Zendaya just keeps making Emmys history.

At the 74th annual TV awards ceremony last night (12 September), the 26-year-old actor received her second trophy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her role as Rue in HBO’s hit Gen Z drama Euphoria.

The win marked a major milestone for not one but two reasons: the star was the first Black woman to win twice in the category and also became the youngest two-time winner in any category in the awards show’s history.

The actor previously set an Emmys record in 2020, when she became the youngest performer in the outstanding lead actress in a drama category to take home the trophy, also for her turn in Euphoria. Earlier this year, Zendaya, who also serves as an executive producer on the HBO series, broke another record when she became the youngest woman ever nominated as a producer by the Emmys.

In her acceptance speech last night, she thanked her fellow cast and crew for “making such a safe space to make this very difficult show” and praised the show’s creator Sam Levinson for “believing in me even in moments where I didn’t believe in myself”, before paying tribute to the fans who have shared their experiences of addiction with her.

“My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shared their story with me,” she said. 

“I want you to know that anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like they are a Rue, I want you to know that I am so grateful for your stories, and I carry them with me, and I carry them with her.”

Zendaya’s win wasn’t the only major milestone at last night’s ceremony. Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson became the second Black woman to win the outstanding writer for a comedy series trophy, and the third Black writer overall to take the award.

Her co-star, Sheryl Lee Ralph, also became the second Black woman to be awarded in the supporting actress in a comedy series category. Ralph, who appeared in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, marked the occasion by singing a verse from Dianne Reeves’ song Endangered Species, which features the lyrics: “I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim’s song / I am a woman, I am an artist / And I know where my voice belongs.”

Netflix favourite Squid Game had a historic night, too, as director Hwang Dong-hyuk became the first Asian director to win the Emmy for directing a drama series, as well as the first to win for a series not in English. The show’s star Lee Jung-jae was also the first Asian actor to receive the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series.

It’s a welcome step forward after the awards show came under fire last year for its lack of diversity, when all the major acting trophies went to white performers. 

Images: Getty