Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actors in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances included actors 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, before the category's creation.
- § – Indicates a performance as a guest performer, before the category's creation.
Winners and nominations
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Programs with multiple awards
;4 awards
;3 awards
- Columbo
- I Spy
- The Sopranos
- St. Elsewhere
;2 awards
- Boston Legal
- The Defenders
- Father Knows Best
- Hill Street Blues
- Lou Grant
- Perry Mason
Programs with multiple nominations
;14 nominations
;10 nominations
;8 nominations
- Columbo
- Law & Order
- Mad Men
;7 nominations
;6 nominations
- 24
- Breaking Bad
- ER
- House
- I Spy
- The Sopranos
;5 nominations
- Dexter
- The Equalizer
- Hill Street Blues
- House of Cards
- Ironside
- Lou Grant
- Magnum, P.I.
- Quantum Leap
- The Rockford Files
;4 nominations
;3 nominations
- Dynasty
- Father Knows Best
- The Fugitive
- Gunsmoke
- The Jackie Gleason Show
- Marcus Welby, M.D.
- The Newsroom
- Ozark
- Perry Mason
- Ray Donovan
- The Waltons
- Westworld
;2 nominations
- Baretta
- Beauty and the Beast
- Bloodline
- Boardwalk Empire
- The Bob Cummings Show
- Cannon
- The Defenders
- The Dick Van Dyke Show
- Downton Abbey
- Dragnet
- Four Star Playhouse
- Friday Night Lights
- Have Gun – Will Travel
- Hennesey
- Homeland
- '
- I'll Fly Away
- In Treatment
- Kojak
- Moonlighting
- Naked City
- Northern Exposure
- The Phil Silvers Show
- Picket Fences
- Pose
- The Practice
- Rescue Me
- Run for Your Life
- The Shield
- Succession
- True Detective
- Twin Peaks
- The Untouchables
- The X-Files''
Performers with multiple awards
;4 awards
;3 awards
;2 awards
;8 nominations
- Raymond Burr
- Peter Falk
- Dennis Franz
- Jon Hamm
;7 nominations
;6 nominations
;5 nominations
;4 nominations
;3 nominations
;2 nominations
