On a night filled with celebration and history at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, a new milestone was set in the world of television. Sir David Attenborough, the legendary British broadcaster, naturalist, and writer, made headlines by becoming the oldest person ever to win a Daytime Emmy Award. At the age of 99—just eight months shy of his centennial birthday—Attenborough was honored with the award for Outstanding Daytime Personality – Non-Daily for his narration of Netflix's acclaimed documentary, Secret Lives of Orangutans.
This achievement, reported by Variety, BBC, The Independent, and Rolling Stone, breaks the record previously held by the beloved actor Dick Van Dyke, who won at age 98 in 2024 for his guest performance in Days of Our Lives. The 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, held on October 17, 2025, in Pasadena, California, saw Attenborough edge out a distinguished field of nominees, including Anthony Mackie for Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast and Martha Stewart for Martha Gardens.
Attenborough’s absence from the ceremony did nothing to diminish the significance of the moment. According to the Associated Press, the broadcaster was not in attendance, but his presence was felt throughout the event. Secret Lives of Orangutans also took home two additional Emmys: Outstanding Directing Team for a Single Camera Daytime Non-Fiction Program and Outstanding Music Direction and Composition. The documentary, set in the jungles of Sumatra, follows an eight-year-old orangutan named Eden as she faces the greatest challenge of her young life, offering viewers an intimate look at the lives of these remarkable apes.
Attenborough’s career, which now spans more than seven decades, began in the 1950s at the BBC. His first major series, Zoo Quest, marked the start of a journey that would see him become the voice of the natural world for generations of viewers. Over the years, he has narrated and presented a string of iconic nature programs, including Life on Earth (1979), The Private Life of Plants, The Living Planet, Planet Earth and its sequels, The Blue Planet and its sequels, The Green Planet, Wild Isles, Dynasties, Dinosaurs: The Final Day With David Attenborough, Life In Colour, Frozen Planet, and more. As BBC notes, his voice is now synonymous with natural history programming across the English-speaking world.
In addition to his Daytime Emmy, Attenborough has previously won three Primetime Emmys, all for Outstanding Narrator, with consecutive victories in 2018 (Blue Planet II), 2019 (Our Planet), and 2020 (Seven Worlds, One Planet). He has been nominated in the Outstanding Narrator category four out of the last five years, including a nod in 2025 for Planet Earth: Asia. His peers in the entertainment industry, such as Dick Van Dyke and Norman Lear, previously held the distinction of being the oldest winners of a Big Four award (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) at age 98, a record now surpassed by Attenborough.
The impact of Secret Lives of Orangutans extends beyond its awards. The documentary’s logline, as shared by Variety, highlights the striking similarities between orangutans and humans: "Orangutans are not just one of our closest relatives, they’re perhaps more relatable to us than any other great ape." Through Eden’s journey in the pristine jungles of Sumatra, the film weaves a story of family, survival, and the delicate balance of nature—a recurring theme in Attenborough’s body of work.
Attenborough’s passion for conservation and the environment has only deepened with time. Earlier in 2025, he released the cinema-length documentary Ocean on his 99th birthday. In this film, he reflected on the planet’s fragile state and the urgent need to protect its biodiversity. As reported by The Independent, Attenborough shared a poignant message: "When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity. Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true." He continued, "If we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure nothing is more important."
Such reflections underscore why Attenborough’s work resonates so deeply with audiences worldwide. His ability to blend scientific rigor with poetic narration has brought the wonders—and the perils—of the natural world into living rooms around the globe. More than 40 animal and plant species have been named after him, a testament to his influence in both science and popular culture.
Despite his advancing age, Attenborough shows no sign of retiring. In a 2021 interview with Signature Luxury Travel & Style, he remarked, "I have the greatest job in the world. What a privileged time I’ve had. People provide me with wonderful pictures of things we’ve never seen before and ask me to write a sentence or two on it. Better than sitting in the corner knitting." He has often said he would retire only when people stopped wanting to hear from him—a day that, judging by the ongoing acclaim for his work, seems far off.
Attenborough’s latest Emmy win is not just a personal triumph; it’s a celebration of a lifelong commitment to education, conservation, and storytelling. It also highlights the growing recognition of nature documentaries in mainstream entertainment, with platforms like Netflix investing in high-quality productions that both inform and inspire.
Other notable winners at this year’s Daytime Emmys included General Hospital for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series and Drew Barrymore for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host, as reported by BBC. Yet, it was Attenborough’s historic win that stole the show, a reminder that age is no barrier to achievement—and that the world still has much to learn from its most dedicated storytellers.
As he approaches his 100th birthday, Sir David Attenborough’s legacy continues to grow, inspiring new generations to cherish and protect the planet. His record-setting Emmy is more than just a trophy; it’s a symbol of a lifetime spent bringing the wonders of nature to us all.
