‘Euphoria’ Star Zendaya Becomes Youngest Emmy Winner For Lead Actress In Drama

For the second year in a row, the lead drama actress Emmy has gone to a fresh face: a first-time nominee and the youngest on the ballot: “Euphoria’s” Zendaya.

And Zendaya has made history with this win, not only for becoming the youngest-ever Emmy winner in the category (she turned 24 just a few weeks ago; the incumbent winner Jodie Comer was 26 when she stepped on-stage to accept her statue in 2019), but also for being the first Black actor to take this trophy since “How To Get Away With Murder’s” Viola Davis in 2015.

“I know this feels like a really weird time to be celebrating,” said Zendaya. “But I just want to say that there is hope in the young people out there. I know that our TV show doesn’t always feel like a great example of that, but there is hope in the young people. And I just want to say to all my peers out there doing the work in the streets, I see you, I admire you and I thank you.”

Zendaya won for her gritty portrayal of teenage drug addict Rue on the HBO high school drama, and this attention from the Television Academy for it marked her first-ever major awards attention in general.

To come out victorious, Zendaya topped Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”), the aforementioned Comer and her “Killing Eve” co-star Sandra Oh, Olivia Colman (“The Crown”), Laura Linney (“Ozark”) and Zendaya (“Euphoria”).