This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. The award was first given in 1972. Not to be confused with the Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Currently, LL Cool J holds the record for most wins in the category with four.
Winners and nominees
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
1970s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Actor
! style="width:42%;"| Series
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1972
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Redd Foxx
| Sanford and Son
| align="center"|
|-
| align="center"| 1973 – 79
| colspan="3"
|}
1980s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Actor
! style="width:42%;"| Series
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| align="center"| 1980 – 81
| colspan="3"
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1982
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Paul Winfield
| The Sophisticated Gents
| rowspan="2" align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1983
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Howard Rollins
| For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story
| align="center"|
|-
| align="center"| 1984 – 88
| colspan="3"
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1989
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Howard Rollins
| In the Heat of the Night
| rowspan="2" align="center"|
|}
1990s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Actor
! style="width:42%;"| Series
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1990
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Danny Glover
| Mandela
| align="center"|
|-
| align="center"| 1991
| colspan="3"
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1992
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Blair Underwood
| Murder in Mississippi
| rowspan="2" align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"| 1993
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| James Earl Jones
| Gabriel's Fire
| rowspan="3" align="center"|
|-
| Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
| The Jacksons: An American Dream
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1994
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Dorian Harewood
| I'll Fly Away
| rowspan="2" align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1995
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Blair Underwood
| L.A. Law
| rowspan="2" align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1996
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Malik Yoba
| New York Undercover
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| André Braugher
| Homicide: Life on the Street
|-
| Avery Brooks
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
|-
| Yaphet Kotto
| Homicide: Life on the Street
|-
| Eriq La Salle
| ER
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1997
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Malik Yoba
| New York Undercover
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| André Braugher
| Homicide: Life on the Street
|-
| Avery Brooks
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
|-
| Yaphet Kotto
| Homicide: Life on the Street
|-
| Eriq La Salle
| ER
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1998
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Malik Yoba
| New York Undercover
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| André Braugher
| rowspan="2"| Homicide: Life on the Street
|-
| Yaphet Kotto
|-
| Eriq La Salle
| ER
|-
| Richard Roundtree
| 413 Hope St.
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1999
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Eriq La Salle
| ER
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| André Braugher
| Homicide: Life on the Street
|-
| Rocky Carroll
| Chicago Hope
|-
| Steve Harris
| The Practice
|-
| Yaphet Kotto
| Homicide: Life on the Street
|}
2000s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Actor
! style="width:42%;"| Series
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2000
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Eriq La Salle
| ER
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
| Oz
|-
| Michael Beach
| Third Watch
|-
| Steve Harris
| The Practice
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| Law & Order
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2001
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Blair Underwood
| City of Angels
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| André Braugher
| Gideon's Crossing
|-
| Steve Harris
| The Practice
|-
| Eriq La Salle
| ER
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| Law & Order
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2002
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Eriq La Salle
| ER
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| André Braugher
| Gideon's Crossing
|-
| Steve Harris
| The Practice
|-
| Ving Rhames
| UC: Undercover
|-
| Courtney B. Vance
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2003
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Michael Beach
| Third Watch
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Bill Bellamy
| Fastlane
|-
| André Braugher
| Hack
|-
| Dennis Haysbert
| 24
|-
| Mykelti Williamson
| Boomtown
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2004
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Steve Harris
| The Practice
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Gary Dourdan
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
|-
| Dennis Haysbert
| 24
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| Law & Order
|-
| Wendell Pierce
| The Wire
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2005
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Taye Diggs
| Kevin Hill
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Gary Dourdan
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
|-
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
|-
| Steve Harris
| The Practice
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| Law & Order
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2006
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Isaiah Washington
| Grey's Anatomy
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Omar Epps
| House
|-
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
|-
| Ice-T
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| Law & Order
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2007
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Isaiah Washington
| Grey's Anatomy
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
|-
| Dennis Haysbert
| The Unit
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| Law & Order
|-
| Michael K. Williams
| The Wire
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2008
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Anthony Anderson
| K-Ville
|-
| Dennis Haysbert
| The Unit
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| Law & Order
|-
| Jimmy Smits
| Cane
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2009
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Anthony Anderson
| Law & Order
|-
| Omar Epps
| House
|-
| Dennis Haysbert
| The Unit
|-
| Blair Underwood
| In Treatment
|}
2010s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Actor
! style="width:42%;"| Series
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2010
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Anthony Anderson
| Law & Order
|-
| Taye Diggs
| Private Practice
|-
| Laurence Fishburne
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
|-
| LL Cool J
| NCIS: Los Angeles
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2011
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| LL Cool J
| NCIS: Los Angeles
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Anthony Anderson
| Law & Order
|-
| Laurence Fishburne
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
|-
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
|-
| Blair Underwood
| The Event
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2012
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| LL Cool J
| NCIS: Los Angeles
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| André Braugher
| Men of a Certain Age
|-
| Taye Diggs
| Private Practice
|-
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
|-
| Wendell Pierce
| Treme
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2013
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| LL Cool J
| NCIS: Los Angeles
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Michael Clarke Duncan
| The Finder
|-
| Hill Harper
| CSI: NY
|-
| Dulé Hill
| Psych
|-
| Wendell Pierce
| Treme
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2014
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| LL Cool J
| NCIS: Los Angeles
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Michael Ealy
| Almost Human
|-
| Shemar Moore
| Criminal Minds
|-
| James Pickens Jr.
| Grey's Anatomy
|-
| Wendell Pierce
| Treme
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2015
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Shemar Moore
| Criminal Minds
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Taye Diggs
| Murder in the First
|-
| Omar Epps
| Resurrection
|-
| Omari Hardwick
| Being Mary Jane
|-
| LL Cool J
| NCIS: Los Angeles
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2016
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Terrence Howard
| Empire
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Morris Chestnut
| Rosewood
|-
| Omari Hardwick
| Power
|-
| LL Cool J
| NCIS: Los Angeles
|-
| Wesley Snipes
| The Player
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2017
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Sterling K. Brown
| This Is Us
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Mike Colter
| Marvel's Luke Cage
|-
| Omari Hardwick
| Power
|-
| Terrence Howard
| Empire
|-
| Kofi Siriboe
| Queen Sugar
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2018
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Omari Hardwick
| Power
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
|-
| Kofi Siriboe
| Queen Sugar
|-
| Mike Colter
| The Defenders
|-
| Sterling K. Brown
| This Is Us
|-
| Terrence Howard
| Empire
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2019
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Omari Hardwick
| Power
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
|-
| Jason Mitchell
| The Chi
|-
| Keith David
| Greenleaf
|-
| Kofi Siriboe
| Queen Sugar
|-
| Sterling K. Brown
| This Is Us
|}
2020s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Actor
! style="width:42%;"| Series
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2020
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Omari Hardwick
| Power
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Sterling K. Brown
| This Is Us
|-
| Billy Porter
| Pose
|-
| Kofi Siriboe
| Queen Sugar
|-
| Forest Whitaker
| Godfather of Harlem
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2021
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Regé-Jean Page
| Bridgerton
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Sterling K. Brown
| This Is Us
|-
| Jonathan Majors
| Lovecraft Country
|-
| Keith David
| Greenleaf
|-
| Nicco Annan
| P-Valley
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2022
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Sterling K. Brown
| This Is Us
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Damson Idris
| Snowfall
|-
| Billy Porter
| 'Pose'
|-
| Kofi Siriboe
| Queen Sugar
|-
| Forest Whitaker
| Godfather of Harlem
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2023
|-style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Nicco Annan
| P-Valley
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Jabari Banks
| 'Bel-Air'
|-
| Kofi Siriboe
| Queen Sugar
|-
| Sterling K. Brown
| This Is Us
|-
| Damson Idris
| 'Snowfall'
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2024
|-style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Damson Idris
| Snowfall
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Forest Whitaker
| Godfather of Harlem
|-
| Idris Elba
| Hijack
|-
| Jabari Banks
| Bel-Air
|-
| Jesse L. Martin
| The Irrational
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2025
|-style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Michael Rainey Jr.
| Power Book II: Ghost
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Aldis Hodge
| Cross
|-
| Donald Glover
| Mr. & Mrs. Smith
|-
| Harold Perrineau
| From
|-
| Jabari Banks
| Bel-Air
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2026
|-style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Sterling K. Brown
| Paradise
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Forest Whitaker
| Godfather of Harlem
|-
| Jabari Banks
| 'Bel-Air'
|-
| Michael Cooper Jr.
| Forever
|-
| Morris Chestnut
| Watson
|}
Multiple wins and nominations
Wins
; 4 wins
- LL Cool J
; 3 wins
- Sterling K. Brown
- Omari Hardwick
- Hill Harper
- Eriq La Salle
- Blair Underwood
- Malik Yoba
; 2 wins
- Isaiah Washington
- Howard Rollins
Nominations
; 9 nominations
- Hill Harper
; 8 nominations
- André Braugher
- Sterling K. Brown
- Jesse L. Martin
; 7 nominations
- Eriq La Salle
- LL Cool J
; 6 nominations
- Steve Harris
- Omari Hardwick
- Kofi Siriboe
; 5 nominations
- Dennis Haysbert
- Blair Underwood
; 4 nominations
- Anthony Anderson
- Jabari Banks
- Taye Diggs
- Yaphet Kotto
- Wendell Pierce
- Forest Whitaker
; 3 nominations
- Omar Epps
- Terrence Howard
- Damson Idris
- Malik Yoba
; 2 nominations
- Nicco Annan
- Michael Beach
- Avery Brooks
- Morris Chestnut
- Mike Colter
- Keith David
- Gary Dourdan
- Laurence Fishburne
- Shemar Moore
- Billy Porter
- Isaiah Washington