Emmy Award-winner Zendaya will receive the Gotham Awards’ Spotlight Tribute at the 34th edition early next month for her performance as Tashi Donaldson in the Luca Guadagnino-directed film Challengers.
The honor was created by the indie-centric Gotham Film & Media Institute “to recognize phenomenal efforts by individuals in film and television who captivated global audiences with the biggest projects of the year,” in this case Zendaya’s remarkable work as leading-actress and producer on the Amazon MGM Studios box-office hit.
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“Zendaya’s magnetic portrayal of Tashi Donaldson in Challengers exemplifies the creative excellence that The Gotham celebrates,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham.
“Her performances in Dune: Part One, Dune: Part Two, and Euphoria have made her one of the most captivating actors of her generation. Her multi-layered performance at the heart of Challengers earned widespread acclaim, including a nomination for Best Feature at this year’s Gothams. We look forward to honoring her work with our Spotlight Tribute.”
In Challengers, the two-time Emmy winner stars as a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to Art (BAFTA Nominee Mike Faist), a champion on a losing streak, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Emmy-winner Josh O’Connor) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself what will it cost to win.
In 2017, Zendaya joined Jon Watts’ Spider-Man Universe in Spider-Man: Homecoming followed by Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
She won the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in HBO and A24’s second season of Euphoria, her breakout. Her performance as Rue previously earned her an Emmy award in 2020 for the first season, making Zendaya the youngest woman to win an Emmy for Lead Drama Actress. In 2023, her performance as Rue earned her a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for Best Television Actress in a Drama Series. She was also nominated for two NAACP Image Awards – Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series – as well as a SAG Award in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series category.
With the awards nearly here, tribute announcements have been flowing. The Gothams will also honor Timothée Chalamet and James Mangold with a Visionary Tribute for their work on A Complete Unknown, the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic from Searchlight Pictures.
The Piano Lesson from Netflix will be honored with an Ensemble Tribute.
The cast of Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar and co-written by Clint Bentley and Kwedar, will receive The 2024 Gotham Social Justice Tribute.
The ceremony, the first in awards season and considered the kickoff, heads back to Cipriani Wall Street in downtown Manhattan on Dec. 2. See list of nominees here.
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