Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
{{Short description|Award for lead actress in a television comedy series}}{{Infobox award
| name = Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
| image = Jean Smart by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| image_upright = 0.7
| caption = The 2024 recipient: Jean Smart
| awarded_for = Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
| presenter = Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
| country = United States
| year = 1954
| holder = Jean Smart,
Hacks (2024)
| website = {{url|emmys.com}}
}}
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actresses in comedy have competed alone. However, these comedic performances included actresses from miniseries, telefilms, and guest performers competing against main cast competitors. Such instances are marked below:
- # – Indicates a performance in a Miniseries or Television film, prior to the category's creation
- § – Indicates a performance as a guest performer, prior to the category's creation
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards were the first and, so far, only Emmys where there is no representation from any of the big four broadcast networks.
Winners and nominations
=1950s=
class="wikitable" style="width:100%" | |||
bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%" | Year ! width="25%" | Actress ! width="30%" | Role ! width="35%" | Program ! width="5%" | Network | |||
colspan=5|Best Female Star of a Regular Series | |||
---|---|---|---|
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1954 (6th) Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories {{cite web|title=6th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Best Female Star of Regular Series|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1954/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=8 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Eve Arden | style="background:#FAEB86" | Connie Brooks | style="background:#FAEB86"| Our Miss Brooks | style="background:#FAEB86"| CBS | |||
Lucille Ball | Lucy Ricardo | I Love Lucy | CBS |
Imogene Coca | Various characters | Your Show of Shows
| rowspan="3"|NBC | |
Dinah Shore | Herself | The Dinah Shore Show | |
Loretta Young | Various characters | The Loretta Young Show | |
colspan=5|Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series | |||
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1955 (7th) {{cite web|title=7th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1955/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=8 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Loretta Young | style="background:#FAEB86" | Various characters | style="background:#FAEB86"| The Loretta Young Show | style="background:#FAEB86"| NBC | |||
Gracie Allen | Gracie Allen | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
| rowspan="4"|CBS | |
Eve Arden | Connie Brooks | Our Miss Brooks | |
Lucille Ball | Lucy Ricardo | I Love Lucy | |
Ann Sothern | Susie McNamara | Private Secretary | |
colspan=5|Best Actress - Continuing Performance | |||
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1956 (8th) {{cite web|title=8th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Best Actress – Continuing Performance|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1956/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=8 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Lucille Ball | style="background:#FAEB86"| Lucy Ricardo | style="background:#FAEB86"| I Love Lucy | style="background:#FAEB86"| CBS | |||
Gracie Allen | Gracie Allen | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
| rowspan="2"|CBS | |
Eve Arden | Connie Brooks | Our Miss Brooks | |
Jean Hagen | Margaret Williams | Make Room for Daddy | ABC |
Ann Sothern | Susie McNamara | Private Secretary | CBS |
colspan=5|Best Continuing Performance by an Actress | |||
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1957 (9th) {{cite web|title=9th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Best Continuing Performance by an Actress|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1957/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=8 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Loretta Young | style="background:#FAEB86" | Various characters | style="background:#FAEB86"| The Loretta Young Show | style="background:#FAEB86"| NBC | |||
Jan Clayton | Ellen Miller | Lassie
| rowspan="3"|CBS | |
Ida Lupino | Various characters | Four Star Playhouse | |
Peggy Wood | Mama | Mama | |
Jane Wyman | Various characters | Jane Wyman Theatre | NBC |
colspan=5|Best Continuing Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic or Comedy Series | |||
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1958 (10th) {{cite web|title=10th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Best Continuing Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic or Comedy Series|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1958/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=8 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Jane Wyatt | style="background:#FAEB86" | Margaret Anderson | style="background:#FAEB86"| Father Knows Best | style="background:#FAEB86"| NBC | |||
Eve Arden | Liza Hammond | The Eve Arden Show | rowspan="4"|CBS |
Spring Byington | Lily Ruskin | December Bride | |
Jan Clayton | Ellen Miller | Lassie | |
Ida Lupino | Eve Drake | Mr. Adams and Eve | |
colspan=5|Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series | |||
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1959 (11th) | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Jane Wyatt | Margaret Anderson | Father Knows Best | CBS & NBC | |||
Gracie Allen
| Gracie Allen | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | rowspan=3|CBS | |||
Spring Byington
| Lily Ruskin | December Bride | |||
Ida Lupino
| Eve Adams | Mr. Adams and Eve | |||
Donna Reed
| Donna Stone | ABC | |||
Ann Sothern
| Katy O'Connor | The Ann Sothern Show | CBS |
=1960s=
class="wikitable" style="width:100%" | |||
bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%" | Year ! width="25%" | Actress ! width="30%" | Role ! width="35%" | Program ! width="5%" | Network | |||
colspan="5"|Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead or Support) | |||
---|---|---|---|
rowspan="4" style="text-align:center" | 1960 (12th) {{cite web|title=12th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead or Support)|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1960/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=9 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Jane Wyatt | style="background:#FAEB86" | Margaret Anderson | style="background:#FAEB86"| Father Knows Best | style="background:#FAEB86"| CBS | |||
Donna Reed | Donna Stone | The Donna Reed Show | ABC |
Teresa Wright | Margaret Bourke-White | NBC Sunday Showcase | rowspan="2"|NBC |
Loretta Young | Various characters | The Loretta Young Show | |
colspan=5|Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | |||
rowspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 1961 (13th) {{cite web|title=13th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1961/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=9 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Barbara Stanwyck | style="background:#FAEB86" | Various characters | style="background:#FAEB86"| The Barbara Stanwyck Show | style="background:#FAEB86"| NBC | |||
Donna Reed | Donna Stone | The Donna Reed Show | ABC |
Loretta Young | Various characters | The Loretta Young Show | NBC |
colspan=5|Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | |||
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1962 (14th) {{cite web|title=14th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1962/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=9 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Shirley Booth | style="background:#FAEB86" | Hazel Burke | style="background:#FAEB86"| Hazel | style="background:#FAEB86"| NBC | |||
Gertrude Berg | Sarah Green | The Gertrude Berg Show | CBS |
Donna Reed | Donna Stone | The Donna Reed Show | ABC |
Mary Stuart | Joanne Gardner | Search for Tomorrow
| rowspan="2"|CBS | |
Cara Williams | Gladys Porter | Pete and Gladys | |
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1963 (15th) {{cite web|title=15th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1963/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=9 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Shirley Booth | style="background:#FAEB86" | Hazel Burke | style="background:#FAEB86"| Hazel | style="background:#FAEB86"| NBC | |||
Lucille Ball | Lucy Carmichael | The Lucy Show
| rowspan="4"|CBS | |
Shirl Conway | Liz Thorpe | The Nurses | |
Mary Tyler Moore | Laura Petrie | The Dick Van Dyke Show | |
Irene Ryan | Granny | The Beverly Hillbillies | |
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center" | 1964 (16th) {{cite web|title=16th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1964/best-actress|publisher=Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)|access-date=9 July 2017}} | style="background:#FAEB86"| Mary Tyler Moore | style="background:#FAEB86" | Laura Petrie | style="background:#FAEB86"| The Dick Van Dyke Show | style="background:#FAEB86"| CBS | |||
Shirley Booth | Hazel Burke | Hazel | NBC |
Patty Duke | Cathy Lane | The Patty Duke Show | ABC |
Irene Ryan | Granny | The Beverly Hillbillies | CBS |
Inger Stevens | Katy Holstrum | The Farmer's Daughter | ABC |
colspan=5|Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Actors and Performers | |||
rowspan=17 style="text-align:center" | 1965 {{small|(17th)}} Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Conductor | New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein | CBS | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Fanny Bowditch Holmes | rowspan="2"|Hallmark Hall of Fame: "The Magnificent Yankee" | rowspan="2"|NBC | |||
style="background:#FAEB86" | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Herself | rowspan="2"|CBS | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Rob Petrie | The Dick Van Dyke Show | |||
Julie Andrews
| Herself | The Andy Williams Show: "November 30, 1964" | rowspan="4"|NBC | |||
Johnny Carson
| Host | |||
Gladys Cooper
| Margaret St. Clair | rowspan="2"|The Rogues | |||
Robert Coote
| Timmy St. Clair | |||
Richard Crenna
| James Slattery | CBS | |||
Julie Harris
| Hallmark Hall of Fame: "The Holy Terror" | rowspan="3"|NBC | |||
Bob Hope
| Himself | Chrysler Presents A Bob Hope Comedy Special | |||
Dean Jagger
| Principal Albert Vane | |||
Danny Kaye
| Host | CBS | |||
David McCallum
| NBC | |||
Red Skelton
| Himself | CBS | |||
colspan=5|Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series | |||
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1966 (18th) | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Mary Tyler Moore | Laura Petrie | The Dick Van Dyke Show | CBS | |||
Lucille Ball
| Lucy Carmichael | The Lucy Show | CBS | |||
Elizabeth Montgomery
| Samantha Stephens | ABC | |||
rowspan=5 style="text-align:center" | 1967 (19th) | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Lucille Ball | Lucy Carmichael | The Lucy Show | CBS | |||
Elizabeth Montgomery
| Samantha Stephens | rowspan=2|Bewitched | rowspan=3|ABC | |||
Agnes Moorehead
| Endora | |||
Marlo Thomas
| Ann Marie | |||
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1968 (20th) | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Lucille Ball | Lucy Carmichael | The Lucy Show | CBS | |||
Barbara Feldon
| Agent 99 | NBC | |||
Elizabeth Montgomery
| Samantha Stephens | Bewitched | ABC | |||
Paula Prentiss
| Paula Hollister | He & She | CBS | |||
Marlo Thomas
| Ann Marie | That Girl | ABC | |||
rowspan=5 style="text-align:center" | 1969 (21st) | |||
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Carolyn Muir | NBC | |||
Diahann Carroll
| Julia Baker | Julia | rowspan=2|NBC | |||
Barbara Feldon
| Agent 99 | Get Smart | |||
Elizabeth Montgomery
| Samantha Stephens | Bewitched | ABC |
=1970s=
class="wikitable" style="width:100%" |
bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%" | Year ! width="25%" | Actress ! width="30%" | Role ! width="35%" | Program ! width="5%" | Network |
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1970 (22nd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Carolyn Muir | ABC |
Elizabeth Montgomery
| Samantha Stephens | rowspan=2|ABC |
Marlo Thomas
| Ann Marie |
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1971 (23rd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| CBS |
Marlo Thomas
| Ann Marie | That Girl | ABC |
Mary Tyler Moore
| CBS |
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1972 (24th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Jean Stapleton | Edith Bunker | All in the Family | CBS |
Sandy Duncan
| Sandy Stockton | rowspan=2|CBS |
Mary Tyler Moore
| Mary Richards | The Mary Tyler Moore Show |
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1973 (25th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Mary Tyler Moore | Mary Richards | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | CBS |
Jean Stapleton
| Edith Bunker | All in the Family | rowspan=2|CBS |
Bea Arthur
| Maude |
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1974 (26th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Mary Tyler Moore | Mary Richards | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | CBS |
Bea Arthur
| Maude Findlay | Maude | rowspan=2|CBS |
Jean Stapleton
| Edith Bunker | All in the Family |
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1975 (27th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Rhoda | CBS |
Jean Stapleton
| Edith Bunker | All in the Family | rowspan=2|CBS |
Mary Tyler Moore
| Mary Richards | The Mary Tyler Moore Show |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1976 (28th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Mary Tyler Moore | Mary Richards | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | CBS |
Lee Grant
| Fay Stewart | Fay | NBC |
Bea Arthur
| Maude Findlay | Maude | rowspan=3|CBS |
Cloris Leachman
| Phyllis |
Valerie Harper
| Rhoda Morgenstern | Rhoda |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1977 (29th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Bea Arthur | Maude Findlay | Maude | CBS |
Jean Stapleton
| Edith Bunker | All in the Family | rowspan=4|CBS |
Valerie Harper
| Rhoda Morgenstern | Rhoda |
Suzanne Pleshette
| Emily Hartley |
Mary Tyler Moore
| Mary Richards | The Mary Tyler Moore Show |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1978 (30th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Jean Stapleton | Edith Bunker | All in the Family | CBS |
Bea Arthur
| Maude Findlay | Maude | rowspan=2|CBS |
Valerie Harper
| Rhoda Morgenstern | Rhoda |
Cathryn Damon
| Mary Campbell | rowspan=2|Soap | rowspan=2|ABC |
Katherine Helmond
| Jessica Tate |
Suzanne Pleshette
| Emily Hartley | The Bob Newhart Show | CBS |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1979 (31st) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Ruth Gordon § | Dee Wilcox | Taxi | ABC |
Linda Lavin
| Alice Hyatt | Alice | rowspan=2|CBS |
Jean Stapleton
| Edith Bunker | All in the Family |
Katherine Helmond
| Jessica Tate | Soap | ABC |
Isabel Sanford
| CBS |
=1980s=
class="wikitable" style="width:100%" |
bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%" | Year ! width="20%" | Actress ! width="20%" | Role ! width="25%" | Program ! width="25%" | Episode Submissions ! width="5%" | Network |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1980 (32nd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Mary Campbell | Soap | {{n/a}} | ABC |
Polly Holliday
| Flo Castleberry | Flo | {{n/a}} | rowspan=3|CBS |
Sheree North §
| Dotty Wertz | {{n/a}} |
Isabel Sanford
| {{n/a}} |
Katherine Helmond
| Jessica Tate | Soap | {{n/a}} | ABC |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1981 (33rd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Isabel Sanford | Louise Jefferson | The Jeffersons | "And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds" | CBS |
Eileen Brennan §
| Mrs. McKenzie | Taxi | "Thy Boss's Wife" | rowspan=3|ABC |
Cathryn Damon
| Mary Campbell | rowspan=2|Soap | {{n/a}} |
Katherine Helmond
| Jessica Tate | {{n/a}} |
Lynn Redgrave
| Ann Atkinson | {{n/a}} | CBS |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1982 (34th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Carol Kane § | Simka Dahblitz | Taxi | "Simka Returns" | ABC |
Swoosie Kurtz
| Laurie Morgan | {{n/a}} | rowspan=3|NBC |
Nell Carter
| Nellie Harper | {{n/a}} |
Charlotte Rae
| Edna Garrett | {{n/a}} |
Bonnie Franklin
| Ann Romano | {{n/a}} | rowspan="2"|CBS |
Isabel Sanford
| Louise Jefferson | The Jeffersons | {{n/a}} |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1983 (35th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Cheers | NBC |
Mariette Hartley
| Jennifer Barnes | {{n/a}} | rowspan="2"|CBS |
Isabel Sanford
| Louise Jefferson | The Jeffersons | {{n/a}} |
Nell Carter
| Nellie Harper | Gimme a Break! | {{n/a}} | rowspan="2"|NBC |
Swoosie Kurtz
| Laurie Morgan | Love, Sidney | {{n/a}} |
Rita Moreno
| Violet Newstead | 9 to 5 | {{n/a}} | ABC |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1984 (36th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Allie Lowell | {{n/a}} | CBS |
Joanna Cassidy
| Jo Jo White | {{n/a}} | rowspan=2|NBC |
Shelley Long
| Diane Chambers | Cheers | {{n/a}} |
Susan Saint James
| Kate McArdle | Kate & Allie | {{n/a}} | rowspan=2|CBS |
Isabel Sanford
| Louise Jefferson | The Jeffersons | {{n/a}} |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1985 (37th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Jane Curtin | Allie Lowell | Kate & Allie | {{n/a}} | CBS |
Shelley Long
| Diane Chambers | Cheers | {{n/a}} | rowspan=2|NBC |
Phylicia Rashad
| Clair Huxtable | {{n/a}} |
Susan Saint James
| Kate McArdle | Kate & Allie | {{n/a}} | rowspan=2|CBS |
Isabel Sanford
| Louise Jefferson | The Jeffersons | {{n/a}} |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1986 (38th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| "In a Bed of Rose's" | NBC |
Shelley Long
| Diane Chambers | Cheers | {{n/a}} | rowspan=4|NBC |
Bea Arthur
| rowspan="2"|The Golden Girls | "The Triangle" |
Rue McClanahan
| "The Way We Met" |
Phylicia Rashad
| Clair Huxtable | The Cosby Show | "Cliff in Love" |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1987 (39th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Rue McClanahan | Blanche Devereaux | The Golden Girls | "End of the Curse" | NBC |
Blair Brown
| Molly Bickford Dodd | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | {{n/a}} | rowspan=3|NBC |
Bea Arthur
| Dorothy Zbornak | rowspan="2"|The Golden Girls | "The Stan Who Came to Dinner" |
Betty White
| Rose Nylund |
Jane Curtin
| Allie Lowell | Kate & Allie | {{n/a}} | CBS |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1988 (40th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Bea Arthur | Dorothy Zbornak | The Golden Girls | "My Brother, My Father" | NBC |
Kirstie Alley
| Cheers | "Backseat Becky, Upfront" | rowspan=4|NBC |
Blair Brown
| Molly Bickford Dodd | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | {{n/a}} |
Rue McClanahan
| Blanche Devereaux | rowspan=2|The Golden Girls | "Strange Bedfellows" |
Betty White
| Rose Nylund | "Bringing Up Baby" |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1989 (41st) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Murphy Brown | "Respect" | CBS |
Blair Brown
| Molly Bickford Dodd | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | {{n/a}} | Lifetime |
Rue McClanahan
| Blanche Devereaux | rowspan=3|The Golden Girls | "Yes, We Have No Havanas" | rowspan=3|NBC |
Betty White
| Rose Nylund | "High Anxiety" |
Bea Arthur
| Dorothy Zbornak | "Love Me Tender" |
=1990s=
class="wikitable" style="width:100%" |
bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%" | Year ! width="20%" | Actress ! width="20%" | Role ! width="25%" | Program ! width="25%" | Episode Submissions ! width="5%" | Network |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1990 (42nd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Murphy Brown | "Brown Like Me" | CBS |
Kirstie Alley
| Cheers | "The Improbable Dream, Part 1" | rowspan="2"|NBC |
Betty White
| "Rose Fights Back" |
Blair Brown
| Molly Bickford Dodd | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | {{n/a}} | Lifetime |
Delta Burke
| Suzanne Sugarbaker | "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?" | CBS |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1991 (43rd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Kirstie Alley | Rebecca Howe | Cheers | "The Days of Wine and Neuroses" | NBC |
Candice Bergen
| Murphy Brown | Murphy Brown | "On Another Plane" | rowspan="2"|CBS |
Delta Burke
| Suzanne Sugarbaker | Designing Women | "The Bachelor Auction" |
Blair Brown
| Molly Bickford Dodd | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | "Here's a Pregnant Pause" | Lifetime |
Betty White
| Rose Nylund | The Golden Girls | "Once, in St. Olaf" | NBC |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1992 (44th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Candice Bergen | Murphy Brown | Murphy Brown | "Birth 101" | CBS |
Roseanne Barr
| Roseanne Conner | Roseanne | "A Bitter Pill to Swallow" | ABC |
Kirstie Alley
| Rebecca Howe | Cheers | "An Old Fashioned Wedding" | rowspan="3"|NBC |
Tyne Daly §
| Mimsy Borogroves | Wings | "My Brother's Keeper" |
Betty White
| Rose Nylund | The Golden Girls | "Dateline: Miami" |
Marion Ross
| Sophie Berger | "Brave New World" | CBS |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1993 (45th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Roseanne Barr | Roseanne Conner | Roseanne | "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" | ABC |
Candice Bergen
| Murphy Brown | Murphy Brown | "Games Mothers Play" | rowspan="2"|CBS |
Marion Ross
| Sophie Berger | Brooklyn Bridge | "Brave New Worlds" |
Kirstie Alley
| Rebecca Howe | Cheers | "One for the Road" | rowspan="2"|NBC |
Helen Hunt
| Jamie Buchman | "Pilot" |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1994 (46th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Candice Bergen | Murphy Brown | Murphy Brown | "It's Just Like Riding a Bike" | CBS |
Helen Hunt
| Jamie Buchman | Mad About You | "Cold Feet" | NBC |
Annie Potts
| Dana Palladino | "I've Got a Crush on You" | CBS |
Roseanne Barr
| Roseanne Conner | Roseanne | "The Driver's Seat" | rowspan="2"|ABC |
Patricia Richardson
| "The Colonel" |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1995 (47th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Candice Bergen | Murphy Brown | Murphy Brown | "Requiem for a Crew Guy" | CBS |
Roseanne Barr
| Roseanne Conner | Roseanne | "Thanksgiving 1994" | rowspan=2|ABC |
Ellen DeGeneres
| Ellen Morgan | Ellen | "The Spa" |
Helen Hunt
| Jamie Buchman | Mad About You | "The Ride Home" | NBC |
Cybill Shepherd
| Cybill Sheridan | Cybill | "Virgin, Mother, Crone" | CBS |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1996 (48th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Helen Hunt | Jamie Buchman | Mad About You | "The Finale" | NBC |
Ellen DeGeneres
| Ellen Morgan | Ellen | "Witness" | ABC |
Fran Drescher
| Fran Fine | "The Hockey Show" | rowspan="2"|CBS |
Cybill Shepherd
| Cybill Sheridan | Cybill | "When You're Hot, You're Hot" |
Patricia Richardson
| Jill Taylor | Home Improvement | "The Longest Day" | ABC |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1997 (49th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Helen Hunt | Jamie Buchman | Mad About You | "The Birth" | NBC |
Ellen DeGeneres
| Ellen Morgan | Ellen | rowspan="2"|ABC |
Patricia Richardson
| Jill Taylor | Home Improvement | "Family Unties" |
Fran Drescher
| Fran Fine | The Nanny | "The Facts of Lice" | rowspan="2"|CBS |
Cybill Shepherd
| Cybill Sheridan | Cybill | "In Her Dreams" |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1998 (50th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Helen Hunt | Jamie Buchman | Mad About You | "Moody Blues" | NBC |
Ellen DeGeneres
| Ellen Morgan | Ellen | "Neighbors" | rowspan=3|ABC |
Jenna Elfman
| Dharma Montgomery | "Haus Arrest" |
Patricia Richardson
| Jill Taylor | Home Improvement | "Bright Christmas" |
Kirstie Alley
| Veronica Chase | "Pilot" | NBC |
Calista Flockhart
| "One Hundred Tears Away" | Fox |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1999 (51st) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Helen Hunt | Jamie Buchman | Mad About You | NBC |
Jenna Elfman
| Dharma Montgomery | Dharma & Greg | "Are You Ready for Some Football?" | ABC |
Calista Flockhart
| Ally McBeal | Ally McBeal | "Sideshow" | Fox |
Patricia Heaton
| Debra Barone | "Be Nice" | CBS |
Sarah Jessica Parker
| "The Drought" | HBO |
=2000s=
class="wikitable" style="width:100%" |
bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%" | Year ! width="20%" | Actress ! width="20%" | Role ! width="25%" | Program ! width="25%" | Episode Submissions ! width="5%" | Network |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2000 (52nd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Debra Barone | "Bad Moon Rising" | CBS |
Jenna Elfman
| Dharma Montgomery | "Lawyers, Beer, and Money" | ABC |
Jane Kaczmarek
| Lois | "Red Dress" | Fox |
Debra Messing
| "Das Boob" | NBC |
Sarah Jessica Parker
| "Ex and the City" | HBO |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2001 (53rd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Debra Barone | "The Canister" | CBS |
Calista Flockhart
| "Falling Up" | rowspan=2|Fox |
Jane Kaczmarek
| Lois | "Flashback" |
Debra Messing
| Grace Adler | "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" | NBC |
Sarah Jessica Parker
| Carrie Bradshaw | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" | HBO |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2002 (54th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Friends | "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby" | NBC |
Patricia Heaton
| Debra Barone | "A Vote for Debra" | CBS |
Jane Kaczmarek
| Lois | "Poker" | Fox |
Debra Messing
| Grace Adler | "Bed, Bath and Beyond" | NBC |
Sarah Jessica Parker
| Carrie Bradshaw | "The Real Me" | HBO |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2003 (55th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Grace Adler | "The Kid Stays Out of the Picture" | NBC |
Jennifer Aniston
| Rachel Green | Friends | "The One Where Monica Sings" | NBC |
Patricia Heaton
| Debra Barone | "Baggage" | CBS |
Jane Kaczmarek
| Lois | "Baby" | Fox |
Sarah Jessica Parker
| Carrie Bradshaw | "Anchors Away" | HBO |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2004 (56th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Carrie Bradshaw | "An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)" | HBO |
Jennifer Aniston
| Rachel Green | Friends | "The One with Rachel's Going Away Party" | NBC |
Patricia Heaton
| Debra Barone | "Fun with Debra" | CBS |
Bonnie Hunt
| Bonnie Malloy | "Ironing Out Our Differences" | ABC |
Jane Kaczmarek
| Lois | "Block Party" | Fox |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2005 (57th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| "Pilot" | ABC |
Marcia Cross
| rowspan="2"|Desperate Housewives | rowspan="2"|ABC |
Teri Hatcher
| "Move On" |
Patricia Heaton
| Debra Barone | "The Finale" | CBS |
Jane Kaczmarek
| Lois | "Lois Battles Jamie" | Fox |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2006 (58th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| The New Adventures of Old Christine | "Supertramp" | CBS |
Stockard Channing
| Lydia Barnes | "And I'll Cry If I Want To" | CBS |
Jane Kaczmarek
| Lois | "Lois Strikes Back" | Fox |
Lisa Kudrow
| Valerie Cherish | "Valerie Does Another Classic Leno" | HBO |
Debra Messing
| Grace Adler | "The Finale" | NBC |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2007 (59th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| "Pilot" | ABC |
Tina Fey
| 30 Rock | "Up All Night" | NBC |
Felicity Huffman
| Lynette Scavo | "Bang" | ABC |
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
| Christine Campbell | The New Adventures of Old Christine | "Playdate with Destiny" | CBS |
Mary-Louise Parker
| Nancy Botwin | Weeds | "Mrs. Botwin's Neighborhood" | Showtime |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2008 (60th) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Tina Fey | Liz Lemon | 30 Rock | "Sandwich Day" | NBC |
Christina Applegate
| Samantha Newly | "The Restraining Order" | rowspan=2|ABC |
America Ferrera
| Betty Suarez |
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
| Christine Campbell | The New Adventures of Old Christine | "One and a Half Men" | CBS |
Mary-Louise Parker
| Nancy Botwin | Weeds | "Bill Sussman" | Showtime |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 2009 (61st) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Tara Gregson | "Pilot" | Showtime |
Christina Applegate
| Samantha Newly | "The Pill" | ABC |
Tina Fey
| Liz Lemon | 30 Rock | "Reunion" | NBC |
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
| Christine Campbell | The New Adventures of Old Christine | "Everyone Says I Love You Except Richie" | CBS |
Mary-Louise Parker
| Nancy Botwin | Weeds | "Lady's a Charm" | Showtime |
Sarah Silverman
| Sarah Silverman | "There's No Place Like Homeless" |
=2010s=
=2020s=
class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align: left;" |
style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:5%;"| Year ! style="width:20%;"| Actress ! style="width:20%;" | Role ! style="width:20%;"| Program ! style="width:23%;"| Episode Submission ! style="width:12%;"| Network |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 2020 (72nd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| "The Incident" | Pop TV |
Christina Applegate
| Jen Harding | "It's Not You, It's Me" | Netflix |
Rachel Brosnahan
| Miriam "Midge" Maisel | "A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo..." | Amazon |
Linda Cardellini
| Judy Hale | "If Only You Knew" | Netflix |
Issa Rae
| Issa Dee | Insecure | "Lowkey Happy" | HBO |
Tracee Ellis Ross
| Dr. Rainbow Johnson | "Kid Life Crisis" | ABC |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2021 (73rd) |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Deborah Vance | Hacks | "1.69 Million" | HBO Max |
Aidy Bryant
| Annie Easton | Shrill | "Ranchers" | Hulu |
Kaley Cuoco
| Cassie Bowden | "In Case of Emergency" | HBO Max |
Allison Janney
| Bonnie Plunkett | Mom | "My Kinda People and the Big To-Do" | CBS |
Tracee Ellis Ross
| Dr. Rainbow Johnson | "Babes in Boyland" | ABC |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 2022 {{small|(74th)}} |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Deborah Vance | Hacks | "The Click" | HBO Max |
Rachel Brosnahan
| Miriam "Midge" Maisel | "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?" | Prime Video |
Quinta Brunson
| Janine Teagues | "Pilot" | ABC |
Kaley Cuoco
| Cassie Bowden | "Drowning Women" | HBO Max |
Elle Fanning
| "Alone at Last" | Hulu |
Issa Rae
| Issa Dee | Insecure | "Reunited, Okay?!" | HBO |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 2023 {{small|(75th)}} |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Janine Teagues | "Teacher Conference" | ABC |
Christina Applegate
| Jen Harding | "We've Reached the End" | Netflix |
Rachel Brosnahan
| Miriam "Midge" Maisel | "Four Minutes" | Prime Video |
Natasha Lyonne
| Charlie Cale | "Dead Man's Hand" | Peacock |
Jenna Ortega
| Wednesday Addams / Goody Addams | "Friend or Woe" | Netflix |
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 2024 {{small|(76th)}} |
style="background:#FAEB86"
| Deborah Vance | Hacks | "Yes, And" | Max |
Quinta Brunson
| Janine Teagues |"Party" | ABC |
Ayo Edebiri
| Sydney Adamu | The Bear |"Sundae" | FX |
Selena Gomez
| Mabel Mora | Only Murders in the Building |"Ghost Light" | Hulu |
Maya Rudolph
| Molly Novak | Loot |"Space for Everyone" | rowspan="2"|Apple TV+ |
Kristen Wiig
| Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons |"Maxine Throws a Party" |
Superlatives
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |
style="height:4.5em;"
!width="350"|Superlative ! colspan="2" width="290"| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series |
style="height:4.5em;"
! width="350"| Actress with most awards |Julia Louis-Dreyfus (7) |
style="height:4.5em;"
! Actress with most nominations |Julia Louis-Dreyfus (12) |
style="height:4.5em;"
! Actress with most nominations |Jane Kaczmarek (7) |
style="height:4.5em;" |
Programs with multiple wins
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;6 wins
;5 wins
{{col-break}}
;4 wins
;3 wins
{{col-break}}
;2 wins
- Cheers
- The Dick Van Dyke Show
- Everybody Loves Raymond
- The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
- Hazel
- Kate & Allie
- The Lucy Show
- Taxi
{{col-end}}
Performers with multiple wins
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;7 wins
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (6 consecutive)
;5 wins
- Candice Bergen (2 consecutive twice)
- Mary Tyler Moore (2 consecutive twice)
;4 wins
- Helen Hunt (consecutive)
{{col-break}}
;3 wins
- Lucille Ball (2 consecutive)
- Jean Smart (2 consecutive)
- Jean Stapleton (2 consecutive)
- Jane Wyatt (consecutive)
;2 wins
- Bea Arthur
- Shirley Booth (consecutive)
- Jane Curtin (consecutive)
- Patricia Heaton (consecutive)
- Hope Lange (consecutive)
{{col-end}}
Programs with multiple nominations
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;15 nominations
;9 nominations
;8 nominations
;7 nominations
- 30 Rock
- Everybody Loves Raymond
- The Jeffersons
- Mad About You
- Malcolm in the Middle
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Murphy Brown
- Soap
- Veep
;6 nominations
;5 nominations
- Black-ish
- The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
- Grace and Frankie
- Kate & Allie
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Maude
- The New Adventures of Old Christine
- Will & Grace
{{col-break}}
;4 nominations
- Dead to Me
- Desperate Housewives
- The Donna Reed Show
- Ellen
- The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
- Home Improvement
- I Love Lucy
- The Loretta Young Show
- The Lucy Show
- Rhoda
- Roseanne
- That Girl
;3 nominations
- Abbott Elementary
- Ally McBeal
- Cybill
- Dharma & Greg
- The Dick Van Dyke Show
- Father Knows Best
- Friends
- Girls
- Hacks
- Hazel
- Insecure
- Mike & Molly
- Mom
- Our Miss Brooks
- Private Secretary
- Taxi
- Weeds
{{col-break}}
;2 nominations
- Better Things
- The Beverly Hillbillies
- The Bob Newhart Show
- Brooklyn Bridge
- The Comeback
- The Cosby Show
- December Bride
- Designing Women
- The Flight Attendant
- Get Smart
- The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
- Gimme a Break!
- Inside Amy Schumer
- Love, Sidney
- Mr. Adams and Eve
- The Nanny
- Samantha Who?
- Schitt's Creek
- Ugly Betty
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- United States of Tara
{{col-end}}
Performers with multiple nominations
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;12 nominations
;10 nominations
;9 nominations
;8 nominations
;7 nominations
;6 nominations
{{col-break}}
;5 nominations
- Christina Applegate
- Rachel Brosnahan
- Blair Brown
- Debra Messing
- Elizabeth Montgomery
- Tracee Ellis Ross
;4 nominations
- Gracie Allen
- Eve Arden
- Roseanne Barr
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Valerie Harper
- Katherine Helmond
- Shelley Long
- Rue McClanahan
- Donna Reed
- Patricia Richardson
- Ann Sothern
- Marlo Thomas
- Lily Tomlin
- Loretta Young
{{col-break}}
;3 nominations
- Jennifer Aniston
- Shirley Booth
- Quinta Brunson
- Jane Curtin
- Cathryn Damon
- Lena Dunham
- Jenna Elfman
- Calista Flockhart
- Allison Janney
- Melissa McCarthy
- Mary-Louise Parker
- Issa Rae
- Cybill Shepherd
- Jean Smart
- Jane Wyatt
{{col-break}}
;2 nominations
- Pamela Adlon
- Delta Burke
- Spring Byington
- Nell Carter
- Toni Collette
- Kaley Cuoco
- Fran Drescher
- Barbara Feldon
- America Ferrera
- Felicity Huffman
- Ellie Kemper
- Lisa Kudrow
- Swoosie Kurtz
- Hope Lange
- Ida Lupino
- Natasha Lyonne
- Catherine O'Hara
- Suzanne Pleshette
- Phylicia Rashad
- Marion Ross
- Irene Ryan
- Susan Saint James
- Amy Schumer
{{col-end}}
Total awards by network
- CBS – 26
- NBC – 16
- HBO/HBO Max/Max – 9
- ABC – 7
- Showtime – 2
- Amazon – 2
- Pop TV - 1
See also
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Notes
{{reflist|group="note"}}
References
{{reflist|3}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyLeadActress}}
{{Primetime Emmy Award categories}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Primetime Emmy Award For Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series}}
Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners