The 13 Youngest Emmy Winners in History

1. Roxana Zal 

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 14
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - 1984
• Role: Amelia Bennet
• TV film: Something About Amelia - ABC
• Other Notable Roles: Maggie - River's Edge, Gitch - Under the Boardwalk, Natalie Weller - Watch Over Me

The former actress scored an Emmy in 1984 for her role as the main character, Amelia, in the TV film Something About Amelia. It received a total of eight Emmy nominations and won in three categories, including Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special and Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special. Roxana Zal's standout performance also earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film.

2. Kristy McNichol 

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 15
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - 1977
• Role: Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence
• Show: Family - ABC
• Other Notable Roles: Angel - Little Darlings, Polly - Only When I Laugh, Barbara Weston - Empty Nest

Although she’s best known for titles like Little Darlings and Just the Way You Are, it was Kristy McNichol’s portrayal of Buddy in the TV drama, Family, that earned her four Emmy nominations and two Emmy wins. After getting her first award in 1977 at just 15 years old, the actress earned a second in 1979 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

3. Scott Jacoby 

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 16
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama - 1973
• Role: Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence
• TV film: That Certain Summer - ABC
• Other Notable Roles: Michael Zbornak - The Golden Girls, Ronald Wilby - Bad Ronald, Peter van Daan - The Diary of Anne Frank

I know him as Dorothy's free-spirited son on The Golden Girls, but even before he appeared in the sitcom, Scott Jacoby won his first Emmy for playing Nick Salter in the made-for-television drama film, That Certain Summer. Famous for being the first title to portray queer people positively on screen, the movie made history as the first gay-themed title to win an Emmy.

4. Anthony Murphy

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 17
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - 1973
• Role: Tom Brown
• Show: Tom Brown's Schooldays - BBC1
• Other Notable Roles: None

Anthony Murphy is an English painter who has done only one role—and it earned him a trophy in 1973, making him one of the youngest Emmy winners of all time. Murphy played Tom Brown in Tom Brown's Schooldays Masterpiece Theatre, and the title also won for Outstanding Drama/Comedy-Limited Episodes. Despite all the praise for his performance, Murphy decided to pursue painting full-time.

5. Jharrel Jerome 

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 21
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie - 2018
• Role: Korey Wise
• Show: When They See Us - Netflix
• Other Notable Roles: Kevin - Moonlight, Cootie - I'm a Virgo, Miles G. Morales / Prowler - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

It’s impossible not to be moved by Jharrel Jerome’s portrayal of Korey Wise in the Netflix miniseries, When They See Us, which is based on true events. He earned his first Emmy for the role in 2018, and he also scored a Critics' Choice Television Award and NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series.

6. Richard Thomas 

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 21
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - 1973
• Role:  John-Boy Walton
• Show: The Waltons - CBS
• Other Notable Roles: Nathan Davis - Ozark, Frank Gaad - The Americans, Bill Denbrough - It

I've seen him as Nathan from Netflix's Ozark and Frank from FX's The Americans, but I had no idea that Richard Thomas is among the youngest actors to ever receive an Emmy. In 1973, he earned the award for starring as John-Boy in the historical drama, The Waltons. 

7. Barbra Streisand 

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 22
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Program Achievements in Entertainment - 1965
• Role: Self
• Show: My Name Is Barbra
• Other Notable Roles: Fanny Brice - Funny Girl, Judy Maxwell - What's Up, Doc?, Rozalin "Roz" Focker - Meet the Fockers

The legendary EGOT winner boasts more than two dozen albums and plenty of acting credits, but she won her first Emmy for her self-titled television special, My Name Is Barbra. The show was a major success, earning the star four more Emmys, and she has more than 100 accolades to her name, including a Tony Award, two Oscars and 10 Grammys.

8. Barbara Anderson  

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 22
• Award won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - 1968
• Role: Eve Whitfield
• Show: Ironside - NBC
• Other Notable Roles: Mimi Davis - Mission: Impossible, Annie Cartwright - Bonanza: The Next Generation

Barbara Anderson became one of the youngest Emmy winners when she was recognized for her epic performance in the NBC classic, Ironside. After winning in 1968, she received two more nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress for Ironside in 1969 and 1970. Her other noteworthy titles include Star Trek: The Original Series and Mission: Impossible and Mannix.

9. Susan Saint James 

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 22
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series - 1969
• Role: Peggy Maxwell
• Show: The Name of the Game - NBC
• Other Notable Roles: Peggy Chan - Fame Is the Name of the Game, Sally McMillan - McMillan & Wife, Kate McArdle - Kate & Allie

After her three-year stint on Fame Is the Name of the Game, Susan Saint James went on to play a research assistant named Peggy Maxwell in The Name of the Game, which earned her an Emmy Award. The actress and activist received seven other Emmy nominations for her work in McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie.

10. Patty Duke

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 23
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - 1970
• Role: Marlene Chambers
• Show: My Sweet Charlie - NBC
• Other Notable Roles: Patty Lane / Cathy Lane - The Patty Duke Show, Helen Keller - The Miracle Worker, Helen - By Design

Patty Duke shined as Marlene Chambers in My Sweet Charlie—so much so that it earned her an Emmy for Outstanding Single Performance. This is just one of many accolades that the actress received throughout her decades-long career. Duke also won two more Emmys, an Oscar and two Golden Globes.

11. Karen Valentine

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 23
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - 1970
• Role: Alice Johnson
• Show: Room 222 - ABC
• Other Notable Roles: Karen Angelo - Karen, Jane - The North Avenue Irregulars

If you're into the classics, you might remember Karen Valentine as the lovable schoolteacher, Alice Johnson, in ABC's Room 222. The role earned her an Emmy Award in 1970, when she was just 23 years old. She also received a Golden Globe nod for her role the following year.

12. America Ferrera

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 23
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - 2007
• Role: Betty Suarez
• Show: Ugly Betty - ABC
• Other Notable Roles: Gloria - Barbie, Yolanda Vargas - Gotta Kick It Up!, Carmen Lowell - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Not only did America Ferrera steal the hearts of millions who watched Ugly Betty each week, but she also made history as the first Latina woman to win an Emmy in this category. The popular role also earned her a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Since then, she captured the hearts of countless fans (me included) with her portrayal of Gloria in Barbie.

13. Zendaya

• Age When Emmy Was Won: 24 and 26
• Emmy Award Won: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - 2020, 2022
• Role: Rue Bennet
• Show: Euphoria - HBO
• Other Notable Roles: Anne Wheeler - The Greatest Showman, Chani - Dune and Dune: Part 2, Michelle "MJ" Jones - Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home

The Disney Channel alum has come a long way since her Shake It Up days. In 2020, the star earned her first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, thanks to her performance on Euphoria. Zendaya scored her second Emmy in 2022 (in the same category), and she has also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama.

14. Keshia Knight Pulliam

• Age When Nominated for an Emmy: 6
• Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Supporting Actress in A Comedy Series - 1986
• Role: Rudy Huxtable
• Show: The Cosby Show - NBC
• Other Notable Roles: Miranda Lucas-Payne - House of Payne, Candace Washington - Madea Goes to Jail, Self/Host - Married at First Sight

Rudy Huxtable may have been the youngest of the Huxtable family, but she was also a feminist icon—and Pulliam portrayed her so brilliantly. It's why I'm not surprised that, at just six years old, she scored an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She lost to Cheers actress Rhea Perlman, but since then, she earned three NAACP Image Awards for her role in Tyler Perry's House of Payne.

15. Fred Savage

• Age When Nominated for an Emmy: 13, 14
• Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - 1989, 1990
• Role: Kevin Arnold
• Show: The Wonder Years - ABC
• Other Notable Roles: Grandson in The Princess Bride, Stewart Sanderson - The Grinder, Dr. Harding - The Conners

It's only fitting that Savage would be nominated for the iconic role that brought him fame. The Wonder Years actor and director earned his first Emmy nomination at just 13, then received a second nod in the same category the following year. He has since acted in a few more projects and ventured into directing, having worked on shows like Ugly Betty, Hannah Montana and Modern Family.

16. Millie Bobby Brown

• Age When Nominated for an Emmy: 13, 14
• Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - 2017, 2018
• Role: Eleven
• Show: Stranger Things - Netflix
• Other Notable Roles: Enola Holmes - Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2, Princess Elodie - Damsel

Brown received her first Emmy nod for Stranger Things at just 13 years old, and I can see why. Her brilliant portrayal as El quickly made her a fan favorite, and she went on to earn a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. (Fun fact: She has briefly appeared in shows like Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.)

When the iconic Dick Van Dyke was awarded an Emmy for his guest role on the soap opera, Days of Our Lives, he became the oldest actor in history to win the golden statuette and to be nominated. This marked the 98-year-old actor's sixth Emmy win, and Van Dyke shows no signs of slowing down. He told Entertainment Tonight, "It isn't work, it's play. Actors are so lucky. I've had such a good time."

To date, more than a dozen talented young actors have made history as one of the youngest stars to earn an Emmy Award. The list includes Roxana Zal, Kristy McNichol, Scott Jacoby, Anthony Murphy, Jharrel Jerome, Richard Thomas, Barbra Streisand, Barbara Anderson, Susan Saint James, Patty Duke, Karen Valentine, America Ferrera and Zendaya. The youngest Emmy nominees are Keshia Knight Pulliam, Fred Savage and Millie Bobby Brown, and the oldest to ever earn the golden statue? Acting veteran Dick Van Dyke, who impressed critics with his guest appearance on Days of Our Lives. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards takes place on Sunday, September 15, 2024 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m ET on ABC.