The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role on a television limited series or television movie for the primetime network season. The award was first presented at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 19, 1975, to Juliet Mills, for her role as Samantha Cody in ''

QB VII ''QB VII'' by Leon Uris is a dramatic courtroom novel published in 1970. The four-part novel highlights the events leading to a libel trial in the United Kingdom. The novel was Uris's second consecutive #1 ''New York Times'' Best Seller and thi ...

''. The award ceremony garnered criticism during the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Ellen Burstyn received a nomination for her work in ''

Mrs. Harris ''Mrs. Harris'' is a 2005 American-British made-for-television drama film written and directed by Phyllis Nagy. The teleplay, based on the book ''Very Much a Lady'' by Shana Alexander, focuses on the tempestuous relationship between Herman Tarnower ...

'' (2005), despite having only 14 seconds of screen time and 38 words of dialogue. This resulted in a rule change, requiring nominees submitting for the category to have more than 5% screen-time on their respective projects. Since its inception, the award has been given to 38 actresses.

Regina King Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, '' Time'' magazine named her o ...

, Jane Alexander, Judy Davis,

Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...

, and Mare Winningham have each won two awards. Kathy Bates is the most nominated actress in the category, with seven nominations.

Winners and nominations

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

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Programs with multiple wins

;2 wins * '' American Crime'' * '' American Horror Story''

Programs with multiple nominations

;12 nominations * '' American Horror Story'' ;5 nominations * '' The White Lotus'' ;3 nominations * '' American Crime'' * ''

Eleanor and Franklin ''Eleanor and Franklin'' may refer to: * ''Eleanor and Franklin'' (book), 1971 biography by Joseph P. Lash ** '' Eleanor: The Years Alone'', 1972 companion volume to the previous biography * ''Eleanor and Franklin'' (miniseries), 1976 television ...

'' * '' Mildred Pierce'' * ''

Miss Rose White ''Miss Rose White'' is a television film adaptation by Anna Sandor of the 1985 Barbara Lebow play, ''A Shayna Maidel'', starring Kyra Sedgwick. It first aired on April 26, 1992. The production received five Emmy Awards, including Primetime Emmy A ...

'' * '' Mrs. America'' ;2 nominations * ''

American Crime Story ''American Crime Story'' is an American anthology true crime television series developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who are also executive producers, alongside Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Simpson. The seri ...

'' * '' And the Band Played On'' * '' Backstairs at the White House'' * '' Big Little Lies'' * ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...

'' * '' Dopesick'' * '' Fargo'' * '' Feud'' * '' George Wallace'' * ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

'' * ''

Hysterical Blindness Conversion disorder (CD), or functional neurologic symptom disorder, is a diagnostic category used in some psychiatric classification systems. It is sometimes applied to patients who present with neurological symptoms, such as numbness, blindness ...

'' * '' Indictment: The McMartin Trial'' * ''

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

'' * '' Mare of Easttown'' * ''

The Mists of Avalon ''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine (M ...

'' * ''

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All ''Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All'' is a 1989 first novel by Allan GurganusReed, Susan and Hutchings, Davi"He's 42, She's 99—Together They Make the South Rise Again"''People Magazine'', September 18, 1989 which was on the New York Times ...

'' * '' Playing for Time'' * ''

'' * '' Temple Grandin'' * '' The Thorn Birds'' * '' Warm Springs'' * '' When They See Us'' * ''

The Women's Room ''The Women's Room'' is the debut novel by American feminist author Marilyn French, published in 1977. It launched French as a major participant in the feminist movement and, while French states it is not autobiographical, the book reflects ma ...

'' * '' You Don't Know Jack''

Performers with multiple wins

;2 wins * Jane Alexander * Judy Davis *

(consecutive) * Mare Winningham

Performers with multiple nominations

;7 nominations * Kathy Bates ;6 nominations * Mare Winningham ;5 nominations * Anne Bancroft * Judy Davis *

Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard (; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (tying the record for the most acting Emmys won by an African-American performer, along with Regina King), ...

;4 nominations * Sarah Paulson ;3 nominations * Ellen Burstyn * Stockard Channing * Ruby Dee * Patty Duke * Penny Fuller * Eileen Heckart *

* Piper Laurie * Cloris Leachman *

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...

* Jean Smart * Cicely Tyson ;2 nominations * Jane Alexander * Eileen Atkins *

Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic '' What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...

Polly Bergen Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, television host, writer and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in '' The Helen ...

* Toni Collette * Frances Conroy *

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and act ...

Olympia Dukakis Olympia Dukakis (June 20, 1931 – May 1, 2021) was an American actress. She performed in more than 130 stage productions, more than 60 films and in 50 television series. Best known as a screen actress, she started her career in theater. Not lon ...

* Julie Harris * Glenne Headly *

Anjelica Huston Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress and director. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nom ...

* Shirley Knight * Swoosie Kurtz * Melissa Leo *

Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...

Rosemary Murphy Rosemary Murphy (January 13, 1925 – July 5, 2014) was a German-American actress of stage, film, and television. She was nominated for three Tony Awards for her stage work, as well as two Emmy Awards for television work, winning once, for her ...

* Patricia Neal * Diana Rigg * Greta Scacchi * Sissy Spacek * Maggie Smith

References

{{Primetime Emmy Award categories Supporting Actress - Miniseries or Movie Emmy Award