List of Primetime Emmy Award winners

This list showcases the Primetime Emmy Award winners in the comedy program, drama program, variety program, and lead actors categories.

In the early days of the Primetime Emmy Awards, categories awarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences changed year-to-year, causing irregularities in the continuity of the listed awards.

For several years, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Academy did not differentiate between comedy and dramas in the individual performance categories, issuing only a catch-all "Best Continuing Performance" or "Outstanding (Actor/Actress) in a Series".

During the mid-1950s, the Academy split Outstanding Drama into several categories, including "One Hour or More", "Half Hour or Less", and "Western or Adventure Series". Each winner is indicated below.

In 1965, Academy President Rod Serling initiated "Area Awards" that narrowed the categories to a select few and allowed for multiple winners in an attempt to foster less competition in favor of more programs and individuals receiving credit for their work. The experiment lasted for only one awards season.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"

! Year

! Comedy

! Drama

! Variety

! Lead Comedy Actor

! Lead Drama Actor

! Lead Comedy Actress

! Lead Drama Actress

! 1949

| colspan="3" |

| colspan="4" | Shirley Dinsdale (Most Outstanding Television Personality) (KTLA)

! 1950

| colspan="2" | Texaco Star Theatre (KNBH)

| The Ed Wynn Show (KTTV)

| colspan="4" |

! 1951

| colspan="2" | Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (ABC)

| The Alan Young Show (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Alan Young (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Gertrude Berg (CBS)

! 1952

| The Red Skelton Show (CBS)

| Studio One (CBS)

| rowspan="2" | Your Show of Shows (NBC)

| Red Skelton (NBC)

| Sid Caesar (NBC)

| colspan="2" | Imogene Coca (NBC)

! 1953

| rowspan="2" | I Love Lucy (CBS)

| Robert Montgomery Presents (NBC)

| Jimmy Durante (NBC)

| Thomas Mitchell

| Lucille Ball (CBS)

| Helen Hayes

! 1954

| Omnibus (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Donald O'Connor The Colgate Comedy Hour (NBC)

| colspan="2" | Eve Arden Our Miss Brooks (CBS)

! 1955

| Make Room for Daddy (ABC)

| Walt Disney's Disneyland (ABC)

| colspan="2" | Danny Thomas Make Room for Daddy (ABC)

| colspan="2" | Loretta Young The Loretta Young Show (NBC)

! 1956

| rowspan="3" | The Phil Silvers Show (CBS)

| Producers' Showcase (NBC)

| Toast of the Town (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Phil Silvers The Phil Silvers Show (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Lucille Ball I Love Lucy (CBS)

! 1957

| Playhouse 90 (CBS)

| Sid Caesar Caesar's Hour (NBC)

| Robert Young Father Knows Best (CBS)

| Nanette Fabray Caesar's Hour (NBC)

| Loretta Young The Loretta Young Show (NBC)

! 1958

| The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (NBC)

| colspan="2" | Robert Young Father Knows Best (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Jane Wyatt Father Knows Best (CBS)

! 1959

| The Jack Benny Program (CBS)

| The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (NBC)

| Jack Benny The Jack Benny Program (CBS)

| Raymond Burr Perry Mason (CBS)

| Jane Wyatt Father Knows Best (CBS)

| Loretta Young The Loretta Young Show (NBC)

! 1960

| Art Carney Special (NBC)

| Playhouse 90 (CBS)

| The Garry Moore Show (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Robert Stack The Untouchables (ABC)

| colspan="2" | Jane Wyatt Father Knows Best (CBS)

! 1961

| The Jack Benny Program (CBS)

| Macbeth (Hallmark Hall of Fame) (NBC)

| Astaire Time (NBC)

| colspan="2" | Raymond Burr Perry Mason (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Barbara Stanwyck The Barbara Stanwyck Show (NBC)

! 1962

| The Bob Newhart Show (NBC)

| rowspan="3" | The Defenders (CBS)

| The Garry Moore Show (CBS)

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | E. G. Marshall The Defenders (CBS)

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Shirley Booth Hazel (NBC)

! 1963

| rowspan="2" | The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)

| The Andy Williams Show (NBC)

! 1964

| The Danny Kaye Show (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Dick Van Dyke The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)

| colspan="2" | Mary Tyler Moore The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)

! 1965

| colspan="3" | four winners (Outstanding Program Achievements in Entertainment)

| colspan="4" | five winners (Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment – Actors and Performers)

! 1966

| The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)

| The Fugitive (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | The Andy Williams Show (NBC)

| Dick Van Dyke The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)

| rowspan="3" | Bill Cosby I Spy (NBC)

| Mary Tyler Moore The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)

| Barbara Stanwyck The Big Valley (ABC)

! 1967

| The Monkees (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Mission: Impossible (CBS)

| rowspan="3" | Don Adams Get Smart (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Lucille Ball The Lucy Show (CBS)

| rowspan="3" | Barbara Bain Mission: Impossible (CBS)

! 1968

| rowspan="2" | Get Smart (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (NBC)

! 1969

| NET Playhouse (NET)

| Carl Betz Judd for the Defense (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | Hope Lange The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (ABC)

! 1970

| My World and Welcome to It (NBC)

| Marcus Welby, M.D. (ABC)

| The David Frost Show (Syndicated)

| William Windom My World and Welcome to It (NBC)

| Robert Young Marcus Welby, M.D. (ABC)

| Susan Hampshire The Forsyte Saga (NET)

! 1971

| rowspan="3" | All in the Family (CBS)

| The Bold Ones: The Senator (NBC)

| Singer Presents Burt Bacharach (CBS)

| Jack Klugman The Odd Couple (ABC)

| Hal Holbrook The Bold Ones: The Senator (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Jean Stapleton All in the Family (CBS)

| Susan Hampshire The First Churchills (Masterpiece Theatre) (PBS)

! 1972

| Elizabeth R (Masterpiece Theatre) (PBS)

| The Carol Burnett Show (CBS)

| Carroll O'Connor All in the Family (CBS)

| Peter Falk Columbo (NBC)

| Glenda Jackson Elizabeth R (Masterpiece Theatre) (PBS)

! 1973

| The Waltons (CBS)

| The Julie Andrews Hour (ABC)

| Jack Klugman The Odd Couple (ABC)

| Richard Thomas The Waltons (CBS)

| rowspan="2" | Mary Tyler Moore The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)

| rowspan="2" | Michael Learned The Waltons (CBS)

! 1974

| M*A*S*H (CBS)

| rowspan="2" | Upstairs, Downstairs (Masterpiece Theatre) (PBS)

| rowspan="2" | The Carol Burnett Show (CBS)

| Alan Alda M*A*S*H (CBS)

| Telly Savalas Kojak (CBS)

! 1975

| rowspan="3" | The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)

| Tony Randall The Odd Couple (ABC)

| Robert Blake Baretta (ABC)

| Valerie Harper Rhoda (CBS)

| Jean Marsh Upstairs, Downstairs (Masterpiece Theatre) (PBS)

! 1976

| Police Story (NBC)

| Saturday Night Live (NBC)

| Jack Albertson Chico and the Man (NBC)

| Peter Falk Columbo (NBC)

| Mary Tyler Moore The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)

| Michael Learned The Waltons (CBS)

! 1977

| Upstairs, Downstairs (Masterpiece Theatre) (PBS)

| Van Dyke and Company (NBC)

| rowspan="3" | Carroll O'Connor All in the Family (CBS)

| James Garner The Rockford Files (NBC)

| Bea Arthur Maude (CBS)

| Lindsay Wagner The Bionic Woman (ABC)

! 1978

| All in the Family (CBS)

| The Rockford Files (NBC)

| The Muppet Show (Syndicated)

| Ed Asner Lou Grant (CBS)

| Jean Stapleton All in the Family (CBS)

| Sada Thompson Family (ABC)

! 1979

| rowspan="3" | Taxi (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | Lou Grant (CBS)

| Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin (NBC)

| Ron Leibman Kaz (CBS)

| Ruth Gordon Taxi (ABC)

| Mariette Hartley The Incredible Hulk (CBS)

! 1980

| Baryshnikov on Broadway (ABC)

| Richard Mulligan Soap (ABC)

| Ed Asner Lou Grant (CBS)

| Cathryn Damon Soap (ABC)

| Barbara Bel Geddes Dallas (CBS)

! 1981

| rowspan="4" | Hill Street Blues (NBC)

| Lily: Sold Out (CBS)

| Judd Hirsch Taxi (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | Daniel J. Travanti Hill Street Blues (NBC)

| Isabel Sanford The Jeffersons (CBS)

| Barbara Babcock Hill Street Blues (NBC)

! 1982

| Barney Miller (ABC)

| Night of 100 Stars (ABC)

| Alan Alda M*A*S*H (CBS)

| Carol Kane Taxi (ABC)

| Michael Learned Nurse (CBS)

! 1983

| rowspan="2" | Cheers (NBC)

| Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (NBC)

| Judd Hirsch Taxi (NBC)

| Ed Flanders St. Elsewhere (NBC)

| Shelley Long Cheers (NBC)

| rowspan="3" | Tyne Daly Cagney & Lacey (CBS)

! 1984

| Kennedy Center Honors (CBS)

| John Ritter Three's Company (ABC)

| Tom Selleck Magnum, P.I. (CBS)

| rowspan="2" | Jane Curtin Kate & Allie (CBS)

! 1985

| The Cosby Show (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Cagney & Lacey (CBS)

| Motown Returns to the Apollo (NBC)

| Robert Guillaume Benson (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | William Daniels St. Elsewhere (NBC)

! 1986

| rowspan="2" | The Golden Girls (NBC)

| Kennedy Center Honors (CBS)

| rowspan="3" | Michael J. Fox Family Ties (NBC)

| Betty White The Golden Girls (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Sharon Gless Cagney & Lacey (CBS)

! 1987

| L.A. Law (NBC)

| 41st Tony Awards (CBS)

| Bruce Willis Moonlighting (ABC)

| Rue McClanahan The Golden Girls (NBC)

! 1988

| The Wonder Years (ABC)

| thirtysomething (ABC)

| Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration (CBS)

| Richard Kiley A Year in the Life (NBC)

| Bea Arthur The Golden Girls (NBC)

| Tyne Daly Cagney & Lacey (CBS)

! 1989

| Cheers (NBC)

| rowspan="3" | L.A. Law (NBC)

| The Tracey Ullman Show (Fox)

| Richard Mulligan Empty Nest (NBC)

| Carroll O'Connor In the Heat of the Night (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Candice Bergen Murphy Brown (CBS)

| Dana Delany China Beach (ABC)

! 1990

| Murphy Brown (CBS)

| In Living Color (Fox)

| Ted Danson Cheers (NBC)

| Peter Falk Columbo (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | Patricia Wettig thirtysomething (ABC)

! 1991

| Cheers (NBC)

| 63rd Academy Awards (ABC)

| Burt Reynolds Evening Shade (CBS)

| James Earl Jones Gabriel's Fire (ABC)

| Kirstie Alley Cheers (NBC)

! 1992

| Murphy Brown (CBS)

| Northern Exposure (CBS)

| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC)

| Craig T. Nelson Coach (ABC)

| Christopher Lloyd Avonlea (Disney)

| Candice Bergen Murphy Brown (CBS)

| Dana Delany China Beach (ABC)

! 1993

| Seinfeld (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Picket Fences (CBS)

| Saturday Night Live (NBC)

| Ted Danson Cheers (NBC)

| Tom Skerritt Picket Fences (CBS)

| Roseanne Barr Roseanne (ABC)

| Kathy Baker Picket Fences (CBS)

! 1994

| rowspan="5" | Frasier (NBC)

| Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)

| rowspan="2" | Kelsey Grammer Frasier (NBC)

| Dennis Franz NYPD Blue (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | Candice Bergen Murphy Brown (CBS)

| Sela Ward Sisters (NBC)

! 1995

| NYPD Blue (ABC)

| The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC)

| Mandy Patinkin Chicago Hope (CBS)

| rowspan="2" | Kathy Baker Picket Fences (CBS)

! 1996

| ER (NBC)

| Dennis Miller Live (HBO)

| rowspan="2" | John Lithgow 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Dennis Franz NYPD Blue (ABC)

| rowspan="4" | Helen Hunt Mad About You (NBC)

! 1997

| Law & Order (NBC)

| Tracey Takes On... (HBO)

| Gillian Anderson The X-Files (Fox)

! 1998

| rowspan="2" | The Practice (ABC)

| rowspan="5" | Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)

| Kelsey Grammer Frasier (NBC)

| Andre Braugher Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC)

| Christine Lahti Chicago Hope (CBS)

! 1999

| Ally McBeal (Fox)

| John Lithgow 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC)

| Dennis Franz NYPD Blue (ABC)

| Edie Falco The Sopranos (HBO)

! 2000

| Will & Grace (NBC)

| rowspan="4" | The West Wing (NBC)

| Michael J. Fox Spin City (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | James Gandolfini The Sopranos (HBO)

| rowspan="2" | Patricia Heaton Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)

| Sela Ward Once and Again (ABC)

! 2001

| Sex and the City (HBO)

| Eric McCormack Will & Grace (NBC)

| Edie Falco The Sopranos (HBO)

! 2002

| Friends (NBC)

| Ray Romano Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)

| Michael Chiklis The Shield (FX)

| Jennifer Aniston Friends (NBC)

| Allison Janney The West Wing (NBC)

! 2003

| Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)

| rowspan="10" | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

| Tony Shalhoub Monk (USA)

| James Gandolfini The Sopranos (HBO)

| Debra Messing Will & Grace (NBC)

| Edie Falco The Sopranos (HBO)

! 2004

| Arrested Development (Fox)

| The Sopranos (HBO)

| Kelsey Grammer Frasier (NBC)

| James Spader The Practice (ABC)

| Sarah Jessica Parker Sex and the City (HBO)

| Allison Janney The West Wing (NBC)

! 2005

| Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)

| Lost (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | Tony Shalhoub Monk (USA)

| James Spader Boston Legal (ABC)

| Felicity Huffman Desperate Housewives (ABC)

| Patricia Arquette Medium (NBC)

! 2006

| The Office (NBC)

| 24 (Fox)

| Kiefer Sutherland 24 (Fox)

| Julia Louis-Dreyfus The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)

| Mariska Hargitay Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

! 2007

| rowspan="3" | 30 Rock (NBC)

| The Sopranos (HBO)

| Ricky Gervais Extras (BBC / HBO)

| James Spader Boston Legal (ABC)

| America Ferrera Ugly Betty (ABC)

| Sally Field Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

! 2008

| rowspan="4" | Mad Men (AMC)

| rowspan="2" | Alec Baldwin 30 Rock (NBC)

| rowspan="3" | Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad (AMC)

| Tina Fey 30 Rock (NBC)

| rowspan="2" | Glenn Close Damages (FX)

! 2009

| Toni Collette United States of Tara (Showtime)

! 2010

| rowspan="5" | Modern Family (ABC)

| rowspan="2" | Jim Parsons The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

| Edie Falco Nurse Jackie (Showtime)

| Kyra Sedgwick The Closer (TNT)

! 2011

| Kyle Chandler Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)

| Melissa McCarthy Mike & Molly (CBS)

| Julianna Margulies The Good Wife (CBS)

! 2012

| Homeland (Showtime)

| Jon Cryer Two and a Half Men (CBS)

| Damian Lewis Homeland (Showtime)

| rowspan="6" | Julia Louis-Dreyfus Veep (HBO)

| rowspan="2" | Claire Danes Homeland (Showtime)

! 2013

| rowspan="2" | Breaking Bad (AMC)

| rowspan="2" | The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)

| rowspan="2" | Jim Parsons The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

| Jeff Daniels The Newsroom (HBO)

! 2014

| Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad (AMC)

| Julianna Margulies The Good Wife (CBS)

! 2015

| rowspan="3" | Veep (HBO)

| rowspan="2" | Game of Thrones (HBO)

| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) (Outstanding Variety Talk Series) Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central) (Outstanding Variety Sketch Series)

| rowspan="2" | Jeffrey Tambor Transparent (Amazon)

| Jon Hamm Mad Men (AMC)

| Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

! 2016

| Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) (Outstanding Variety Talk Series) Key & Peele (Comedy Central) (Outstanding Variety Sketch Series)

| Rami Malek Mr. Robot (USA)

| Tatiana Maslany Orphan Black (BBC America)

! 2017

| The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

| rowspan="6"| Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) (Outstanding Variety Talk Series) Saturday Night Live (NBC) (Outstanding Variety Sketch Series)

| Donald Glover Atlanta (FX)

| Sterling K. Brown This Is Us (NBC)

| Elisabeth Moss The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

! 2018

| The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

| rowspan="2" | Game of Thrones (HBO)

| rowspan="2" | Bill Hader Barry (HBO)

| Matthew Rhys The Americans (FX)

| Rachel Brosnahan The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

| Claire Foy The Crown (Netflix)

! 2019

| Fleabag (Amazon)

| Billy Porter Pose (FX)

| Phoebe Waller-Bridge Fleabag (Amazon)

| Jodie Comer Killing Eve (BBC America)

! 2020

| Schitt's Creek (Pop)

| Succession (HBO)

| Eugene Levy Schitt's Creek (Pop)

| Jeremy Strong Succession (HBO)

| Catherine O'Hara Schitt's Creek (Pop)

| Zendaya Euphoria (HBO)

!2021

| rowspan="2" |Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

|The Crown (Netflix)

| rowspan="2" |Jason Sudeikis Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

|Josh O'Connor The Crown (Netflix)

| rowspan="2" |Jean Smart Hacks (HBO)

|Olivia Colman The Crown (Netflix)

!2022

| rowspan="2" |Succession (HBO)

|Lee Jung-jae Squid Game (Netflix)

|Zendaya Euphoria (HBO)

!2023

|The Bear (FX)

| rowspan="2" |The Daily Show (Comedy Central) (Outstanding Talk Series) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) (Outstanding Scripted Variety Series)

| rowspan="2" |Jeremy Allen White The Bear (FX)

|Kieran Culkin Succession (HBO)

|Quinta Brunson Abbott Elementary (ABC)

|Sarah Snook Succession (HBO)

!2024

|Hacks (HBO Max)

|Shōgun (FX)

|Hiroyuki Sanada Shōgun (FX)

| rowspan="2" |Jean Smart Hacks (HBO Max)

|Anna Sawai Shōgun (FX)

!2025

|The Studio (Apple TV+)

|The Pitt (HBO Max)

|The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) (Outstanding Talk Series) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) (Outstanding Scripted Variety Series)

|Seth Rogen The Studio (Apple TV+)

|Noah Wyle The Pitt (HBO Max)

|Britt Lower Severance (Apple TV+)

List of Primetime Emmy Award winners

Notes

See also