Credit: CBS

Emmys 2025: Kathy Bates breaks Emmy record with historic nomination for ‘Best Drama Actress’

Tue 15 July 2025 17:49, UK

Kathy Bates has made history with her nomination for ‘Best Drama Actress’ at the 2025 Emmy Awards, becoming the oldest person ever to be nominated in the category.

She gained her nomination for this year’s awards at the age of 77, for her role starring as Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock in the revival of the CBS legal drama Matlock, which premiered in 2024.

Alongside her in the ‘Best Drama Actress’ category, Bates faces fierce competition in the form of Sharon Horgan for Bad Sisters, Britt Lower for Severance, Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us and Keri Russell for The Diplomat.

This year’s nod is Bates’ 15th at the Emmys, having previously won two of the awards in 2012 and 2014, respectively. Her first win was for ‘Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series’, before she went on to win ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie’ two years later for her role in American Horror Story: Coven.

The American Horror Story franchise has garnered Bates three nominations in total, with her most recent one landing in 2016 for the same aforementioned category for American Horror Story: Hotel.

Having also won a ‘Best Actress’ award in 1990 for her role in Misery at the Oscars, Bates is one of the most celebrated and decorated veteran actors of her generation.

Her nomination for Matlock is fitting as she previously confirmed that she is set to retire from acting after the show ends, as she told The New York Times last year: “It becomes my life. Sometimes, I get jealous of having this talent. Because I can’t hold it back, and I just want my life.”

However, she is not the only classic actor to be recognised at this year’s Emmy Awards, with Harrison Ford picking up a nomination for his role in the comedy series Shrinking.

The Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on September 12th, 2025, with Severance, The Penguin, and The White Lotus leading total nominations.