The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards could rewrite television history across multiple categories when the ceremony airs this weekend.
Zendaya, 30, stands poised to shatter two barriers in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series race for her work in Euphoria. A win would make her the youngest actress ever to claim three trophies in the category and the first Black actress to reach that total.
Jean Smart, 74, and Alison Janney, 66, are both chasing the all-time record for most Emmy wins by any performer. The mark of eight acting victories is currently shared by Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Smart could also become the first performer to complete a perfect five-for-five sweep, having already won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for each of the first four seasons of Hacks.
Behind the camera, Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Task and The Gilded Age) and Hanelle Culpepper (Paradise) could each become the first Black woman to win Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
The potential milestones build on two records already locked in at the Creative Arts ceremonies held earlier this month. Mariska Hargitay, 62, became the first person to win Emmys for acting, directing, and producing a documentary, adding to her existing haul from Law and Order: SVU. Julie Andrews, 90, surpassed Carol Burnett as the oldest woman ever to win a Primetime Emmy.
The Creative Arts wins have already guaranteed that the 78th Emmys will be remembered as a milestone year regardless of Sunday’s outcomes. Hargitay’s documentary victory marked a new frontier for performers crossing into nonfiction filmmaking, while Andrews’ win extended a career that has now spanned seven decades of television recognition.
Industry research compiled by ActionNetwork.com identified the full slate of records in play across the telecast, spanning leading acting, writing, and series categories.
The Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series race encapsulates the evening’s generational tension, with Zendaya’s bid for history competing against established veterans. Her previous wins for Euphoria came in 2020 and 2022, making her already the youngest two-time winner in the category’s history.
Smart’s potential perfect run with Hacks would stand alone in Emmy annals, as no performer has previously won for every season of a single show without a loss. The fifth season of the Max comedy premiered earlier this year to continued critical acclaim.
The directing categories have historically been among the least diverse at the Emmys, with Richardson-Whitfield and Culpepper both carrying the possibility of breaking a barrier that has stood since the drama directing award was established. Richardson-Whitfield was recognized for her work on Task and The Gilded Age, while Culpepper earned her nomination for Paradise.