Adolescence star Owen Cooper has become the youngest male actor to win an Emmy, earning the award for his role in the British Netflix drama.

Cooper, who had already made history as the youngest person to be nominated for supporting actor in a limited series, told the audience at the 77th Emmy Awards on Sunday (local time) that he was “nothing” just three years ago.

“Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didn’t expect to be even in the United States, never mind here,” the 15-year-old British actor said in his acceptance speech.

“But I think tonight proves that if you listen and you focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life.”

“It says my name on the statue, but it really belongs to all of the people who worked on the show.”

In the press room afterwards, Cooper appeared still shocked by his history-making win.

“It means so much to me. It means so much to me, my family, people back home. So, you know, it’s just, yeah, it just means a lot to me,” he said.

Hollywood stars arrived at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles for the ceremony, hosted by US comedian Nate Bargatze.

Cooper’s co-star Erin Doherty won best supporting actress in a limited series, dedicating the award to her older sister.

Severance was nominated 27 times, while crime drama mini-series The Penguin had 24 nominations and Adolescence received 13.

Best drama series went to The Pitt, while star Noah Wyle also won best actor in a drama. It was his first Emmy, and his first nomination in 26 years since ER.

Meanwhile, The Studio set a record for the most wins by a comedy series in a single season.

Co-creator Seth Rogen personally took four Emmys, including trophies for acting, directing and writing. Those four wins, along with nine claimed at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, broke last year’s record set by The Bear with 11.

“I’m legitimately embarrassed by how happy this makes me,” Rogen said after winning best comedy series.

Adolescence, which dominated Netflix’s most-watched list earlier in 2025, centres on the story of a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a classmate.

Director Philip Barantini took home the Emmy for outstanding directing for a limited or anthology series or movie, while writers Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham won for outstanding writing in the same category.

“To Netflix, thank you for trusting us with this mad idea,” Barantini said while accepting his award.

Before the ceremony, fellow nominee Jake Gyllenhaal surprised Cooper during an interview ahead of the 77th Emmy Awards, leaving the young Adolescence star momentarily speechless.

Asked moments earlier how he would react if they met, Cooper said: “I don’t know. I’ll just stare at him. I don’t really know.”

The pair hugged, and Gyllenhaal gave Cooper a small gift – a “lucky duck”.

“I made this movie [Brokeback Mountain], and I got nominated for an Academy Award, and a friend of mine sent me this before. Something just like this,” he said.

“It’s just a ‘lucky duck’ to keep in your pocket. To give you a little bit of luck.”

Other winners

Cristin Milioti won best actress in a limited series for The Penguin. It was the first win of the night for the HBO series from the Batman universe after it won eight at the Creative Arts ceremony.

Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman each won their first Emmy for Severance, the Apple TV+ Orwellian workplace satire that had been considered the favourite for best drama. Lower won best actress in a drama and Tillman won best supporting actor in a drama.

“My first acting coach was tough, y’all,” Tillman, wearing an all-white tuxedo, said from the stage. “But all great mothers are.”

He looked out to his mother in the audience and told her, “You were there for me where no one else was, and no one else would show up.”

His win had been widely expected but Lower’s was a surprise in a category where Kathy Bates was considered a heavy favourite, for Matlock.

-with AAP