Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special is awarded to one television special each year. In the 1960s and between 1979 and 2008, specials competed alongside nominees for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.

In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place:

Individuals with multiple awards
Totals include individuals wins for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program.


 * 3 wins
 * Louis C.K. (2 consecutive)
 * Lily Tomlin


 * 2 wins
 * Dave Boone (consecutive)
 * John Mulaney
 * Chris Rock

Individuals with multiple nominations
Totals are for individuals nominated since 2009.


 * 10 nominations
 * Dave Boone


 * 9 nominations
 * Jon Macks


 * 7 nominations
 * Seth Meyers
 * John Mulaney


 * 6 nominations
 * Louis C.K.


 * 4 nominations
 * Alex Baze
 * Tina Fey
 * Carol Leifer
 * Paul Greenberg
 * Robert Smigel


 * 3 nominations
 * Barry Adelman
 * Robert Carlock
 * R.J. Fried
 * Patton Oswalt
 * Amy Poehler
 * Craig Rowin
 * Marc Shaiman
 * Michael Shoemaker
 * Wanda Sykes


 * 2 nominations
 * Rory Albanese
 * James Anderson
 * Samantha Bee
 * Jonathan Bines
 * Ashley Nicole Black
 * Michael Brumm
 * Pat Cassels
 * Dave Chappelle
 * Aaron Cohen
 * Stephen Colbert
 * James Corden
 * Billy Crystal
 * Devin Delliquanti
 * Paul Dinello
 * Eric Drysdale
 * Ariel Dumas
 * John Early
 * Glenn Eichler
 * Mathan Erhardt
 * David Feldman
 * Lewis Friedman
 * Hannah Gadsby
 * Django Gold
 * Gabe Gronli
 * Joe Grossman
 * Steve Higgins
 * Jesse Joyce
 * Barry Julien
 * Miles Kahn
 * Jay Katsir
 * Chris Kelly


 * Erik Kenward
 * Rob Klein
 * Matt Lappin
 * Sara Lukinson
 * Sam Means
 * Mitch Marchand
 * Lorne Michaels
 * Zhubin Parang
 * Paula Pell
 * Tom Purcell
 * Chris Rock
 * Sarah Schneider
 * Amy Schumer
 * Ben Schwartz
 * Kate Sidley
 * Sarah Silverman
 * Eric Slovin
 * John Solomon
 * Emily Spivey
 * Brian Stack
 * Mason Steinberg
 * George Stevens Jr.
 * Michael Stevens
 * Kent Sublette
 * Melinda Taub
 * John Thibodeaux
 * Bruce Vilanch
 * Colleen Werthmann