Zendaya became the youngest actress to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award at the 72nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday. The 24-year-old picked up her statuette — remotely, because these were the first-ever virtual Emmys — for her starring role as Rue in HBO’s “Euphoria.”
While Zendaya is the youngest performer to win a golden lady in the lead actress category, the youngest overall is actress Roxana Zal, who won in 1984 — when she was 14 years old — for her supporting role in the TV movie “Something About Amelia.”
And in 1977, Kristy McNichol won the Emmy for supporting actress in a drama series on her 15th birthday for the drama series “Family.” (She won again in that same category two years later.)
Readers can find the complete list of Sunday’s Emmy winners here.
The first season of “Euphoria,” which premiered in June 2019, follows 17-year-old Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a drug addict fresh from rehab, who’s struggling to make sense of her future. Her life changes dramatically when she meets Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer), a girl who recently moved to town following her parents’ divorce, and like Rue is searching for where she belongs.
“Euphoria” was renewed for Season 2 a month after its premiere, but production on the new season was delayed this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, Zendaya said the team might make a standalone episode during quarantine that would serve as a “bridge” between the drama’s first and second seasons.
“We’re kind of trying to figure out how to eventually be able to create a Season 2 that we’re all really proud of and get all the best out of it that we want, but also still being very safe,” Zendaya told “Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ guest host Ben Platt in August.
“So we might end up doing like a little bridge episode. I don’t really know how to describe it,” she said. “Like an episode that we can do with a limited amount of people and in a safer environment that can kind of, I don’t know just give people something. Because we also miss ‘Euphoria,’ as the people who create it, too. And just to give everyone who loves the show a little something so we have something to live on until we are able to go into a Season 2.”
Emmy Predictions in All 23 Major Categories, From 'Watchmen' to 'Schitt's Creek' (Photos)
These are our best guesses for what shows will come out on top at Sunday's 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, but beware: It wouldn't be the Emmys if a few of the winners didn't come out of the blue.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" "Dead to Me" "The Good Place" "Insecure" "The Kominsky Method" "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" "Schitt's Creek" "What We Do in the Shadows"
Predicted winner: "Schitt's Creek"
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, "black-ish" Don Cheadle, "Black Monday" Ted Danson, "The Good Place" Michael Douglas, "The Kominsky Method" Eugene Levy, "Schitt's Creek" Ramy Youssef, "Ramy"
Predicted winner: Eugene Levy, "Schitt's Creek"
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, "Dead to Me" Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" Linda Cardellini, "Dead to Me" Catherine O'Hara, "Schitt's Creek" Issa Rae, "Insecure" Tracee Ellis Ross, "black-ish"
Mahershala Ali, "Ramy" Alan Arkin, "The Kominsky Method" Andre Braugher, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Sterling K. Brown, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" William Jackson Harper, "The Good Place" Daniel Levy, "Schitt's Creek" Tony Shalhoub, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" Kenan Thompson, "Saturday Night Live"
Predicted winner: Daniel Levy, "Schitt's Creek"
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alex Borstein, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" D'Arcy Carden, "The Good Place" Betty Gilpin, "GLOW" Marin Hinkle, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live" Annie Murphy, "Schitt's Creek" Yvonne Orji, "Insecure" Cecily Strong, "Saturday Night Live"
Predicted winner: Alex Borstein, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
"The Great" (episode: "The Great") "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (episode: "It's Comedy or Cabbage") "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (episode: "Marvelous Radio") "Modern Family" (episode: "Finale Part 2") "Ramy" (episode: "Miakhalifa.mov") "Schitt's Creek" (episode: "Happy Ending") "Will & Grace" (episode: "We Love Lucy")
"The Good Place" (episode: "Whenever You're Ready") "The Great" (episode: "The Great") "Schitt's Creek" (episode: "Happy Ending") "Schitt's Creek" (episode: "The Presidential Suite") "What We Do In the Shadows" (episode: "Collaboration") "What We Do In the Shadows" (episode: "Ghosts") "What We Do In the Shadows" (episode: "On the Run")
Predicted winner: "The Good Place" (episode: "Whenever You're Ready")
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
"Better Call Saul" "The Crown" "The Handmaid's Tale" "Killing Eve" "The Mandalorian" "Ozark" "Stranger Things"
Predicted winner: "Succession" "Succession"
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, "Ozark" Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us" Steve Carell, "The Morning Show" Brian Cox, "Succession" Billy Porter, "Pose" Jeremy Strong, "Succession"
Predicted winner: Jeremy Strong, "Succession"
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, "The Morning Show" Olivia Colman, "The Crown" Jodie Comer, "Killing Eve" Laura Linney, "Ozark" Sandra Oh, "Killing Eve" Zendaya, "Euphoria"
Predicted winner: Laura Linney, "Ozark"
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicholas Braun, "Succession" Billy Crudup, "The Morning Show" Kieran Culkin, "Succession" Mark Duplass, "The Morning Show" Giancarlo Esposito, "Better Call Saul" Matthew Macfadyen, "Succession" Bradley Whitford, "The Handmaid's Tale" Jeffrey Wright, "Westworld"
Predicted winner: Kieran Culkin, "Succession"
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Helena Bonham Carter, "The Crown" Laura Dern, "Big Little Lies" Julia Garner, "Ozark" Thandie Newton, "Westworld" Fiona Shaw, "Killing Eve" Sarah Snook, "Succession" Meryl Streep, "Big Little Lies" Samira Wiley, "The Handmaid's Tale"
Predicted winner: Julia Garner, "Ozark"
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
"The Crown" (episode: "Aberfan") "The Crown" (episode: "Cri de Coeur") "Homeland" (episode: "Prisoners of War") "The Morning Show" (episode: "The Interview") "Ozark" (episode: "Fire Pink") "Ozark" (episode: "Su Casa es mi Casa") "Succession" (episode: "Hunting") "Succession" (episode: "This Is Not for Tears")
Predicted winner: "Succession" (episode: "This Is Not for Tears")
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
"Better Call Saul" (episode: "Bad Choice Road") "Better Call Saul" (episode: "Bagman") "The Crown" (episode: Aberfan") "Ozark" (episode: "All In") "Ozark" (episode: Boss Fight") "Ozark" (episode: "Fire Pink") "Succession" (episode: "This Is Not for Tears")
Predicted winner: "Succession" (episode: "This Is Not for Tears")
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, "Watchmen" Hugh Jackman, "Bad Education" Paul Mescal, "Normal People" Jeremy Pope, "Hollywood" Mark Ruffalo, "I Know This Much Is True"
Predicted winner: Paul Mescal, "Normal People"
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, "Mrs. America" Shira Haas, "Unorthodox" Regina King, "Watchmen" Octavia Spencer, "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker" Kerry Washington, "Little Fires Everywhere"
Predicted winner: Regina King, "Watchmen"
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, "Watchmen" Jovan Adepo, "Watchmen" Tituss Burgess, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend" Louis Gossett Jr., "Watchmen" Dylan McDermott, "Hollywood" Jim Parsons, "Hollywood"
Predicted winner: Jim Parsons, "Hollywood"
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Uzo Aduba, "Mrs. America" Toni Collette, "Unbelievable" Margo Martindale, "Mrs. America" Jean Smart, "Watchmen" Holland Taylor, "Hollywood" Tracey Ullman, "Mrs. America"
Predicted winner: Jean Smart, "Watchmen"
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
"Little Fires Everywhere" (episode: "Find a Way") "Normal People" (episode: "Episode 5") "Unorthodox" "Watchmen" (episode: "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice") "Watchmen" (episode: "Little Fear of Lightning") "Watchmen" (episode: "This Extraordinary Being")
"The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert"
Predicted winner: "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver"
OUTSTANDING COMPETITION PROGRAM
"The Masked Singer" "Nailed It!" "RuPaul's Drag Race" "Top Chef" "The Voice"
Predicted winner: "RuPaul's Drag Race"
1 of 24
With Emmy favs ”Game of Thrones“ and ”Fleabag“ gone, who will take their place?
These are our best guesses for what shows will come out on top at Sunday's 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, but beware: It wouldn't be the Emmys if a few of the winners didn't come out of the blue.
