Zendaya dedicated her special Gotham Award to her mom.
The 28-year-old actress received the Spotlight Tribute at the Gotham Independent Film Awards on Tuesday (02.12.24), for her leading role as former tennis pro-turned-coach Tashi Duncan in Luca Guadagnino's acclaimed romantic sports film 'Challengers'.
Zendaya - who also received a producer credit for the flick – thanked the many creatives and crew behind the blockbuster and gave a special shout-out to her mother, Claire Stoermer.
Speaking onstage at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, she said: “To my mom. My mom's here tonight; she's embarrassed."
The 'Euphoria' star insisted that her part is just an "amalgamation of the beautiful ideas of the amazing, creative people around me."
She said: "Without all of them, none of this is possible.
"So, really, I just have to say thank you to my community of filmmakers, producers, wardrobe, costumes, hair, and makeup.
"I mean, yes, I get to be up here, and I get to do it, but my character is only an amalgamation of the beautiful ideas of the amazing, creative people around me."
Zendaya - who spent three months training with a former tennis pro for the role - thanked the movie's writer, Justin Kuritzkes, for "creating a bold and brilliant character like Tashi" and allowing her to take on the role.
Praising director Luca Guadagnino for his vision, she added: "To Luca, for bringing this thing to life for his, I mean, visionary eye, the way he sees character and humanness and is always so empathetic to all the characters."
Zendaya's co-star, Josh O'Connor (Patrick Zweig), presented her with the prize and hailed her as a "generational talent".
He said: "You're a born leader, a generational talent, a friend, and most importantly, a kind heart."
Thanking him for his kind words, Zendaya quipped: "We hate giving each other compliments, so I'm going to get you back for that!"
