Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

This is a list of the winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Chronology of category names
Over the years, the scope of this award has evolved and the name with which it has been presented reflects those changes:


 * 1975: Director of the Year – Special
 * 1976: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy
 * 1977: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program
 * 1978–1979: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy
 * 1980–1986: Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or Special
 * 1987–1992: Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special
 * 1993–1996: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or Special
 * 1997–1998: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special
 * 1999–2000: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie
 * 2001–2002: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special
 * 2003–2015: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special
 * 2016–2020: Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special
 * 2021–present: Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Total awards by network

 * HBO – 17
 * CBS – 8
 * NBC – 8
 * ABC – 7
 * PBS – 4
 * Netflix – 3
 * TNT – 3
 * FX – 2
 * AMC – 1

Directors with multiple wins

 * 4 wins
 * John Frankenheimer (3 consecutive)
 * Joseph Sargent


 * 2 wins
 * Marvin J. Chomsky
 * Lamont Johnson
 * Mike Nichols
 * Daniel Petrie (consecutive)
 * Jay Roach

Directors with multiple nominations

 * 9 nominations
 * Lamont Johnson
 * Joseph Sargent


 * 6 nominations
 * Glenn Jordan
 * Daniel Petrie


 * 5 nominations
 * John Erman
 * John Frankenheimer
 * Ryan Murphy


 * 4 nominations
 * Paul Bogart
 * Tom Gries


 * 3 nominations
 * Jeff Bleckner
 * Gilbert Cates
 * Marvin J. Chomsky
 * Fielder Cook
 * Stephen Frears
 * Noah Hawley
 * Tom Hooper
 * Mick Jackson
 * Richard Loncraine
 * Sam Miller
 * Frank Pierson
 * Jay Roach


 * 2 nominations
 * Robert Allan Ackerman
 * Lou Antonio
 * Bob Balaban
 * Dan Curtis
 * Scott Frank
 * James Goldstone
 * David Greene
 * Tom Hanks
 * Robert Harmon
 * Andrei Konchalovsky
 * John Korty
 * Buzz Kulik
 * Barry Levinson
 * Delbert Mann
 * Philip Martin
 * Mike Nichols
 * David Nutter
 * Anthony Page
 * Mark Rydell
 * Boris Sagal
 * Mikael Salomon
 * George Schaefer
 * Charles Sturridge
 * Betty Thomas
 * Peter Werner
 * Susanna White
 * Steven Zaillian

Programs with multiple nominations

 * 5 nominations
 * Fargo


 * 4 nominations
 * American Crime Story


 * 3 nominations
 * Watchmen


 * 2 nominations
 * American Horror Story
 * Beef
 * Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
 * Fosse/Verdon
 * I May Destroy You
 * The Night Of
 * The Pacific
 * Prime Suspect
 * Sherlock