Octavia Spencer won the Outstanding Narrator Emmy for *Lost Women of Alaska*, preventing Sir David Attenborough from becoming the oldest Emmy winner ever. The win came as a surprise, as Attenborough was heavily favored to win.
Spencer secured her first Emmy award at the Peacock Theater, having previously been nominated in 2024 for the same award and in 2020 for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series or Movie for *Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam C.J. Walker*. She beat out a competitive field including Jodie Foster, nominated for *Breakdown: 1975*, and Werner Herzog for *Ghost Elephants*.
Attenborough, 100 years old, was nominated twice in the category for his work on Netflix’s *A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough* and Nat Geo’s *Ocean with David Attenborough*. He had a 40% chance of winning. Despite missing out on the Primetime Emmy, Attenborough remains the oldest person to win a Daytime Emmy for *Secret Lives of Orangutans* at age 99 and the oldest nominee in Primetime Emmy history.
Speaking backstage after her win, Spencer explained her long-held interest in the true-crime genre, stating, “Before there was an implosion of true-crime networks, there were people like me who [were] interested. True-crime, these things actually happen. I was a consumer who watched for entertainment. There was something always greater to say if I ever had a platform, I would do something. Lost Women was the perfect vehicle.” She also revealed she had been studying the genre since age 11, after reading a disturbing true-crime story. Spencer actively campaigned for the award, attending numerous Emmy events, and spoke at Deadline’s Contenders: The Nominees Studio last month.
Norman Lear currently holds the record for oldest Emmy winner, having won in 2020 at age 98 as a producer for *Live In Front Of A Studio Audience*.
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