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 The 18th Emmy Awards, later known as the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, were handed out on May 22, 1966, at the Hollywood Palladium. The ceremony was hosted by Danny Kaye and Bill Cosby. The top show of the night was ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', wh ...

, 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 A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

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 are the first Emmys where there is no representation from any of the big four broadcast networks.

Winners and nominations

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Superlatives

Programs with multiple wins

;6 wins * ''

Veep ''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his sitcom '' The Thick of It''. The protagonist of ''Veep ...

'' ;5 wins * ''

Murphy Brown ''Murphy Brown'' is an American television sitcom created by Diane English that premiered on November 14, 1988, on CBS. The series stars Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for ''FYI'', a ...

'' ;4 wins * '' Mad About You'' ;3 wins * '' All in the Family'' * '' Father Knows Best'' * '' The Golden Girls'' * ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...

'' ;2 wins * ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'' * ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...

'' * '' Everybody Loves Raymond'' * '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' * '' ''Hacks'''' * '' Hazel'' * '' Kate & Allie'' * '' The Lucy Show'' * '' Taxi''

Performers with multiple wins

;7 wins * Julia Louis-Dreyfus (6 consecutive) ;5 wins * Candice Bergen (2 consecutive twice) *

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...

(2 consecutive twice) ;4 wins * Helen Hunt (consecutive) ;3 wins *

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

(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) * Jean Smart (consecutive)

Programs with multiple nominations

;15 nominations * '' The Golden Girls'' ;9 nominations * ''

'' ;8 nominations * '' All in the Family'' ;7 nominations * '' 30 Rock'' * '' Everybody Loves Raymond'' * '' The Jeffersons'' * '' Mad About You'' * '' Malcolm in the Middle'' * ''

'' * ''

Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are us ...

'' * ''

'' ;6 nominations * '' Bewitched'' * '' Nurse Jackie'' * '' Parks and Recreation'' * '' Sex and the City'' ;5 nominations * '' Black-ish'' * '' The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'' * ''

Grace and Frankie ''Grace and Frankie'' is an American comedy television series created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris for Netflix. The series stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as the eponymous Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, two aging women who f ...

'' * '' Kate & Allie'' * '' Maude'' * ''

The New Adventures of Old Christine ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'' (often shortened to simply ''Old Christine'') is an American sitcom television series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell, a divorced mother doing her best to keep pace with those around her ...

'' * '' Will & Grace'' ;4 nominations * '' Desperate Housewives'' * '' The Donna Reed Show'' * ''

Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: *Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress * Elle ...

'' * ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts i ...

'' * ''

Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...

'' * '' I Love Lucy'' * '' The Loretta Young Show'' * '' The Lucy Show'' * '' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' * '' Rhoda'' * '' Roseanne'' * ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

'' ;3 nominations * '' Ally McBeal'' * '' Cybill'' * '' Dead to Me'' * ''

Dharma & Greg ''Dharma & Greg'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1997, until April 30, 2002, for 119 episodes over five seasons. The show starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a ...

'' * ''

'' * '' Father Knows Best'' * '' Friends'' * '' Girls'' * '' Hazel'' * '' Insecure'' * '' Mike & Molly'' * ''

Mom ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestati ...

'' * '' Our Miss Brooks'' * '' Private Secretary'' * '' Taxi'' * '' Weeds'' ;2 nominations * '' Better Things'' * '' The Beverly Hillbillies'' * '' The Bob Newhart Show'' * '' Brooklyn Bridge'' * '' The Comeback'' * '' The Cosby Show'' * '' December Bride'' * ''

Designing Women ''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason M ...

'' * '' The Flight Attendant'' * '' Get Smart'' * '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' * '' Gimme a Break!'' * '' Hacks'' * '' Inside Amy Schumer'' * '' Love, Sidney'' * ''Mr. Adams and Eve'' * '' The Nanny'' * '' Samantha Who?'' * ''

Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread over six seasons. Produced ...

'' * ''

Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombi ...

'' * '' Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' * ''

United States of Tara ''United States of Tara'' is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara ( Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissociative ide ...

Performers with multiple nominations

;12 nominations * Julia Louis-Dreyfus ;10 nominations *

;9 nominations * Bea Arthur ;8 nominations *

* Jean Stapleton ;7 nominations * Candice Bergen * Tina Fey * Patricia Heaton * Helen Hunt *

Jane Kaczmarek Jane Frances Kaczmarek (; born December 21, 1955) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Malcolm's mother Lois on the Fox television sitcom '' Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2006), which earned her three Golden Globe nominat ...

* Isabel Sanford * Betty White ;6 nominations * Kirstie Alley * Edie Falco * Sarah Jessica Parker * Amy Poehler ;5 nominations *

Blair Brown Bonnie Blair Brown (born April 23, 1946) is an American theater, film and television actress. She has had a number of high-profile roles, including in the play '' Copenhagen'' on Broadway, the leading actress in the films ''Altered States'' ...

* Debra Messing * Elizabeth Montgomery * Tracee Ellis Ross ;4 nominations * Gracie Allen *

Eve Arden Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades. Beginning her film career in 1929 ...

* Christina Applegate * Roseanne Barr * Rachel Brosnahan * Ellen DeGeneres * Valerie Harper * Katherine Helmond *

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom ''Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Seri ...

* Rue McClanahan * Donna Reed * Patricia Richardson * Ann Sothern * Marlo Thomas *

Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...

* Loretta Young ;3 nominations *

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...

* Shirley Booth * Jane Curtin *

Cathryn Damon Cathryn Lee Damon (September 11, 1930 – May 4, 1987) was an American actress, best known for her roles on television sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s. She is best known as Mary Campbell in ''Soap'' (1977-1981). Early years Damon was the ...

* Lena Dunham * Jenna Elfman *

Calista Flockhart Calista Kay Flockhart (born November 11, 1964) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for portraying the title character on the Fox television series '' Ally McBeal'' (1997–2002), for which she received a Golden Globe Award in 199 ...

* Allison Janney * Melissa McCarthy * Mary-Louise Parker * Issa Rae * Cybill Shepherd * Jane Wyatt ;2 nominations * Pamela Adlon * Delta Burke *

Spring Byington Spring Dell Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971) was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of '' December Bride''. She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player who appeared i ...

* Nell Carter * Toni Collette * Kaley Cuoco * Fran Drescher * Barbara Feldon * America Ferrera *

Felicity Huffman Felicity Kendall Huffman (born December 9, 1962) is an American actress. Huffman began her acting career in theatre, and in the 1990s also had many supporting roles in film and television. She starred as Dana Whitaker in the comedy-drama '' Spor ...

* Ellie Kemper * Lisa Kudrow * Swoosie Kurtz * Hope Lange * Ida Lupino * Catherine O'Hara *

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

Phylicia Rashad Phylicia Rashad ( ) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and director who is dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom '' The Cosby ...

* Marion Ross *

Irene Ryan Irene Ryan (born Irene Noblitt, Noblett, or Noblette; October 17, 1902 – April 26, 1973) was an American actress and comedienne who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television, and Broadway. She is most widely known for her por ...

* Susan Saint James * Amy Schumer * Jean Smart

Total awards by network

* CBS – 26 * NBC – 16 * HBO/HBO Max – 9 * ABC – 7 * Showtime – 2 * Amazon – 2 * Pop TV - 1

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Primetime Emmy Award For Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series Lead Actress - Comedy Series Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Emmy Award

Winners and nominations

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Superlatives

Programs with multiple wins

Performers with multiple wins

Programs with multiple nominations

Performers with multiple nominations

Total awards by network

See also

Notes

References