Britt Lower claimed the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the glittering 2025 Emmys ceremony on Sunday night. She stood alongside fellow nominees Kathy Bates (*Matlock*), Sharon Horgan (*Bad Sisters*), Bella Ramsey (*The Last of Us*), and Keri Russell (*The Diplomat*), each vying for the coveted prize.
“I share this award with my heroic cast and crew,” declared Lower, the luminary of *Severance*, as she took the stage. Throughout her heartfelt speech, she lavished praise on her team, extended gratitude to her family, and delivered a special tribute to her character on the Apple TV+ sensation. “Thank you for this, and thank you for Helly R for choosing me,” she said, her voice tinged with emotion.
Eagle-eyed fans also spotted a subtle homage to her character: scrawled on the paper Lower used for her speech were the words “LET ME OUT”—a poignant nod to Helly’s yearning for liberation in the series.
The second season of *Severance*, co-created by Ben Stiller and Dan Erickson, shattered records as Apple TV+’s most-watched series globally, according to the streamer. When asked by *THR* in her August 6 cover story about the show’s meteoric rise, Lower mused, “I have so many answers, but the best one I can think of is that it’s a show about what makes us human.”
Reflecting on the period before landing the role of Helly R, Lower recalled a string of near-misses. “I was at that point where there had been, like, three or four jobs that year that had just gone a different direction,” she shared. “I’d developed that kind of resilience you build from rejection, where you’re just like, ‘OK, cool, it wasn’t meant to be.’” The moment she learned she’d secured the part, Lower told *THR*, she dropped to her knees in tears. “It was a hardwood floor, so my knees hurt,” she laughed, still marveling at the turn of fate.
*Severance* dominated the nominations with a staggering 27 nods, including Best Drama Series, where it competed against *Andor*, *The Diplomat*, *The Last of Us*, *Paradise*, *The Pitt*, *Slow Horses*, and *The White Lotus*. *The Penguin* followed with 24 nominations, while *The Studio* and *The White Lotus* tied at 23 apiece. *The Last of Us* earned 16, *Andor* and *Hacks* 14 each, and *Adolescence*, *The Bear*, and *The Pitt* 13. HBO and Max led all platforms in total nominations.
Lower’s victory comes hot on the heels of her *Severance* co-star Tramell Tillman’s Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
The 77th Emmy Awards, broadcast live from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, aired on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, with Nate Bargatze serving as host.
