Owen Cooper makes history as 'Adolescence' triumphs with multiple top awards at 2025 Emmys

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles delivered a landmark evening for British actor Owen Cooper, who at just 15 became the youngest male to win an Emmy in an acting category.

Cooper claimed Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence, which went on to dominate the night. The four-part drama ended the night with six awards including Best Limited Series, acting prizes for Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, and recognition for both directing and writing.

In his acceptance speech, Cooper said, “Standing up here is just, wow, it’s just so surreal. 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.”

He later encouraged young actors by adding, “I think tonight proves if you listen, and you focus and you step out your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life.”

Adolescence drew acclaim for its exploration of the effects of smartphones and social media on teenagers.

Graham, who won Best Lead Actor and shared the writing prize with Jack Thorne, said, “This kind of thing normally doesn’t happen to a kid like me, I’m just a mixed-race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirby.”

Doherty, who won Best Supporting Actress, praised her co-star, “I’ll be banging on about Owen Cooper and Adolescence for the rest of my life.”