Zendaya is having an auspicious start to this season’s awards race and is thanking her mother for her support.
The 28-year-old actress received the Gotham Awards’ Spotlight Tribute, a prize given out each year in recognition of “phenomenal efforts by individuals in film and television who captivated global audiences,” for her performance in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers.
Wearing a Louis Vuitton halter-neck white sheath dress with an open back, Zendaya took the stage at New York City’s Cipriani Wall Street on Dec. 2 to accept the honor.
“To my mom. My mom’s here tonight; she’s embarrassed,” she declared in honor of her mother, Claire Stoermer, in the middle of her speech.
The actress also thanked the people she works with throughout her speech, “Without all of them, none of this is possible,” she said. “So, really, I just have to say thank you to my community of filmmakers, producers, wardrobe, costumes, hair, and makeup.”
She continued: “I mean, yes, I get to be up here, and I get to do it, but my character is only an amalgamation of the beautiful ideas of the amazing, creative people around me.”
Zendaya played tennis hotshot Tashi Duncan in Challengers, which costarred Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist as Tashi’s on-and-off lovers and fellow tennis stars. The Justin Kuritzkes-penned film earned rave reviews upon its April 26 release and earned a Gotham nomination for best feature. Composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are Grammy-nominated for best soundtrack score.
Throughout her speech, Zendaya noted how “lucky” she was to work with her “brilliant” castmates. She also thanked Kuritzkes, 34, for “creating a bold and brilliant character like Tashi,” adding, “I’m grateful that you allowed me to be her.”
The Emmy winner also thanked director Guadagnino. “To Luca, for bringing this thing to life for his, I mean, visionary eye, the way he sees character and humanness and is always so empathetic to all the characters,” she said.
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In a statement calling Zendaya “magnetic,” Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute, also praised her other recent work. “Her performances in Dune: Part One, Dune: Part Two, and Euphoria have made her one of the most captivating actors of her generation,” Sharp said.
Zendaya is expected to return to her two-time Emmy-winning role on HBO’s Euphoria for its third season, and has joined her boyfriend Tom Holland onscreen in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie.
The Gotham Awards celebrate “independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition,” according to its statement announcing this year’s nominees. Along with Challengers, 2024’s best feature contenders are Anora, Babygirl, A Different Man and Nickel Boys.
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