Julie Andrews adds another Emmy to her legendary career with ‘Bridgerton’ after retiring

Julie Andrews has added another Emmy to her remarkable career, winning Outstanding Character Voice Over Performance for her work as Lady Whistledown in Netflix’s Bridgerton. The 90 year old actress received the honour during Night Two of the 78th Emmy Awards on September 6 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Andrews was not present at the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony, with presenter Eric Bauza accepting the award on her behalf. Her victory marks her second consecutive win in the category after she took home the same prize for Bridgerton at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmys.

The latest recognition continues Andrews’ long association with Lady Whistledown, the mysterious narrator whose sharp observations provide the voice of Bridgerton. The Television Academy lists Andrews as a 2026 nominee for the performance in the episode "The Waltz", while her previous winning performance came from the episode "Into The Light".

Andrews faced a competitive voiceover field that included Pamela Adlon for King of the Hill, Hank Azaria for The Simpsons, Trey Parker for South Park, Matt Vogel for The Muppet Show and Steven Yeun for Invincible. Her victory also contributed to Bridgerton securing two Emmy wins during the second night of the Creative Arts ceremony, with the series also recognised for hairstyling.

The win arrives at a significant moment in Andrews’ career. Earlier in 2026, the celebrated performer confirmed that she no longer plans to return to on screen acting. In an August interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Andrews explained that she feels she is past that stage of her career, while making clear that she has not completely stepped away from professional work.

Instead, Andrews has increasingly focused on writing, recording, podcasts and voiceover projects. Her continuing work as Lady Whistledown has allowed her to remain part of one of Netflix’s biggest period dramas without requiring her to appear on camera. The role has consequently become an important part of her later career, earning multiple Emmy nominations and consecutive wins.

Andrews first received an Emmy nomination for the Lady Whistledown performance in Bridgerton in 2021. She was nominated again in 2022, followed by another nomination in 2023 for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Her 2025 victory was followed by the 2026 win, giving her two consecutive awards in the category. The Television Academy currently credits Andrews with three Emmy wins from 13 nominations across her career.

Her Emmy history stretches back decades. Andrews previously won Outstanding Nonfiction Series in 2005 as host of Broadway: The American Musical, adding the latest voiceover victories to an awards career that has included recognition across several areas of television.

The Bridgerton recognition also comes as Andrews continues to expand her work outside traditional acting roles. She co wrote the children’s book Shy with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, and she is set to appear in an upcoming Disney+ documentary about her life and career directed by R.J. Cutler. The documentary is scheduled to stream in 2027.