The actor was surprised to hear his name called as the winner of the category.
The Emmys have chosen their number one boy. During Sunday's primetime ceremony, Succession's Jeremy Strong won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for portraying middle child Kendall Roy on season 2 of HBO's hit.
"Wow. I got to thank some people who have been there for me and believed in me when something like this felt basically impossible," Strong began his virtual acceptance speech before thanking his cast and crew.
"I read a poem by Stephen Dunn that said, 'All I ever wanted was a book so good I'd be finishing it for the rest of my life.' This job is that for me," he continued. "Jesse Armstrong, I owe this to you. Brian Cox, I share this with thank you so much."
To secure the Emmy, Strong beat out his onscreen father, Brian Cox, as well as Jason Bateman (Ozark), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Steve Carell (The Morning Show) and Billy Porter (Pose).
This marks Strong's first-ever Emmy win from his first nomination.
Last year's Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series went to Billy Porter, for his role as Pray Tell on Pose. His win marked the first time that an openly gay black man has won in the lead actor category.
"It is proven positive that authenticity always wins no matter how long it takes. Believe in yourself. Choose yourself. Bank on yourself. And muck the rest of it. The world will catch up," he told ET of the honor. "Stay true to who you are even when everyone in the world is telling you not to."
See more on this year's Emmy Awards in the video below.
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