Emmy Award Winners 1949 - Present

This timeline details the yearly Primetime Emmy Award Winners

25th January 1949

Hollywood Athletic Club, Los Angeles

Host – Walter O’Keefe

Emmy Award Winners:
Most Popular TV Programme – Pantomime Quiz
Best TV Film – The Necklace
Outstanding TV Personality – Shirley Dinsdale

27th January 1950

Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles

Host – Bill Welsh

Award Winners:
Best Drama – Texaco Star Theatre
Best Variety – The Ed Wynn Show
Most Outstanding Kinescoped Personality – Milton Berle
Most Outstanding Live Personality – Ed Wynn

23rd January 1951

Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles

Host – Earl Warren

Award Winners:
Best Drama – Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
Best Variety – The Alan Young Show
Best Lead Actor – Alan Young
Best Lead Actress – Gertrude Berg

18th February 1952

Cocoanut Grove, Los Angeles

Hosts – Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Red Skelton Show
Best Drama – Studio One
Best Variety – Your Show of Shows
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Red Skelton
Best Lead Actor – Mahmoud El Kholy
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Imogene Coca

5th February 1953

Hotel Statler, Los Angeles

Host – Art Linkletter

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – I Love Lucy
Best Drama – Robert Montgomery Presents
Best Variety – Your Show of Shows
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Jimmy Durante
Best Lead Actor – Thomas Mitchell
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Lucille Ball
Best Lead Actress – Helen Hayes

11th February 1954

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

Host – Ed Sullivan

Emmy Award Winners:
Best Comedy – I Love Lucy
Best Drama – The US Steel Hour
Best Variety – Omnibus
Best Lead Actor – Donald O’Connor in The Colgate Comedy Hour
Best Lead Actress – Eve Arden in Our Miss Brooks

7th March 1955

Moulin Rouge Nightclub, Los Angeles

Host – Steve Allen

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – Make Room For Daddy
Best Drama – The US Steel Hour
Best Variety – Disneyland
Best Lead Actor – Danny Thomas in Make Room For Daddy
Best Lead Actress – Loretta Young in The Loretta Young Show

17th March 1956

Pan Pacific Auditorium, Los Angeles

Hosts – Art Linkletter, John Charles Daly

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Phil Silvers Show
Best Drama – Producers’ Showcase
Best Variety – Toast of the Town
Best Lead Actor – Phil Silvers in The Phil Silvers Show
Best Lead Actress – Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy

16th March 1957

NBC Studios, Burbank

Host – Desi Arnaz

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Phil Silvers Show
Best Drama – Playhouse 90
Best Variety – Not Awarded
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Sid Caesar in Caesar’s Hour
Best Lead Actor – Robert Young in Father Knows Best
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Nanette Fabray in Caesar’s Hour
Best Lead Actress – Loretta Young in The Loretta Young Show

15th April 1958

Coconut Grove, Hollywood

Host – Danny Thomas

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Phil Silvers Show
Best Drama – Playhouse 90
Best Variety – The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Best Lead Actor – Robert Young in Father Knows Best
Best Lead Actress – Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best

6th May 1959

Moulin Rouge Nightclub, Hollywood

Host – Raymond Burr

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Jack Benny Program
Best Drama – Playhouse 90
Best Variety – The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Jack Benny in The Jack Benny Program
Best Lead Actor – Raymond Burr in Perry Mason
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best
Best Lead Actress – Loretta Young in The Loretta Young Show

20th June 1960

NBC Studios Burbank

Host – Fred Astaire

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – Art Carney Special
Best Drama – Playhouse 90
Best Variety – The Garry Moore Show
Best Lead Actor – Robert Stack in The Untouchables
Best Lead Actress – Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best

16th May 1961

Moulin Rouge Nightclub, Los Angeles

Host – Dick Powell

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Jack Benny Program
Best Drama – Macbeth
Best Variety – Astaire Time
Best Lead Actor – Raymond Burr in Perry Mason
Best Lead Actress – Barbara Stanwyck in The Barbara Stanwyck Show

22nd May 1962

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

Host – Bob Newhart

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Bob Newhart Show
Best Drama – The Defenders
Best Variety – The Garry Moore Show
Best Lead Actor – E G Marshall in The Defenders
Best Lead Actress – Shirley Booth in Hazel

26th May 1963

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

Hosts – Don Knotts, Annette Funicello

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Dick Van Dyke Show
Best Drama – The Defenders
Best Variety – The Andy Williams Show
Best Lead Actor – E G Marshall in The Defenders
Best Lead Actress – Shirley Booth in Hazel

25th May 1964

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

Hosts – Joey Bishop, E G Marshall

Emmy Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Dick Van Dyke Show
Best Drama – The Defenders
Best Variety – The Danny Kaye Show
Best Lead Actor – Dick Van Dyke in The Dick Van Dyke Show
Best Lead Actress – Mary Tyler Moore in The Dick Van Dyke Show

12th September 1965

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles
A reduced number of categories with multiple winners was trialed.

Hosts – Sammy Davis Jr, Danny Thomas

Award Winners:
Best Shows – The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hallmark Hall of Fame, My Name is Barbra, Young People’s Concerts
Best Performers – Leonard Bernstein, Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt, Barbra Streisand, Dick Van Dyke

22nd May 1966

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

Hosts – Danny Kaye, Bill Cosby

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Dick Van Dyke Show
Best Drama – The Fugitive
Best Variety – The Andy Williams Show
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Dick Van Dyke in The Dick Van Dyke Show
Best Lead Actor – Bill Cosby in I Spy
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Mary Tyler Moore in The Dick Van Dyke Show
Best Lead Actress – Barbara Stanwyck in The Big Valley

4th June 1967

Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles

Hosts – Joey Bishop, Hugh Downs

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Monkees
Best Drama – Mission Impossible
Best Variety – The Andy Williams Show
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Don Adams in Get Smart
Best Lead Actor – Bill Cosby in I Spy
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Lucille Ball in The Lucy Show
Best Lead Actress – Barbara Bain in Mission Impossible

19th May 1968

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

Hosts – Frank Sinatra, Dick Van Dyke

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – Get Smart
Best Drama – Mission Impossible
Best Variety – Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Don Adams in Get Smart
Best Lead Actor – Bill Cosby in I Spy
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Lucille Ball in The Lucy Show
Best Lead Actress – Barbara Bain in Mission Impossible

8th June 1969

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica

Hosts – Bill Cosby, Merv Griffin

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – Get Smart
Best Drama – NET Playhouse
Best Variety – Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Don Adams in Get Smart
Best Lead Actor – Carl Betz in Judd for the Defense
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Hope Lange in The Ghost and Mrs Muir
Best Lead Actress – Barbara Bain in Mission Impossible

7th June 1970

Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles

Hosts – David Frost, Danny Thomas

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – My World and Welcome to It
Best Drama – Marcus Welby MD
Best Variety – The David Frost Show
Best Lead Comedy Actor – William Windom in My World and Welcome to It
Best Lead Actor – Robert Young in Marcus Welby MD
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Hope Lange in The Ghost and Mrs Muir
Best Lead Actress – Susan Hampshire in The Forsyte Saga

9th May 1971

Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles

Host – Johnny Carson

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – All in the Family
Best Drama – The Bold Ones
Best Variety – Singer Presents Burt Bacharach
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple
Best Lead Actor – Hal Holbrook in The Bold Ones
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Jean Stapleton in All in the Family
Best Lead Actress – Susan Hampshire in The First Churchills

14th May 1972

Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles

Host – Johnny Carson

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – All in the Family
Best Drama – Elizabeth R
Best Variety – The Carol Burnett Show
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Carroll O’Connor in All in the Family
Best Lead Actor – Peter Falk in Columbo
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Jean Stapleton in All in the Family
Best Lead Actress – Glenda Jackson in Elizabeth R

20th May 1973

Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles

Host – Johnny Carson

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – All in the Family
Best Drama – The Waltons
Best Variety – The Julie Andrews Hour
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple
Best Lead Actor – Richard Thomas in The Waltons
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Mary Tyler Moore in The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Best Lead Actress – Michael Learned in The Waltons

28th May 1974

Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles

Host – Johnny Carson

Emmy Award Winners:
Best Comedy – M*A*S*H
Best Drama – Upstairs Downstairs
Best Variety – The Carol Burnett Show
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Alan Alda in M*A*S*H
Best Lead Actor – Telly Savalas in Kojak
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Mary Tyler Moore in The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Best Lead Actress – Michael Learned in The Waltons

19th May 1975

Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

Host – None

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Best Drama – Upstairs Downstairs
Best Variety – The Carol Burnett Show
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Tony Randall in The Odd Couple
Best Lead Actor – Robert Blake in Baretta
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Valerie Harper in Rhoda
Best Lead Actress – Jean Marsh in Upstairs, Downstairs

17th May 1976

Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles

Hosts – John Denver, Mary Tyler Moore

Award Winners:
Best Comedy – The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Best Drama – Police Story
Best Variety – Saturday Night Live
Best Lead Comedy Actor – Jack Albertson in Chico and the Man
Best Lead Actor – Peter Falk in Columbo
Best Lead Comedy Actress – Mary Tyler Moor in The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Best Lead Actress – Michael Learned in The Waltons

11th September 1977