Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented annually in the U.S. by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role on a television drama series for the primetime network season.

The award was first presented at the 6th Primetime Emmy Awards on February 11, 1954. The acting awards presented during the inaugural years were not genre-specific, with actresses in either drama or comedy series receiving nominations and awards. While Eve Arden was the first winner in the female acting category, Loretta Young was the first actress to win for a lead performance in a drama series. By 1966, the acting awards were split into drama and comedy categories, undergoing several name changes until settling with the current title.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 157 actresses, with 31 winning for performances in a drama series. Tyne Daly and Michael Learned hold the record for most wins in the category, with four each. Angela Lansbury is the most nominated actress in the category, with twelve nominations, though she never won. In 2015, Viola Davis became the first African-American woman to win, for her performance as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder. In 2020, Zendaya became the youngest winner, at age 24, for Euphoria. She won again in 2022, becoming the first African-American to win twice. As of 2024, Sarah Snook is the most recent winner, receiving the award for her work on Succession.

Winners and nominations
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.

Programs with multiple wins

 * 6 wins
 * Cagney & Lacey (consecutive)


 * 3 wins
 * The Loretta Young Show
 * Mission: Impossible (consecutive)
 * Picket Fences (2 consecutive)
 * The Sopranos
 * The Waltons (2 consecutive)


 * 2 wins
 * China Beach
 * The Crown
 * Damages
 * Euphoria
 * Father Knows Best
 * The Good Wife
 * Hazel
 * Homeland (consecutive)
 * Thirtysomething
 * The West Wing

Programs with multiple nominations

 * 12 nominations
 * Cagney & Lacey
 * Murder, She Wrote (consecutive)


 * 9 nominations
 * The Sopranos


 * 8 nominations
 * Law & Order: Special Victims Unit


 * 7 nominations
 * ER
 * Killing Eve
 * L.A. Law


 * 6 nominations
 * The Crown
 * Hill Street Blues
 * House of Cards
 * The Loretta Young Show
 * Mad Men
 * The Waltons


 * 5 nominations
 * The Closer
 * Family
 * Homeland
 * Six Feet Under


 * 4 nominations
 * Alias
 * Chicago Hope
 * China Beach
 * Dallas
 * Damages
 * Fame
 * The Good Wife
 * The Handmaid's Tale
 * How to Get Away with Murder
 * Mission: Impossible
 * The Mod Squad
 * The Morning Show
 * Picket Fences
 * The X-Files
 * The West Wing


 * 3 nominations
 * The Americans
 * The Big Valley
 * Brothers & Sisters
 * The Donna Reed Show
 * Downton Abbey
 * Hazel
 * I Love Lucy
 * Lassie
 * Orphan Black
 * Our Miss Brooks
 * Ozark
 * Police Woman
 * The Rockford Files
 * Sisters


 * 2 nominations
 * The Avengers
 * The Beverly Hillbillies
 * Charlie's Angels
 * CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
 * The Dick Van Dyke Show
 * Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
 * Dynasty
 * Empire
 * Euphoria
 * Father Knows Best
 * Fireside Theatre
 * Friday Night Lights
 * The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
 * Harry's Law
 * Hart to Hart
 * Here Come the Brides
 * I'll Fly Away
 * Judging Amy
 * McMillan & Wife
 * Medium
 * Nurse
 * Once and Again
 * Private Secretary
 * Saving Grace
 * Scandal
 * Thirtysomething
 * Touched by an Angel
 * The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
 * Upstairs, Downstairs
 * Westworld
 * Yellowjackets

Performers with multiple wins

 * 4 wins
 * Tyne Daly (3 consecutive)
 * Michael Learned (2 consecutive)


 * 3 wins
 * Barbara Bain (consecutive)
 * Kathy Baker (2 consecutive)
 * Edie Falco
 * Loretta Young


 * 2 wins
 * Glenn Close (consecutive)
 * Claire Danes (consecutive)
 * Dana Delany
 * Sharon Gless (consecutive)
 * Susan Hampshire (consecutive)
 * Allison Janney
 * Julianna Margulies
 * Barbara Stanwyck
 * Sela Ward
 * Patricia Wettig (consecutive)
 * Jane Wyatt
 * Zendaya

Performers with multiple nominations

 * 12 nominations
 * Angela Lansbury (consecutive)


 * 9 nominations
 * Elisabeth Moss


 * 8 nominations
 * Sharon Gless
 * Mariska Hargitay (consecutive)
 * Michael Learned
 * Julianna Margulies


 * 6 nominations
 * Tyne Daly
 * Claire Danes
 * Edie Falco
 * Robin Wright
 * Loretta Young


 * 5 nominations
 * Glenn Close
 * Veronica Hamel
 * Kyra Sedgwick


 * 4 nominations
 * Debbie Allen
 * Gillian Anderson
 * Kathy Baker
 * Frances Conroy
 * Viola Davis
 * Dana Delany
 * Jill Eikenberry
 * Jennifer Garner
 * Allison Janney
 * Christine Lahti
 * Peggy Lipton
 * Sandra Oh
 * Keri Russell
 * Barbara Stanwyck
 * Sada Thompson


 * 3 nominations
 * Barbara Bain
 * Barbara Bel Geddes
 * Lorraine Bracco
 * Amy Brenneman
 * Connie Britton
 * Jan Clayton
 * Jodie Comer
 * Susan Dey
 * Angie Dickinson
 * Michelle Dockery
 * Sally Field
 * Laura Linney
 * Tatiana Maslany
 * Sherry Stringfield
 * Sela Ward


 * 2 nominations
 * Jennifer Aniston
 * Patricia Arquette
 * Kathy Bates
 * Joan Blondell
 * Olivia Colman
 * Roma Downey
 * Claire Foy
 * Susan Hampshire
 * Marg Helgenberger
 * Taraji P. Henson
 * Holly Hunter
 * Kate Jackson
 * Swoosie Kurtz
 * Melanie Lynskey
 * Jean Marsh
 * Stefanie Powers
 * Diana Rigg
 * Susan Saint James
 * Jane Seymour
 * Regina Taylor
 * Kerry Washington
 * Patricia Wettig
 * Reese Witherspoon
 * Evan Rachel Wood
 * Jane Wyman
 * Jane Wyatt
 * Zendaya