Il Primetime Emmy Awards per la migliore attrice protagonista in una serie drammatica (Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series) è un premio annuale consegnato nell'ambito del Primetime Emmy Awards dal 1954 all'attrice protagonista di una serie televisiva drammatica dell'anno in corso. Fino al 1966 il premio era assegnato indistintamente al genere della serie televisiva.
Vincitori e candidati I vincitori sono indicati in grassetto, a seguire gli altri candidati.
Anni 1950
1954 Eve Arden - Our Miss Brooks Lucille Ball - Lucy ed io (I Love Lucy) Imogene Coca - Your Show of Shows Dinah Shore - The Dinah Shore Show Loretta Young - The Loretta Young Show 1955 Loretta Young - The Loretta Young Show Gracie Allen The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show Eve Arden - Our Miss Brooks Lucille Ball - Lucy ed io (I Love Lucy) Ann Sothern - Private Secretary 1956 Lucille Ball - Lucy ed io (I Love Lucy) Gracie Allen - The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show Eve Arden - Our Miss Brooks Jean Hagen - Make Room for Daddy Ann Sothern - Private Secretary 1957 Loretta Young - The Loretta Young Show Jan Clayton - Lassie Ida Lupino - Four Star Playhouse Peggy Wood - Mama Jane Wyman - Jane Wyman Theatre 1958 Jane Wyatt - Papà ha ragione (Father Knows Best) Eve Arden - The Eve Arden Show Spring Byington - December Bride Jan Clayton - Lassie Ida Lupino - Mr. Adams and Eve 1959 Loretta Young - The Loretta Young Show Phyllis Kirk - L'uomo ombra (The Thin Man) June Lockhart - Lassie Jane Wyman - The Jane Wyman Show
Anni 1960
1960 Jane Wyatt - Papà ha ragione (Father Knows Best) Donna Reed - The Donna Reed Show Teresa Wright - Sunday Showcase Loretta Young - The Loretta Young Show 1961 Barbara Stanwyck - The Barbara Stanwyck Show Donna Reed - The Donna Reed Show Loretta Young - The Loretta Young Show 1962 Shirley Booth - Hazel Gertrude Berg - The Gertrude Berg Show Donna Reed - The Gertrude Berg Show Mary Stuart Aspettando il domani (Search for Tomorrow) Cara Williams - Pete and Gladys 1963 Shirley Booth - Hazel Lucille Ball - The Lucy Show Shirl Conway - The Nurses Mary Tyler Moore - The Dick Van Dyke Show Irene Ryan - The Beverly Hillbillies 1964 Mary Tyler Moore - The Dick Van Dyke Show Shirley Booth - Hazel Patty Duke - The Patty Duke Show Irene Ryan - The Beverly Hillbillies Inger Stevens - The Farmer's Daughter 1966 Barbara Stanwyck - La grande vallata (The Big Valley) Anne Francis - Honey West Barbara Parkins - Peyton Place 1967 Barbara Bain - Missione impossibile (Mission: Impossible) Diana Rigg - Agente speciale (The Avengers) Barbara Stanwyck - La grande vallata (The Big Valley) 1968 Barbara Bain - Missione impossibile (Mission: Impossible) Diana Rigg - Agente speciale (serie televisiva)|Agente speciale (The Avengers) Barbara Stanwyck - La grande vallata (The Big Valley) 1969 Barbara Bain - Missione impossibile (Mission: Impossible) Joan Blondell - Arrivano le spose (Here Come the Brides) Peggy Lipton - Mod Squad, i ragazzi di Greer (The Mod Squad)
Anni 1970
1970 Susan Hampshire - La saga dei Forsyte (The Forsyte Saga) Joan Blondell - Arrivano le spose (Here Come the Brides) Peggy Lipton - Mod Squad, i ragazzi di Greer (The Mod Squad) 1971 Susan Hampshire - The First Churchills Linda Cristal - Ai confini dell'Arizona (The High Chaparral) Peggy Lipton - Mod Squad, i ragazzi di Greer (The Mod Squad) 1972 Glenda Jackson - Elisabetta Regina (Elizabeth R) Peggy Lipton - Mod Squad, i ragazzi di Greer (The Mod Squad) Susan Saint James - McMillan e signora (McMillan & Wife) 1973 Michael Learned - Una famiglia americana (The Waltons) Lynda Day George - Missione impossibile (Mission: Impossible) Susan Saint James - McMillan e signora (McMillan & Wife) 1974 Michael Learned - Una famiglia americana (The Waltons) Jean Marsh - Su e giù per le scale (Upstairs, Downstairs) Jeanette Nolan - Dirty Sally 1975 Jean Marsh - Su e giù per le scale (Upstairs, Downstairs) Angie Dickinson - Pepper Anderson - Agente speciale (Police Woman) Michael Learned - Una famiglia americana (The Waltons) 1976 Michael Learned - Una famiglia americana (The Waltons) Angie Dickinson - Pepper Anderson - Agente speciale (Police Woman) Anne Meara - Kate McShane Brenda Vaccaro - Sara 1977 Lindsay Wagner - La donna bionica (The Bionic Woman) Angie Dickinson - Pepper Anderson - Agente speciale (Police Woman) Kate Jackson - Charlie's Angels Michael Learned - Una famiglia americana (The Waltons) Sada Thompson - In casa Lawrence (Family) 1978 Sada Thompson - In casa Lawrence (Family) Melissa Sue Anderson - La casa nella prateria (Little House on the Prairie) Fionnula Flanagan - Alla conquista del West (How the West Was Won) Kate Jackson - Charlie's Angels Michael Learned - Una famiglia americana (The Waltons) Susan Sullivan - Having Babies 1979 Mariette Hartley - L'incredibile Hulk (The Incredible Hulk) Barbara Bel Geddes - Dallas Rita Moreno - Agenzia Rockford (The Rockford Files) Sada Thompson - In casa Lawrence (Family)
Anni 1980
1980 Barbara Bel Geddes - Dallas Lauren Bacall - Agenzia Rockford (The Rockford Files) Mariette Hartley - Agenzia Rockford (The Rockford Files) Kristy McNichol - In casa Lawrence (Family) Sada Thompson - In casa Lawrence (Family) 1981 Barbara Babcock - Hill Street giorno e notte (Hill Street Blues) Barbara Bel Geddes - Dallas Linda Gray - Dallas Veronica Hamel - Hill Street giorno e notte (Hill Street Blues) Michael Learned - Mary Benjamin (Nurse) Stefanie Powers - Cuore e batticuore (Hart to Hart) 1982 Michael Learned - Mary Benjamin (Nurse) Debbie Allen - Saranno famosi (Fame) Veronica Hamel - Hill Street giorno e notte (Hill Street Blues) Michele Lee - California (Knots Landing) Stefanie Powers - Cuore e batticuore (Hart to Hart) 1983 Tyne Daly - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Debbie Allen - Saranno famosi (Fame) Linda Evans - Dynasty Sharon Gless - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Veronica Hamel - Hill Street giorno e notte (Hill Street Blues) 1984 Tyne Daly - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Debbie Allen - Saranno famosi (Fame) Joan Collins - Dynasty Sharon Gless - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Veronica Hamel - Hill Street giorno e notte (Hill Street Blues) 1985 Tyne Daly - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Debbie Allen - Saranno famosi (Fame) Sharon Gless - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Veronica Hamel - Hill Street giorno e notte (Hill Street Blues) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) 1986 Sharon Gless - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Tyne Daly - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) Cybill Shepherd - Moonlighting Alfre Woodard - A cuore aperto (St. Elsewhere) 1987 Sharon Gless - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Tyne Daly - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Susan Dey - L.A. Law - Avvocati a Los Angeles (L.A. Law) Jill Eikenberry - L.A. Law - Avvocati a Los Angeles (L.A. Law) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) 1988 Tyne Daly - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Susan Dey - L.A. Law - Avvocati a Los Angeles (L.A. Law) Jill Eikenberry - L.A. Law - Avvocati a Los Angeles (L.A. Law) Sharon Gless - New York New York (Cagney & Lacey) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) 1989 Dana Delany - China Beach Susan Dey - L.A. Law - Avvocati a Los Angeles (L.A. Law) Jill Eikenberry - L.A. Law - Avvocati a Los Angeles (L.A. Law) Linda Hamilton - La bella e la bestia (Beauty and the Beast) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote)
Anni 1990
1990 Patricia Wettig - In famiglia e con gli amici (Thirtysomething) Jill Eikenberry - L.A. Law - Avvocati a Los Angeles (L.A. Law) Dana Delany - China Beach Piper Laurie - I segreti di Twin Peaks (Twin Peaks) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) 1991 Patricia Wettig - In famiglia e con gli amici (Thirtysomething) Dana Delany - China Beach Sharon Gless - I casi di Rosie O'Neill (The Trials of Rosie O'Neill) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) 1992 Dana Delany - China Beach Sharon Gless - I casi di Rosie O'Neill (The Trials of Rosie O'Neill) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) Shirley Knight - Law & Order - I due volti della giustizia (Law & Order) Regina Taylor - Io volerò via (I'll Fly Away) Kate Nelligan - La strada per Avonlea (Road to Avonlea) 1993 Kathy Baker - La famiglia Brock (Picket Fences) Swoosie Kurtz - Sisters Regina Taylor - Io volerò via (I'll Fly Away) Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) Janine Turner - Un medico tra gli orsi (Northern Exposure) 1994 Sela Ward - Sisters Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) Jane Seymour - La signora del West (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) Kathy Baker - La famiglia Brock (Picket Fences) Swoosie Kurtz - Sisters 1995 Kathy Baker - La famiglia Brock (Picket Fences) Claire Danes - My So-Called Life Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) Sherry Stringfield - E.R. - Medici in prima linea (ER) Cicely Tyson - Per amore della legge (Sweet Justice) 1996 Kathy Baker - La famiglia Brock (Picket Fences) Gillian Anderson - X-Files (The X-Files) Christine Lahti - Chicago Hope Angela Lansbury - La signora in giallo (Murder, She Wrote) Sherry Stringfield - E.R. - Medici in prima linea (ER) 1997 Gillian Anderson - X-Files (The X-Files) Roma Downey - Il tocco di un angelo (Touched by an Angel) Christine Lahti - Chicago Hope Julianna Margulies - E.R. - Medici in prima linea (ER) Sherry Stringfield - E.R. - Medici in prima linea (ER) 1998 Christine Lahti - Chicago Hope Gillian Anderson - X-Files (The X-Files) Roma Downey - Il tocco di un angelo (Touched by an Angel) Julianna Margulies - E.R. - Medici in prima linea (ER) Jane Seymour - La signora del West (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) 1999 Edie Falco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Gillian Anderson - X-Files (The X-Files) Lorraine Bracco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Christine Lahti - Chicago Hope Julianna Margulies - E.R. - Medici in prima linea (ER)
Anni 2000
2000 Sela Ward - Ancora una volta (Once and Again) Edie Falco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Lorraine Bracco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Amy Brenneman - Giudice Amy (Judging Amy) Julianna Margulies - E.R. - Medici in prima linea (ER) 2001 Edie Falco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Amy Brenneman - Giudice Amy (Judging Amy) Marg Helgenberger - CSI - Scena del crimine (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) Lorraine Bracco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Sela Ward - Ancora una volta (Once and Again) 2002 Allison Janney - West Wing - Tutti gli uomini del Presidente (The West Wing) Amy Brenneman - Giudice Amy (Judging Amy) Frances Conroy - Six Feet Under Rachel Griffiths - Six Feet Under Jennifer Garner - Alias 2003 Edie Falco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Jennifer Garner - Alias Frances Conroy - Six Feet Under Allison Janney - West Wing - Tutti gli uomini del Presidente (The West Wing) Marg Helgenberger - CSI - Scena del crimine (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) 2004 Allison Janney - West Wing - Tutti gli uomini del Presidente (The West Wing) Edie Falco - I Soprano (The Sopranos) Jennifer Garner - Alias Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order - Unità vittime speciali (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) Amber Tamblyn - Joan of Arcadia 2005 Patricia Arquette - Medium Glenn Close - The Shield Frances Conroy - Six Feet Under Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order - Unità vittime speciali (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) Jennifer Garner - Alias 2006 Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order - Unità vittime speciali (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) Frances Conroy - Six Feet Under Geena Davis - Una donna alla Casa Bianca (Commander in Chief) Allison Janney - West Wing - Tutti gli uomini del Presidente (The West Wing) Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer