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Zendaya made history on Sunday 20 September, as she became the youngest ever winner of the Best Drama Actress award at the Emmy TV awards.

The Emmys are one of the biggest award ceremonies for TV shows and Zendaya, who is 24, won for her performance in US drama Euphoria. Zendaya also became only the second black actress to win her Emmy category.

The ceremony took place over over video this year due to coronavirus restrictions.

"This is pretty crazy!" was the reaction from a clearly very surprised Zendaya as she held her award after winning. To win the awards she beat more established actresses like Friends star, Jennifer Anniston.

"I know this feels like a really weird time to be celebrating," she said at the virtual ceremony, surrounded by her family. "But I just want to say there is hope in the young people out there."

After working as a model, Zendaya's TV career began in Disney shows like Shake It Up and KC Undercover.

Using her role as not only actress but producer on the popular KC Undercover, she made sure her character was intelligent, trained in martial arts and not just good at singing and dancing.

She also pushed executives to include a family of colour on the show.

And after the Disney Channel, Hollywood came calling and she can also list off appearances in blockbuster movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming and the Greatest Showman.

Zendaya has spoken about what her full name, Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman and it's connections to her German and African heritage in a few different interviews.

She said her first name is inspired by the Shona name Tendai - meaning "give thanks" - but with a family twist.

"My dad had a thing for Zs and Zen, so he helped name me Zendaya," she said.

In 2012, when she was around 16 years old, she signed a record deal and her debut self-titled album was released a year later featuring the hit single "Replay."

The same year her album came out she features on Dancing with the Stars - the US version of Strictly!

And it's not just about the music - she's an author too.

While she was starring on the Disney Channel, Zendaya was inspired to write an advice book for young fans - Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years with Style and Confidence.

"The tween years can be really fun and exciting, but they can also be a tough time in a girl's life," she said. "You're just finding your voice and personal style. There's a lot of drama in relationships with other girls, parents, siblings, teachers, and boys. I hope this book will help girls through the tougher parts of the tween years and help them appreciate the fun parts."

Both of Zendaya's parents are teachers.

Her mum worked hard to bring art and theatre to students in Oakland, California.

Zendaya said her parents had shown her "the importance of education" and added "if I wasn't in entertainment, I'd be a teacher in a heartbeat - guaranteed!"

Well if she ever gets bored of being a movie star, at least there is a backup plan!

Before landing he first Disney role, 12-year-old Zendaya was a backup dancer for Selena Gomez in an advert for an American department store!

But there's no embarrassment on Zendaya's part. Speaking in 2013 about the experience, she said: "It's funny where things evolved from and it's cool to start small."