Zendaya and an actress identified as Smart are competing to become the first women to win an Emmy for every eligible season of a show. This historic pursuit centers on their current nominations for Euphoria and an unnamed acclaimed comedy.
Smart's Pursuit of a Fifth Consecutive Trophy
Smart is currently nominated for a fifth straight win, which would mark a flawless run acrooss the entire lifespan of her series. According to the report, a victory would grant Smart her eighth career Emmy, placing her in a tie for second place on the all-time acting list alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman.
However, the path to history is blocked by Lisa Kudrow. As the report notes, Kudrow has maintained a nomination streak for The Comeback spanning from 2006 to 2026, and a win for Kudrow could mirror the 2019 upset where Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag defeated Louis-Dreyfus.
Zendaya's Third-Season Challenge in the Drama Category
Zendaya is attempting to remain undefeated for a third time following her lead drama actress wins for the first two seasons of Euphoria in 2020 and 2022. While Zendaya holds the record as the youngest two-time Emmy winner in history, her current bid faces headwinds from mixed reviews and stiff competition.
The competition for the drama trophy is particularly fierce this year. Zendaya must fend off Rhea Seehorn, who is nominated for Pluribus, and Keri Russell,representing The Diplomat, both of whom are described as "powerhouses" in the field.
The 60-Year Gap Since Bill Cosby's I Spy Sweep
The rarity of a "perfect" win streak is highlighted by the fact that only Bill Cosby has achieved this for a scripted series lasting three or more seasons. Cosby swept all three installments of I Spy between 1966 and 1968, leaving a void in the record books that has lasted nearly six decades.
While 39 performers have managed perfect nomination streaks—including legends like Alan Alda for MASH and Betty White for The Golden Girls—converting those nominations into wins every single year is nearly impossible. This disparity underscores the "brutal arithmetic" of the Television Academy's voting process, where a performer must remain in the Academy's good graces for years while facing new challengers.
The Fragility of Streaks and the Case of The Bear
Recent awards cycles demonstrate how quickly a perfect run can evaporate. The most notable example occurred with The Bear, where two-time winners Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were completely shut out of nominations despite having been recognized in every previous season.
Similarly, Sheryl Lee Ralph saw her four-season flawless streak with Abbott Elementary snap, following a similar fate for co-star Tyler James Williams. This volatility raises the question of whether the Television Academy is currently in a phase of favoring new faces over established incumbents, and specifically, what "mixed reviews" for Euphoria might be weighing on the voters' minds regarding Zendaya's chances.
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