The Emmy Awards honor those whose performances and contributions to a television series made a huge impact. From comedies to dramas, the annual awards ceremony unites the TV industry. And now that 15-year-old Owen Cooper just became the youngest male to ever win an Emmy, we’re looking back at who was the youngest female to do the same.
How Long Have the Emmys Been Around?
The first Emmy Award ever handed out was in 1949. Therefore, as of 2025, the Emmys have been a tradition for more than 75 years.
Who Is the Youngest Female Emmy Winner?
Roxana Zal is still the youngest female — and person — to ever win an Emmy. She took home the award in 1984 for her performance in Something About Amelia.
The Malibu, California, native began acting when she was just 11 and went on to appear in the films Table for Five and Testament. From the 1990s to the early 2000s, Roxana appeared in the television shows Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Pretender and NCIS. Shortly thereafter, she retired from acting and went into fashion design.
Roxana’s role in Something About Amelia was a tough one for her. During a 1986 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she said it was difficult to separate her performance and reality. In the film, she portrayed a victim of child molestation.
Just because people were wondering-
Roxana Zal is the youngest female winner, and remains the youngest acting winner overall, winning in 1984 for Something About Amelia. She was fourteen at the time! https://t.co/ONOyJUKv37 pic.twitter.com/HdM8EbUkgn
— Clare 🦋 (@SayWhatSugar) September 15, 2025
“I found myself going home depressed and drained. I never went to work happy once,” Roxana recalled. “I could never be happy; I always had to be upset.”
However, the then-teenage star pointed out she was “happy that [she] helped people,” recalling the letters that she received from actual victims of child abuse.
“I was happy that I helped people,” she told the publication. “It made me feel so good. Many people wrote to me and said that they might not have gone to get help if it hadn’t been for me.”
Owen Cooper is a first-time #EMMY winning actor at the age of 15.
pic.twitter.com/UVnTlAHpVy— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 15, 2025
Who Is the Youngest Male Emmy Winner?
Owen Cooper became the youngest male to ever take home an Emmy Award in September 2025. He won for his chilling performance in Adolescence.
“When I started these drama classes a couple of years back, I didn’t expect to even be in the United States, never mind here,” Owen began in his speech after calling it a “surreal” experience. “I think tonight proves if you listen, and you focus and you step out your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life.”
The young actor pointed out, “Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible.”
“I was nothing about three years ago, [and] I’m here now,” he added, before thanking his family, castmates and the crew behind Adolescence. “It may have my name on this award, but it really belongs to the people behind the camera.”
Owen will appear in the upcoming film adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
