quinnipiac University in 2014. She found a mentor in professor Raymond Foery who made an impact on how she approached her studies and her career.

“He was someone that got me outside of my comfort zone. He said, ‘try something new if that’s not going to work for you.’ He opened me to new films that I normally wouldn’t watch," she said.

Casting wasn’t her goal, but she was open to trying something new when she was offered the job. She took a chance.

“I absolutely love talking to people every single day. I love meeting new people, I love exploring worlds that I normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to explore. And it doesn’t even feel like a job. It feels like I’m just having a good time.”

The good times are rolling. Collins has worked on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Lizzo’s Watch out for the Big Grrrls, Love Island, The Circle and America’s Got Talent. She’s also working on a new show for Hulu that she says has a familiar feel to The Traitors.

And with her success, she’s keeping in mind the mark she’s making for people of color in the industry.

“People are going to take a look at me, my daughter’s going to look at me, other people that are jumping in the industry that maybe thought casting wasn’t their first choice of doing it said maybe this is something I can do,” Collins said. “And I’m really excited to be one of those people that are pushing the needle forward. And that’s something that I always do when it comes to my work, and to always mentor women of color.”

She said her job carries a huge responsibility when it comes to who gets to be represented on TV.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure that we have diverse people coming through the door. So, I’m really proud that that is something that I’ve been standing for, for these last 10 years. And that I continue to do for the next 30 to 40 years.”

Both seasons of The Traitors are streaming on Peacock. What does she think of the hand-picked cast’s season one performance?

“I absolutely love the ending. I think it is something that you weren’t going to expect. That last moment really had you gripping your chair, you had no idea it was going to end in this way and I think they did a phenomenal job as a cast," Collins said.