Britt Lower stuns Kathy Bates with Best Drama Actress Emmy win for ‘Severance’

Britt Lower has done it. The Severance star claimed Best Drama Actress at the 2025 Emmys for her role as Helly R., pulling off a surprise victory over front-runner Kathy Bates and earning the first Emmy of her career.

With the victory, Lower denied Bates a chance to make history as the oldest winner in the category at 77. Instead, Lower became the first Severance cast member to win an Emmy in a leading category, capping a strong showing for the series, which entered the night with 27 nominations.

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Lower outpaced a competitive lineup that included Bates (Matlock), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), Keri Russell (The Diplomat), and Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters).

Drama Actress

Contender

Odds

Kathy Bates

Matlock

74.4%

Britt Lower

Severance

Winner

22.1%

Bella Ramsey

The Last of Us

2.3%

Keri Russell

The Diplomat

1.0%

Sharon Horgan

Bad Sisters

0.1%

The win adds to the momentum for Apple TV+’s acclaimed drama. Tramell Tillman took home the prize for Best Supporting Actor earlier in the night. Just a week ago at the Creative Arts Emmys, Merritt Wever won Best Guest Drama Actress for her role on Severance.

Bates entered the night as the heavy favorite after winning at Critics Choice earlier this year and leading Gold Derby’s odds for months. Maybe we should have seen this coming, though: Bates was the sole nominee for Matlock, while Lower was one of 27 nominations for Severance. Shows with broader recognition often translate that momentum into acting wins, and this was no exception.

Had Bates prevailed, she would have joined a very rare group of winners this century who triumphed as the only nominee from their series. That distinction belongs to Sela Ward (Once and Again, 2000), Patricia Arquette (Medium, 2005), and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, 2016). Bates’ acclaimed turn as the rebooted Matlock attorney had positioned her as the sentimental favorite, but the lack of overall support for the series likely hurt her chances.

She was aiming to become the oldest Best Drama Actress winner, surpassing Glenn Close, who set the record at 62 for Damages in 2009. Her performance as Madeline “Matty” Matlock nevertheless remains a highlight of the CBS reboot, which returns for its second season on Oct. 12.

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