Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – a Drama Series. Beginning with the 18th Emmys leading actresses in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances included actresses from miniseries, telefilms, and guest performers competing against main cast competitors. Such instances are marked below.
Award winners and nominations
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
| Year |
Actress |
Program |
Role |
Episode |
Network |
1989–1990
(42nd) |
| Patricia Wettig |
thirtysomething |
Nancy Krieger-Weston |
"The Other Shoe" |
ABC |
| Dana Delany |
China Beach |
Colleen McMurphy |
"How to Stay Alive in Vietnam" |
ABC |
| Jill Eikenberry |
L.A. Law |
Ann Kelsey |
"Lie Down and Deliver" |
NBC |
| Angela Lansbury |
Murder, She Wrote |
Jessica Fletcher |
"How to Make a Killing
Without Really Trying" |
CBS |
| Piper Laurie |
Twin Peaks |
Catherine Martell |
"The Last Evening" |
ABC |
1990–1991
(43rd) |
| Patricia Wettig |
thirtysomething |
Nancy Krieger-Weston |
"Guns and Roses" |
ABC |
| Dana Delany |
China Beach |
Colleen McMurphy |
"Fever" |
ABC |
| Sharon Gless |
The Trials of Rosie O’Neill |
Rosie O’Neill |
"When I’m 44" |
CBS |
| Angela Lansbury |
Murder, She Wrote |
Jessica Fletcher |
"Thursday’s Child" |
1991–1992
(44th) |
| Dana Delany |
China Beach |
Colleen McMurphy |
"Through and Through" |
ABC |
| Sharon Gless |
The Trials of Rosie O’Neill |
Rosie O’Neill |
"Heartbreak Hotel" |
CBS |
| Shirley Knight § |
Law & Order |
Melanie Currants |
"The Wages of Love" |
NBC |
| Angela Lansbury |
Murder, She Wrote |
Jessica Fletcher |
"Night Fears" |
CBS |
| Kate Nelligan § |
Road to Avonlea |
Sydney Carver |
"After the Honeymoon" |
Disney |
| Regina Taylor |
I’ll Fly Away |
Lilly Harper |
"Coming Home" |
NBC |
1992–1993
(45th) |
| Kathy Baker |
Picket Fences |
Jill Brock |
"Thanksgiving" |
CBS |
| Swoosie Kurtz |
Sisters |
Alex Reed |
"Mirror, Mirror" |
NBC |
| Angela Lansbury |
Murder, She Wrote |
Jessica Fletcher |
"Night of the Coyote" |
CBS |
| Regina Taylor |
I’ll Fly Away |
Lilly Harper |
"Comfort and Joy" |
NBC |
| Janine Turner |
Northern Exposure |
Maggie "Mary Margaret" O’Connell |
"Love’s Labour Mislaid" |
CBS |
1993–1994
(46th) |
| Sela Ward |
Sisters |
Teddy Reed |
"Land of the Lost Children" |
NBC |
| Kathy Baker |
Picket Fences |
Jill Brock |
"Guns ‘R’ Us" |
CBS |
| Swoosie Kurtz |
Sisters |
Alex Reed |
"Protective Measures" |
NBC |
| Angela Lansbury |
Murder, She Wrote |
Jessica Fletcher |
"A Killing in Cork" |
CBS |
| Jane Seymour |
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman |
Michaela "Dr. Mike" Quinn |
"Best Friends" |
1994–1995
(47th) |
| Kathy Baker |
Picket Fences |
Jill Brock |
"Frogman Returns" |
CBS |
| Claire Danes |
My So-Called Life |
Angela Chase |
"Pilot" |
ABC |
| Angela Lansbury |
Murder, She Wrote |
Jessica Fletcher |
"Dear Deadly" |
CBS |
| Sherry Stringfield |
ER |
Dr. Susan Lewis |
"Motherhood" |
NBC |
| Cicely Tyson |
Sweet Justice |
Carrie Grace Battle |
"In the Name of the Sun" |
1995–1996
(48th) |
| Kathy Baker |
Picket Fences |
Jill Brock |
"Bottled" |
CBS |
| Gillian Anderson |
The X-Files |
Dr. Dana Scully |
"Piper Maru" |
Fox |
| Christine Lahti |
Chicago Hope |
Dr. Kathryn "Kate" Austin |
"Transplanted Affection" |
CBS |
| Angela Lansbury |
Murder, She Wrote |
Jessica Fletcher |
"Death by Demographics" |
| Sherry Stringfield |
ER |
Dr. Susan Lewis |
"Take These Broken Wings" |
NBC |
1996–1997
(49th) |
| Gillian Anderson |
The X-Files |
Dr. Dana Scully |
"Memento Mori" |
Fox |
| Roma Downey |
Touched by an Angel |
Monica |
"Missing in Action" |
CBS |
| Christine Lahti |
Chicago Hope |
Dr. Kathryn "Kate" Austin |
"Back to the Future" |
| Julianna Margulies |
ER |
Carol Hathaway |
"The Long Way Around" |
NBC |
| Sherry Stringfield |
Dr. Susan Lewis |
"Fear of Flying" |
1997–1998
(50th) |
| Christine Lahti |
Chicago Hope |
Dr. Kathryn "Kate" Austin |
"Cabin Fever" |
CBS |
| Gillian Anderson |
The X-Files |
Dr. Dana Scully |
"All Souls" |
Fox |
| Roma Downey |
Touched by an Angel |
Monica |
"The Spirit of Liberty Moon" |
CBS |
| Julianna Margulies |
ER |
Carol Hathaway |
"Carter’s Choice" |
NBC |
| Jane Seymour |
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman |
Michaela "Dr. Mike" Quinn |
"Point Blank" |
CBS |
1998–1999
(51st) |
| Edie Falco |
The Sopranos |
Carmela Soprano |
"College" |
HBO |
| Gillian Anderson |
The X-Files |
Dr. Dana Scully |
"Milagro" |
Fox |
| Lorraine Bracco |
The Sopranos |
Dr. Jennifer Melfi |
"The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" |
HBO |
| Christine Lahti |
Chicago Hope |
Dr. Kathryn "Kate" Austin |
"Karmic Relief" |
CBS |
| Julianna Margulies |
ER |
Carol Hathaway |
"The Storm", Part 2 |
NBC |
2000s
2010s
Multiple wins
Multiple nominations
- 12 nominations
- 8 nominations
- 6 nominations
- 5 nominations
|
- 4 nominations
|
- 3 nominations
|
- 2 nominations
|
- Notes
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre specific acting categories
See also
References
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| | 1952–1975 | |
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| | 1976–2000 | |
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| | 2001–present | |
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- Complete list
- (1952–1975)
- (1976–2000)
- (2001–2025)
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| | Creative Arts | |
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| | Retired | |
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