Zendaya Could Rewrite Emmy History Forever With One More Win For ‘Euphoria’
Zendaya has spent the better part of a decade turning HBO’s most talked about drama into a launching pad for her own legend. What began as a former Disney Channel star taking a risk on a gritty teen addiction story has become one of the defining performances of this television era. Every awards season since ‘Euphoria’ premiered has added another layer to that reputation.
This year, though, the stakes feel different. Zendaya received her third Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nomination for playing Rue in ‘Euphoria’, marking her sixth Emmy nomination overall. The nod arrived during what multiple outlets are calling the most dominant stretch of her career, with the actor juggling a packed film slate alongside her television legacy.
That is exactly the context Variety highlighted when it pointed out that if Zendaya wins the Emmy for lead actress in a drama series this year, she would become the youngest performer in history, male or female, to win three lead drama Emmys. It is a staggering statistic for an actor who is still only in her twenties, and it explains why this particular race has become one of the most closely watched storylines of the entire ceremony.
Zendaya is no stranger to rewriting the record books in this category. She first made history in 2020 by becoming the youngest lead actress drama winner at just 24 years old, and only the second Black woman ever to win the category, following Viola Davis. She then returned in 2022 to become the youngest actress to win the award twice, at age 26, while also becoming the first Black woman to win Lead Actress In A Drama Series on two occasions.
She is not running unopposed this time around. Zendaya is competing against Carrie Coon, Chase Infiniti, Keri Russell and Rhea Seehorn for the trophy, a lineup that includes both awards veterans and rising newcomers. Interestingly, ‘Euphoria’ itself missed out on a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series after a divisive final season, even as Zendaya and co-star Colman Domingo still earned acting nods, a split that has fueled plenty of debate among fans about how the show’s ending is being remembered critically versus how its performances are being judged.
Reaction to the milestone possibility has been building steadily since nominations were announced. Breaking a fifty-eight-year-old record in the category has become a central storyline heading into the ceremony, with anticipation growing over whether the milestone will actually fall this time. For a performer who has already reshaped what the Lead Actress in a Drama category looks like twice before, a third rewrite would cement her as one of the defining figures in the award’s history rather than simply another nominee passing through it.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on NBC and Peacock on Monday, September 14, shifting from its usual Sunday slot, giving voters and fans several more weeks to weigh in before Zendaya’s fate in the category is decided. Do you think ‘Euphoria’ has done enough to send Rue out with a third trophy for Zendaya’s mantle?
