Shailene Woodley Wins First-Ever Emmy for "Paradise," Gives the Credit to Her Mom

Shailene Woodley finally has an Emmy to call her own. The actress won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday night, her first career win after two nominations.

The award recognized her performance as Annie, a former Graceland tour guide, in Season 2 of Hulu's post-apocalyptic drama Paradise. Her character's arc, which came to a gutting conclusion this season, has been called one of the standout emotional moments of the show so far. The win also marked the first-ever Emmy for Paradise itself, which picked up seven nominations this year, including Outstanding Drama Series.

Accepting the award, Woodley kept it simple and personal. "Mom, this is so cool," she said from the stage, before adding that she felt lucky to be part of "the circus" of storytelling alongside her fellow nominees. Backstage, she spoke about what she took from playing Annie, praising the character's patience and quiet resilience - qualities she said she's carried with her since finishing the role.

This was Woodley's second Emmy nomination overall; her first came in 2017 for HBO's Big Little Lies. Fellow first-time winner David Harbour, honored the same night for DTF St. Louis, joined her among the night's breakout moments.

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