Trending badgeTrendingPosted 2 hours agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret DownHere Are 13 Of The Best Emmy Acceptance Speeches That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, And Want To Rewatch Some Of These Iconic Shows"There are some days when I, myself, think I'm overrated. But not today."by Ellen DurneyBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink CONTENT WARNING: This post briefly mentions sexual assault. If there's one thing about me, if I'm sitting around and need a boost, I'll open up YouTube and find some of my favorite awards show acceptance speeches. Like, what could be better? Your favorite actors reaching the pinnacle of their industry, surrounded by their peers, bursting with pride. Don't even get me started on the nostalgia. Honestly, it works every time. So, with the 2025 Emmys just around the corner, here's a selection of my favorite acceptance speeches from over the years - and, believe me, because I've watched a lot of them. 1. Zendaya, Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Euphoria (2022) Chris Haston / Getty Images In 2022, Zendaya made history with her second Emmy win for playing Rue Bennett in HBO's Euphoria, becoming the youngest female actor to win two Emmys, as well as the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice. In her speech, Z fought back tears as she shone a light on those battling drug addictions just like her character in the show. "My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who shared their story with me," she said. "I want you to know that anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like you are a Rue, I'm so grateful for your stories, and I carry them with me and carry them with her. Thank you so much." View this video on YouTube Television Academy / NBC / Via youtube.com 2. Jon Hamm, Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Mad Men (2015) Fox / Getty Images If you're a TV lover, you'll know that Jon Hamm's Emmy win for playing Don Draper in AMC's Mad Men was a long, long, long time coming. So, when he finally won the award for the show's final season in 2015 after a seven-year losing streak, Jon skipped the stairs, climbed onto the stage belly first, and kicked off by saying: "There has been a terrible mistake, clearly." Jon's whole speech is a masterclass - a big sigh of relief personified. View this video on YouTube Television Academy / Fox / Via youtube.com 3. Sheryl Lee Ralph, Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Abbott Elementary (2022) Michael Buckner / Getty Images From the moment it left her mouth, Sheryl Lee Ralph's Emmy acceptance speech for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series was instantly iconic. The veteran actor took a moment to compose herself on stage before singing part of Dianne Reeves' song "Endangered Species" into the mic. If that wasn't enough, she finished by speaking some of the most motivational words ever said on the Emmys stage: "To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn't, wouldn't, couldn't come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like." Yep, iconic indeed. View this video on YouTube Television Academy / NBC / Via youtube.com 4. Sarah Jessica Parker, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Sex and the City (2004) Vince Bucci / Getty Images After ten prior Emmy nominations for her work on Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker was finally rewarded for her iconic portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw after the show's final season in 2004. "This is great punctuation for the end of a long sentence," her speech began, in true Carrie-style. Gripping her trophy, SJP thanked her husband, Matthew Broderick, her costars, and the city of New York. In fact, the whole thing was so perfect that the play-off music only served to elevate the magic of it all as the camera kept panning back and forth to a sobbing Kristin Davis. No notes! View this video on YouTube Television Academy / ABC / awardscrazy / Via youtube.com 5. Jharrel Jerome, Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series, When They See Us (2019) Kevin Winter / Getty Images Ava DuVernay's When They See Us was based on the true story of the Central Park Five, or the Exonerated Five: the Black and Latino teens who were wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman in New York City in 1989. In the four-part series, Jharrel Jerome portrayed Korey Wise, giving one of the best TV performances I can ever recall watching. Jharrel, an NYC-native, held back tears as he accepted the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Limited Series. (The competition was tough in this category this year, too. He took the trophy over three Oscar winners!) And the best bit? The real Exonerated Five were in the audience to have their moment when Jharrel shouted them out in his speech. View this video on YouTube Television Academy / Fox / Via youtube.com 6. Merritt Wever, Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Nurse Jackie (2013) Kevin Winter / Getty Images The best Emmy acceptance speeches don't always need to be long and emotional. As Merritt W