Emmys 2017: Winners through the years
The first Emmy Awards ceremony took place in 1949 and honored only Los Angeles-based programming. Coverage ran inside the Los Angeles Times, on Page 4, under the headline “Television Arts Academy Makes First Awards.” The story ran without a photo and was all of five paragraphs — a contrast with recent coverage featuring the red carpet, reviews of the show, the winners, the losers and everything in between. Take a look back at how Oscar’s sister Emmy has grown. (Key acting winners are highlighted for each year.)
For full coverage of the 2017 Emmys, visit The Envelope.
Six Emmys are handed out at the first awards banquet for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, held at the Hollywood Athletic Club. About 550 people, but few major celebrities, are in attendance. The first Emmy goes to 20-year-old ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale, known for a variety show starring her puppet, Judy Splinters. “Pantomine Quiz,” a local Los Angeles show, wins for most popular program.
The second Emmy banquet is held at the Ambassador Hotel to bigger fanfare than its predecessor, although names of the winners are leaked to many audience members before the ceremony. Ed Wynn is the toast of the program with awards for most outstanding live personality and best live show. Milton Berle wins for “most outstanding kinescoped personality.”
About 750 people gather at the Ambassador for the third Emmy Awards. While accepting his Emmy for outstanding personality, Groucho Marx comically carries off the presenter, former Miss America Rosemary LaPlanche, as opposed to the actual statuette.
Actor: Alan Young
Actress: Gertrude Berg
Red Skelton, who receives Emmys for best comedy show and best comedian or comedienne, is humble in accepting the latter, quipping, “I believe this should have gone to Lucille Ball.” The “I Love Lucy” star had been heavily favored to win.
Actor: Sid Caesar
Actress: Imogene Coca
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz attend the Emmys at Hotel Statler just a couple of weeks after Ball gives birth to Desi Arnaz Jr. When Ball is named best comedienne, she leaps into her husband’s arms while the crowd of 1,500 cheers.
Actor: Thomas Mitchell
Actress: Helen Hayes
Ed Sullivan hosts 1,300 guests at the Hollywood Palladium. The Emmy for most outstanding personality goes to journalist Edward R. Murrow, while his news show, “See It Now,” is awarded best news or sports program for its hard-hitting reporting on Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist Red hunt.
Actor: Donald O’Connor, “Colgate Comedy Hour”
Actress: Eve Arden, “Our Miss Brooks”
To satisfy television executives on both coasts, Emmy ceremonies are held simultaneously at the Moulin Rouge in Hollywood and Nino’s LaRue restaurant in New York. There are two hosts, two audiences and one TV broadcast that switches between the ceremonies for different awards. To make this back and forth possible in an era before satellite technology, NBC spent $110,000 on a transcontinental cable linking L.A. to New York.
Actor: Danny Thomas, “Make Room for Daddy”
– Robert Cummings, “12 Angry Men”
Actress: Loretta Young, “The Loretta Young Show”
– Judith Anderson, “Macbeth”
This is the second year the Emmys are dual cast, from Hollywood’s Pan Pacific Auditorium and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Controversies emerge over the voting process, and some stars publicly rebuke the television academy for snubbing them. Academy President Don DeFore jokes about this at the beginning of the Emmy telecast, saying, “Good evening, ladies and gentleman and rebels without cause. This is a bulletproof vest I’m wearing.”
Actor: Phil Silvers, “The Phil Silvers Show”
– Lloyd Nolan, “Caine Mutiny Court Martial”
Actress: Lucille Ball, “I Love Lucy”
– Mary Martin, “Peter Pan”
The ceremony is broadcast in color for the first time, but the academy does away with its banquet dinner for the stars, choosing to shoot the awards from NBC Studios in Burbank and New York. Big Apple-based shows win more Emmys than Hollywood for the second year in a row, prompting angered accusations from the L.A. crowd of bloc voting.
Actor: Robert Young, “Father Knows Best”
– Jack Palance, “Requiem for a Heavyweight”
Actress: Loretta Young, “The Loretta Young Show”
– Claire Trevor, “Dodsworth”
“Playhouse 90” is the night’s biggest winner with five Emmys. An episode of the show, “The Comedian,” also gives Rod Serling his third consecutive award for teleplay writing.
Actor: Robert Young, “Father Knows Best”
– Peter Ustinov, “The Life of Samuel Johnson”
Actress: Jane Wyatt, “Father Knows Best”
– Polly Bergen, “The Helen Morgan Story”
The television academy increases the number of awards from 29 to 43, and Fred Astaire dances away with a record nine of these for his special “An Evening With Fred Astaire.” Astaire spends the next day at home, “in a sort of a daze,” receiving hundreds of phone calls and telegrams of congratulations.
Actor: Jack Benny, “The Jack Benny Show”
– Raymond Burr, “Perry Mason”
– Perry Como, “The Perry Como Show”
– Fred Astaire, “An Evening With Fred Astaire”
Actress: Jane Wyatt, “Father Knows Best”
– Loretta Young, “The Loretta Young Show”
– Dinah Shore, “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show”
– Julie Harris, “Little Moon of Alban”
Harry Belafonte becomes the first black man to win an Emmy, which he gets for outstanding performance in a variety or music program or series. The number of awards is cut from 43 in 1959 to a more manageable 23, in a dual ceremony held at NBC’s Burbank studios and the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York.
Actor: Robert Stack, series “The Untouchables”
– Laurence Olivier, “The Moon and Sixpence”
Actress: Jane Wyatt, “Father Knows Best”
– Ingrid Bergman, single performance “The Turn of the Screw”
In a year that includes a tie between Don Knotts (“The Andy Griffith Show”) and Roddy McDowall (“Equitable’s American Heritage”) for supporting actor, “The Hallmark Hall of Fame” makes the big headlines. The show wins program of the year, top drama (over the likes of “The Untouchables” and “The Twilight Zone”) and takes numerous acting prizes, including a sweep of the single performance category.
Actor: Raymond Burr, “Perry Mason”
– Maurice Evans, “Macbeth”
Actress: Barbara Stanwyck, “The Barbara Stanwyck Show”
– Judith Anderson, “Macbeth”
Though “Hallmark Hall of Fame” once again nabs program of the year, E.G. Marshall’s lead actor win helps lead “The Defenders” to a strong showing. Children’s programming would seem to be a particularly tough race this year between “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” “Captain Kangaroo” and “Shari Lewis Show.” But it was “New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts” that came out on top.
Actor: E.G. Marshall, “The Defenders”
– Peter Falk, “The Dick Powell Theatre”
Actress: Shirley Booth, “Hazel”
– Julie Harris, “Victoria Regina”
“The Defenders” stays atop the drama heap with another win for the show and lead actor. Shirley Booth as the do-everything housekeeper on “Hazel” continues to thrill audiences, leading to a consecutive win for the actress but not to a win for the show, which loses out to comedy juggernaut “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The program of the year is NBC’s “The Tunnel,” a 90-minute black-and-white documentary about a tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall.
Actor: E.G. Marshall, “The Defenders”
– Trevor Howard, “The Invincible Mr. Disraeli”
Actress: Shirley Booth, “Hazel”
– Kim Stanley, “A Cardinal Act of Mercy - Ben Casey”
“The Dick Van Dyke” show wins best comedy again, but this year also makes its mark in the acting realm, with leads Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore winning. News broadcasts had recently undergone a change, with “CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite” and “Huntley-Brinkley Report” expanding to a half-hour format. “Huntley-Brinkley Report” takes the first news Emmy under the new format.
Actor: Dick Van Dyke, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
– Jack Klugman, “Blacklist - The Defenders”
Actress: Mary Tyler Moore, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
– Shelley Winters, “Two Is the Number”
In an experiment, Emmy abandons traditional categories and breaks winners into “individual achievements” and “program achievements.” It doesn’t last long. Also, Barbra Streisand, in her acceptance speech, comments on the power of television’s reach saying, “I figured it out … I’d have to work in the theater in ‘Funny Girl’ for 58 years to reach the same amount of people.”
Actor: Alfred Lunt, “The Magnificent Yankee”
– Dick Van Dyke, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
Actress: Lynn Fontanne, “The Magnificent Yankee”
– Barbra Streisand, “My Name Is Barbra”
The 18th Primetime Emmy Awards lasts 100 minutes and mark the first time an African American wins as the star of a television series. The milestone award goes to 29-year-old comedian-turned-actor Bill Cosby for his role as tennis trainer Alexander Scott in the espionage adventure series “I Spy.” But he says much of the credit is due to his costar Robert Culp. “You can’t finish off a relay race in first place and not look back to the guy who handed you the baton,” he tells The Times in a 1966 interview after the awards.
Actor: Bill Cosby, “I Spy”
– Dick Van Dyke, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
Actress: Barbara Stanwyck, “The Big Valley”
– Mary Tyler Moore, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”
“The Monkees,” a freshmen series, takes the prize for best comedy in proceedings held at the Century Plaza Hotel in L.A. and Americana Hotel in New York. Lucille Ball of “The Lucy Show” and Don Adams of “Get Smart” also eke out comedic awards against their popular equivalents in “Bewitched,” “That Girl,” “Hogan’s Heroes” and “Family Affair.” Ball jokes with the audience before tearing up during her acceptance speech: “It’s been a long, long time. The last time I got it [Emmy] I thought it was because I had a baby. That baby is now 14.”
Actor: Bill Cosby, “I Spy”
– Don Adams, “Get Smart”
– Peter Ustinov, “Barefoot in Athens”
Actress: Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible”
– Lucille Ball, “The Lucy Show”
– Geraldine Page, “A Christmas Memory”
Bill Cosby completes his three-year winning streak for lead actor in a drama. Don Adams and Lucille Ball are also repeat winners in the show hosted by Frank Sinatra and Dick Van Dyke. Sinatra heads up the West Coast broadcast from the Hollywood Palladium and woos the crowd singing “Luck Be a Lady.” Van Dyke hosts the East Coast portion at New York’s Americana Hotel, in what Los Angeles Times gossip columnist Joyce Haber calls a performance “plagued with technical difficulties” and “snafus like missing teleprompters.” Haber’s article is headlined, “Emmy’s finest hour was television’s worst.”
Actor: Bill Cosby, “I Spy”
– Don Adams, “Get Smart”
– Melvyn Douglas, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”
Actress: Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible”
– Lucille Ball, “The Lucy Show”
– Maureen Stapleton, “Among the Paths to Eden”
Times columnist Joyce Haber says the show should’ve aired on Memorial Day since, “in order to win, you had to be canceled. Show after show, winner after winner, was not coming back.” Haber isn’t exaggerating. Several of the top awards, including dramatic actor and comedy series, go to shows canceled after that season or to actors who aren’t returning. Bill Cosby co-hosts alongside Merv Griffin.
Actor: Carl Betz, “Judd for the Defense”
– Don Adams, “Get Smart”
– Paul Scofield, “Male of the Species”
Actress: Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible”
– Hope Lange, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”
– Geraldine Page, “The Thanksgiving Visitor”
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and Carnegie Hall in N.Y.
The 22nd Primetime Emmy Awards are held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and are hosted by David Frost and Danny Thomas. “Marcus Welby, M.D.” is the big winner, with six nominations and three wins, including drama series. Emmy newcomer “Room 222” also fares well with five nominations and three wins, including best new series.
Actor: Robert Young, “Marcus Welby, M.D.”
– William Windom, “My World and Welcome to It”
– Peter Ustinov, “A Storm in Summer”
Actress: Susan Hampshire, “The Forsythe Saga”
– Hope Lange, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”
– Patty Duke, “My Sweet Charlie”
Johnny Carson hosts the show and would go on to do so for the next three years. The “Mary Tyler Moore Show” gets its first nominations, winning two of the seven. The breakthrough show, the first to star a never-married, career-driven woman as its main character, wound up garnering the most Emmy victories out of any show until “Frasier” won its 30th in 2002.
Actor: Hal Holbrook, “The Senator, The Bold Ones”
– Jack Klugman, “The Odd Couple”
– George C Scott, “The Price”
Actress: Susan Hampshire, “The First Churchills”
– Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family”
– Lee Grant, “The Neon Ceiling”
Peter Falk wins his first Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for his work in “Columbo.” He would win again in 1976 and 1990. Johnny Carson reprises his role as host for the 24th Primetime Emmys.
Actor: Peter Falk, “Columbo”
– Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
– Keith Mitchell, “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”
Actress: Glenda Jackson, “Elizabeth R”
– Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family”
– Glenda Jackson, “Shadow in the Sun”
Heeeeere’s Johnny Carson, again as host — this time at the Shubert Theatre in Century City. The “Julie Andrews Hour,” a comedy variety show that ABC canceled a month before the award show, ends up winning seven awards off its eight nominations, including variety series.
Actor: Richard Thomas, “The Waltons”
– Jack Klugman, “The Odd Couple”
– Laurence Olivier, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
– Anthony Murphy, “Tom Brown’s School Days”
Actress: Michael Learned, “The Waltons”
– Mary Tyler Moore, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
– Cloris Leachman, “A Brand New Life”
– Susan Hampshire, “Vanity Fair”
Alan Alda of “MASH” and Mary Tyler Moore of the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” receive the actor and actress of the year awards. It’s the only year this award is given; it’s later absorbed into the lead actor and actress categories. Same host — Johnny Carson — but a new venue at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. This is also the first year the Daytime Emmys are held.
Actor: Telly Savalas, “Kojak”
– Alan Alda, “MASH”
– Hal Holbrook, “Pueblo”
– William Holden, “The Blue Knight”
Actress: Michael Learned, “The Waltons”
– Mary Tyler Moore, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
– Cicely Tyson, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman”
– Mildred Natwick, “The Snoop Sisters”
The 27th Primetime Emmys move to the Hollywood Palladium, and it’s the first time in the show’s history that there is no host. This wouldn’t happen again until 1998. But there are winners, and they are …
Actor: Robert Blake, “Baretta”
– Tony Randall, “The Odd Couple”
– Laurence Olivier, “Love Among the Ruins”
– Peter Falk, “Columbo”
Actress: Jean Marsh, “Upstairs, Downstairs”
– Valerie Harper, “Rhoda”
– Katharine Hepburn, “Love Among the Ruins”
– Jessica Walter, “Amy Prentiss”
Lorne Michaels’ “Saturday Night Live” may not have been ready for prime time, but it gets its first win for variety show and goes on to become the most nominated show in Emmys history with more than 150 nods. Emmys darling Mary Tyler Moore and John Denver host, at Shubert Theatre in Century City.
Actor: Peter Falk, “Columbo”
– Jack Albertson, “Chico and the Man”
– Edward Asner, “Rich Man, Poor Man”
– Anthony Hopkins, “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case”
– Hal Holbrook, “Sandburg’s Lincoln”
Actress: Michael Learned, “The Waltons”
– Mary Tyler Moore, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
– Kathryn Walker, “The Adams Chronicles”
– Susan Clark, “Babe”
– Rosemary Harris, “Notorious Woman”
After bouncing around different venues, the show lands at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where it stays for the next two decades. The breakout nominee is the miniseries “Roots,” which receives 36 nominations. (The series finale is still the third-highest rated U.S. television show in history.) Actors Angie Dickinson and Robert Blake host.
Actor: James Garner, “The Rockford Files”
– Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
– Louis Gossett Jr., “Roots”
– Ed Flanders, “Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking”
– Christopher Plummer, “The Moneychangers”
Actress: Lindsay Wagner, “The Bionic Woman”
– Beatrice Arthur, “Maude”
– Sally Field, “Sybil”
– Beulah Bondi, “The Pony Cart”
– Patty Duke, “Captains and the Kings”
Meryl Streep wins her first Emmy for her role as Inga Helms-Weiss in the limited series “Holocaust.” Meanwhile, Kermit the Frog and friends on “The Muppet Show” get their first Emmy for variety series. Alan Alda of “MASH” hosts.
Actor: Edward Asner, “Lou Grant”
Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
Fred Astaire, “A Family Upside Down”
Michael Moriarty, “Holocaust”
Actress: Sada Thompson, “Family”
Jean Stapleton, “All in the Family”
Joanne Woodward, “See How She Runs”
Meryl Streep, “Holocaust”
New show “Taxi” wins the comedy series award and would do so consecutively for the next two years. Actors Cheryl Ladd and Henry Winkler host.
Actor: Ron Leibman, “Kaz”
– Carroll O’Connor, “All in the Family”
– Peter Strauss, “The Jericho Mile”
Actress: Mariette Hartley, “The Incredible Hulk”
– Ruth Gordon, “Taxi”
– Bette Davis, “Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter”
Amid a Screen Actors Guild strike, 51 of the 52 nominated performers boycott the event. The only nominated performer present is Powers Boothe, who accepts his award for lead actor in a limited series or special for his performance as Jim Jones in “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.” Steve Allen and Dick Clark host.
Actor: Edward Asner, “Lou Grant”
– Richard Mulligan, “Soap”
– Powers Boothe, “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones”
Actress: Barbara Bel Geddes, “Dallas”
– Cathryn Damon, “Soap”
– Patty Duke, “The Miracle Worker”
“Hill Street Blues,” a series about an unlikely group of compassionate cops, tops the victor’s list, raking in eight awards — the most Emmys of any series in television history up to that point. The comedy series “Taxi” has a similarly good year, winning five awards after a heartfelt tribute to Lucille Ball on the nearly 30th anniversary of “I Love Lucy.” Shirley MacLaine and Ed Asner host.
Actor: Daniel J. Travanti, “Hill Street Blues”
– Judd Hirsch, “Taxi”
– Anthony Hopkins, “The Bunker”
Actress: Barbara Babcock, “Hill Street Blues”
– Isabel Sanford, “The Jeffersons”
– Vanessa Redgrave, “Playing for Time”
“Hill Street Blues,” “Taxi” and “MASH” are among the big winners at the 34th Primetime Emmys. John Forsythe of “Charlie’s Angels” and Marlo Thomas of “That Girl” entertain the audience. The sultry Joan Collins makes her own showstopping moves outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, pausing, tossing her hair back and saying to photographers, “I’m just a lowly actress.” Another leading lady, the late Ingrid Bergman is awarded a posthumous Emmy for her work in “A Woman Called Golda.”
Actor: Daniel J. Travanti, “Hill Street Blues”
– Alan Alda, “M*A*S*H”
– Mickey Rooney, “Bill”
Actress: Michael Learned, “Nurse”
– Carol Kane, “Taxi”
– Ingrid Bergman, “A Woman Called Golda”
When NBC asks Joan Rivers and Eddie Murphy to host, the network doesn’t know what it is in for. The usual suspects — “Hill Street Blues” and “Taxi” — and newcomer “Cheers” took some of the top awards, but it’s the mouth of Joan Rivers that makes headlines. The Times reports the following day that “Rivers’ unrestrained torrent of cracks about Interior Secretary James G. Watt, homosexuals, herpes and prostitutes […] unleashed a flood of complaints to NBC as varied as her glitzy wardrobe.”
Actor: Ed Flanders, “St. Elsewhere”
– Judd Hirsch, “Taxi”
– Tommy Lee Jones, “The Executioner’s Song”
Actress: Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”
– Shelley Long, “Cheers”
– Barbara Stanwyck, “The Thorn Birds”
A mustachioed Tom Selleck takes the main stage as host. Unlike past years, when single networks like ABC or NBC dominated the awards, the golden statues are spread evenly across the TV dial. Even so, “Hill Street Blues” continues its four-year winning streak with five awards. Selleck, of “Magnum P.I.,” seems surprised when winning for actor in a drama series, saying only “thank you” before jogging off stage. Bob Hope receives the Governors Award for career achievement.
Actor: Tom Selleck, “Magnum, P.I.”
– John Ritter, “Three’s Company”
– Laurence Olivier, “King Lear”
Actress: Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”
– Jane Curtin, “Kate & Allie”
– Jane Fonda, “The Dollmaker”
The 37th Primetime Emmys repeat history with host John Forsythe and mark the first award for NBC’s yearling comedy “The Bill Cosby Show.” Despite a veteran host, the show goes haywire when a tuxedo-clad man, later identified as a professional impostor, intercepts Betty Thomas’ award for supporting actress while she’s on her way to the stage. The award is quickly recovered and Thomas gives a proper, if not, ruffled, acceptance speech.
Actor: William Daniels, “St. Elsewhere”
– Robert Guillaume, “Benson”
– Richard Crenna, “The Rape of Richard Beck”
Actress: Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”
– Jane Curtin, “Kate & Allie”
– Joanne Woodward, “Do You Remember Love”
“Cagney & Lacey” wins best drama series for a second year in row and “The Golden Girls” takes home an Emmy for comedy series. Betty White, who wins an Emmy for “The Golden Girls,” is selected over costars Beatrice Arthur and Rue McClanahan as lead actress. She accepts the award on behalf of Arthur, McClanahan and Estelle Getty, telling the audience, “We’re a matched set. You can’t break us up.”
Actor: William Daniels, “St. Elsewhere”
– Michael J. Fox, “Family Ties”
– Dustin Hoffman, “Death of a Salesman”
Actress: Sharon Gless, “Cagney & Lacey”
– Betty White, “The Golden Girls”
– Marlo Thomas, “Nobody’s Child”
The record four-hour ceremony is broadcast for the first time on upstart Fox Broadcasting Co. “Moonlighting” star Bruce Willis sticks out his tongue at the camera as he accepts his award. He takes issue with industry wags who suggest that the vote for “Moonlighting” is a vote for anarchy because of its propensity to spend more time and money than other shows.
Actor: Bruce Willis, “Moonlighting”
– Michael J. Fox, “Family Ties”
– James Woods, “Promise”
Actress: Sharon Gless, “Cagney & Lacey”
– Rue McClanahan, “The Golden Girls”
– Gena Rowlands, “The Betty Ford Story”
Baby boom-friendly series “The Wonder Years” and “thirtysomething” take top honors in the first year that cable reaches enough homes to qualify for an Emmy — only HBO’s “Jackie Mason on Broadway” wins. A lead actress victory for Beatrice Arthur clinches the award for all four actresses on “The Golden Girls.” William Hanna and Joseph Barbera win the Governors Award for career contributions including “Yogi Bear,” “The Smurfs,” “The Jetsons” and “The Flintstones.”
Actor: Richard Kiley, “A Year in the Life”
– Michael J. Fox, “Family Ties”
– Jason Robards, “Inherit the Wind”
Actress: Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”
– Beatrice Arthur, “The Golden Girls”
– Jessica Tandy, “Foxfire”
“War and Remembrance,” ABC’s 29-hour, $110-million saga about World War II, is named the best miniseries of the 1988-89 season. It’s the longest, most expensive miniseries in TV history.
Actor: Carroll O’Connor, “In the Heat of the Night”
– Richard Mulligan, “Empty Nest”
– James Woods, “My Name is Bill W.”
Actress: Dana Delany, “China Beach”
– Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
– Holly Hunter, “Roe vs. Wade”
The cult soap opera “Twin Peaks” — the leader in nominations — is shut out at awards time. “The Simpsons” characters present Ted Danson’s acting award for “Cheers.” Showrunners lobby unsuccessfully for the cartoon to get its award for animated show, but it isn’t allowed to compete for comedy series because of TV academy rules.
Actor: Peter Falk, “Columbo”
– Ted Danson, “Cheers”
– Hume Cronyn, “Age-Old Friends”
Actress: Patricia Wettig, “thirtysomething”
– Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
– Barbara Hershey, “A Killing in a Small Town”
James Earl Jones wins two acting awards — for “Gabriel’s Fire” and “Heat Wave.” “I accept this on behalf of those who died in the heat wave of the Watts riots,” he says while accepting the award for the latter show about the 1965 unrest. The racy awards ceremony is peppered with a number of off-color jokes, including a spontaneous one-minute, 40-second sequence by Gilbert Gottfried on masturbation.
Actor: James Earl Jones, “Gabriel’s Fire”
– Burt Reynolds, “Evening Shade”
– John Gielgud, “Summer’s Lease”
Actress: Patricia Wettig, “thirtysomething”
– Kirstie Alley, “Cheers”
– Lynn Whitfield, “The Josephine Baker Story”
Candice Bergen and her series “Murphy Brown,” which came under fire by Vice President Dan Quayle because its lead character had a baby out of wedlock, are major winners. The sharp-tongued ceremony includes a number of shots at Quayle; Bergen wins her third Emmy for actress in a comedy series, while the show picks up its second Emmy for comedy series.
Actor: Christopher Lloyd, “Avonlea”
– Craig T. Nelson, “Coach”
– Beau Bridges, “Without Warning: The James Brady Story”
Actress: Dana Delany, “China Beach”
– Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
– Gena Rowlands, “Face of a Stranger”
A less controversial year, with ABC taking the reins from Fox. No mention is made of a boycott of the ceremony by executives at CBS, NBC and Fox, who are angry about the four-year exclusive telecast agreement signed between ABC and the academy. Angela Lansbury, Barbara Walters and MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head all make appearances during the ceremony, and the three-hour show finishes snappily on time. HBO’s emergence as a dominant force is felt with wins in the miniseries and movie categories.
Actor: Tom Skerritt, “Picket Fences”
– Ted Danson, “Cheers”
– Robert Morse, “Without Warning: Tru”
Actress: Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”
– Roseanne Barr, “Roseanne”
– Holly Hunter, “The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged”
A victory by “Picket Fences” marks the second consecutive year that the critically acclaimed but low-rated show is the upset winner for drama series. The night’s biggest ovation goes to “NYPD Blue’s” Dennis Franz for dramatic actor. The show pays tribute to actress Jessica Tandy, a past Emmy winner and nominee who died at 85 earlier in the day in Connecticut.
Actor: Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
– Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier”
– Hume Cronyn, “To Dance With the White Dog”
Actress: Sela Ward, “Sisters”
– Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
– Kirstie Alley, “David’s Mother”
NBC’s “ER” scores eight Emmys in its freshman season, including supporting actress, direction and writing. But a record-breaking ninth Emmy is denied when “NYPD Blue” snatches away the award for drama series. Barbra Streisand wins five Emmys for her HBO special “Barbra Streisand: The Concert.”
Actor: Mandy Patinkin, “Chicago Hope”
– Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier”
– Raul Julia, “The Burning Season”
Actress: Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”
– Candice Bergen, “Murphy Brown”
– Glenn Close, “Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeye Story”
NBC is the big winner with a 20-trophy haul. Among its awarded shows are “ER” (drama series), “Frasier” (comedy series) and “Gulliver’s Travels” (miniseries), as well as lead actress and actor awards for comedy stars Helen Hunt and John Lithgow in “Mad About You” and “3rd Rock From the Sun,” respectively. Fox’s “The X-Files” ties “Gulliver’s Travels” for most honored, taking home five Emmys. The show is hosted by Michael J. Fox, Paul Reiser and Oprah Winfrey.
Actor: Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
– John Lithgow, “3rd Rock From the Sun”
– Alan Rickman, “Rasputin”
Actress: Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”
– Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
– Helen Mirren, “Prime Suspect: Scent of Darkness”
After receiving five consecutive nominations and losing every time, “Law & Order” finally wins the Emmy for drama series. “I just figured we were the Susan Lucci of prime time,” the show’s executive producer Dick Wolf says. The show beats out front-runners “ER” and “NYPD Blue” as well as “Chicago Hope” and “The X-Files.” Meanwhile, “Frasier” secures its fourth consecutive comedy win. The ceremony is hosted by Bryant Gumbel.
Actor: Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
– John Lithgow, “3rd Rock from the Sun”
– Armand Assante, “Gotti”
Actress: Gillian Anderson, “The X-Files”
– Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
– Alfre Woodard, “Miss Evers’ Boys”
“Frasier” makes history by winning a fifth consecutive comedy series award, surpassing “All in the Family,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Cheers.” Meanwhile, “Mad About You” actress Helen Hunt wins her third Emmy as an actress in a comedy series, becoming the first actress to win an Emmy and an Oscar in the same year (for “Mad About You” and “As Good as It Gets.”) But perhaps most memorable is Camryn Manheim’s acceptance of a supporting actress award for ABC’s “The Practice.” “This is for all the fat girls!” she proclaims.
Actor: Andre Braugher, “Homicide: Life on the Street”
– Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier”
– Gary Sinise, “George Wallace”
Actress: Christine Lahti, “Chicago Hope”
– Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
– Ellen Barkin, “Before Women Had Wings”
David E. Kelley is the man of the evening, becoming the first producer to take home Emmys for comedy and drama. Kelley produced and wrote nearly every episode of “Ally McBeal” and “The Practice.” Kelley makes sure to praise “The Sopranos,” which many critics say was snubbed after it wins only four of its 16 nominations. “‘The Sopranos’ is as good as television can get,” Kelley says.
Actor: Dennis Franz, “NYPD Blue”
– John Lithgow, “3rd Rock From the Sun”
– Stanley Tucci, “Winchell”
Actress: Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”
– Helen Hunt, “Mad About You”
– Helen Mirren, “The Passion of Ayn Rand”
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences enacts a new procedure, allowing voters to view nominees at home instead of requiring them to attend screenings. Critics complain the new rules mean candidates might receive votes based on reputation without actually being watched. “The West Wing” is the landslide winner, setting a record for the most awards on any series in a single season with nine. “Well, there’s going to be no living with me now,” series creator Aaron Sorkin says in accepting his writing Emmy.
Actor: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
– Michael J. Fox, “Spin City”
– Jack Lemmon, “Tuesdays With Morrie”
Actress: Sela Ward, “Once and Again”
– Patricia Heaton, “Everybody Loves Raymond”
– Halle Berry, “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”
The ceremony is held seven weeks late after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occur five days before the originally scheduled date. Barbra Streisand sings “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the close of the show, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres at the Shubert Theatre. “I’m in a unique position as host because, think about it, what would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?” DeGeneres jokes. “The West Wing” and “Sex and the City” are the night’s big winners.
Actor: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
– Eric McCormack, “Will & Grace”
– Kenneth Branagh, “Conspiracy”
Actress: Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”
– Patricia Heaton, “Everybody Loves Raymond”
– Judy Davis, “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows”
The night is supposed to belong to the HBO series “Six Feet Under,” but the show is largely snubbed, winning only two of 23 nominations. Meanwhile, “Friends” wins its first comedy series award. And Rudolph Giuliani presents the Governors Award to ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC for the Sept. 11-themed celebrity-studded fundraiser “America: A Tribute to Heroes.” Oprah Winfrey is the first recipient of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. But the night’s critical favorite is ceremony host Conan O’Brien.
Actor: Michael Chiklis, “The Shield”
– Ray Romano, “Everybody Loves Raymond”
– Albert Finney, “The Gathering Storm”
Actress: Allison Janney, “The West Wing”
– Jennifer Aniston, “Friends”
– Laura Linney, “Wild Iris”
A new reality-competition program category is introduced, and “The Amazing Race” wins, beating out “American Idol” and “The Apprentice.” The ceremony is emceed by 11 comics, including Ellen DeGeneres, George Lopez, Conan O’Brien, Bernie Mac and Jon Stewart, but critics complain that many of the jokes fell flat.
Actor: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
– Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
– William H. Macy, “Door to Door”
Actress: Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”
– Debra Messing, “Will & Grace”
– Maggie Smith, “My House in Umbria”
After earning 89 nominations in its six-year run, “The Sopranos” finally unseats “The West Wing” for a best drama award. Voters also honor “Frasier,” which in its 11-year run won more Emmys (37) than any other series; Kelsey Grammer celebrates his fourth win for the title role. Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker takes home her first Emmy, and underdog “Arrested Development” wins five statuettes, including best comedy.
Actor: James Spader, “The Practice”
– Kelsey Grammer, “Frasier”
– Al Pacino, “Angeles in America”
Actress: Allison Janney, “The West Wing”
– Sarah Jessica Parker, “Sex and the City”
– Meryl Streep, “Angels in America”
Hurricane Katrina, which hit three weeks earlier, forms the backdrop, with a slew of tributes and political commentary. Ellen DeGeneres, the host for the fourth time, calls New Orleans “my hometown” and says she is “honored” to host. “It’s times like this that we really need laughter,” she says in her opening monologue. “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Desperate Housewives” dominate the comedy categories, and “Lost” beats out “The West Wing,” “Six Feet Under,” “24” and “Deadwood” for drama.
Actor: James Spader, “Boston Legal”
– Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
– Geoffrey Rush, “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers”
Actress: Patricia Arquette, “Medium”
– Felicity Huffman, “Desperate Housewives”
– S. Epatha Merkerson, “Lackawanna Blues”
A change in the rules for how Emmy nominees are selected means that the previous year’s winner for drama, “Lost,” isn’t even nominated. Host Conan O’Brien pokes fun at this twist in the sketch that opens the broadcast. Both Dick Clark and Aaron Spelling are given special tributes.
Actor: Kiefer Sutherland, “24”
– Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
– Andre Braugher, “Thief”
Actress: Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
– Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”
– Helen Mirren, “Elizabeth I”
The Fox network generates much controversy after its awkward attempts to censor salty language during the broadcast, with some people suspecting a right-leaning political agenda. Winner Sally Field uses her acceptance speech to condemn wars but uses some colorful language. The audio of her political message is dropped from the broadcast.
Actor: James Spader, “Boston Legal”
– Ricky Gervais, “Extras”
– Robert Duvall, “Broken Trail”
Actress: Sally Field, “Brothers and Sisters”
– America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”
– Helen Mirren, “Prime Suspect: The Final Act”
Instead of having one host for the awards broadcast, this year’s ceremony features five hosts from reality shows. The result is a little strange, a lot awkward and helps contribute to the lowest-rated telecast in the award’s history.
Actor: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
– Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
– Paul Giamatti, “John Adams”
Actress: Glenn Close, “Damages”
– Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
– Laura Linney, “John Adams”
Fresh from a breakout gig as host of the Tony Awards, Neil Patrick Harris continues to charm Hollywood with his first hosting job at the Emmys. Harris’ song-and-dance style keeps spirits up, even after he loses his own race in the supporting comedy actor category.
Actor: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
– Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
– Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm”
Actress: Glenn Close, “Damages”
– Toni Collette, “United States of Tara”
– Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens”
The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards are great for first-time winners, with awards going to Kyra Sedgwick and “Top Chef,” upsetting “The Amazing Race’s” winning streak in the reality category. George Clooney, primarily known as a favorite at the Oscars, is also on hand to receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
Actor: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad”
– Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
– Al Pacino, “You Don’t Know Jack”
Actress: Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
– Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
– Claire Danes, “Temple Grandin”
The actual bestowing of the awards hardly changes from year to year, but this time producers attempt something a little offbeat when it comes to the Emmy for lead actress in a comedy series. The nominees gather on stage in beauty pageant mode, with Melissa McCarthy emerging as the winner.
Actor: Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights”
– Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
– Barry Pepper, “The Kennedys”
Actress: Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
– Melissa McCarthy, “Mike & Molly”
– Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce”
Showtime’s political thriller “Homeland” makes television history — winning the cable network’s first dramatic series Emmy. Besides the top prize the show also wins in the drama category for lead actress, lead actor and for writing.
Actor: Damian Lewis, “Homeland”
– Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”
– Kevin Costner, “Hatfields & McCoys”
Actress: Claire Danes, “Homeland”
– Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
– Julianne Moore, “Game Change.”
In a surprise win, Jeff Daniels of HBO’s “The Newsroom” won an Emmy as lead actor in a drama for his portrayal as talented but troubled news anchor Will McAvoy. Daniels beat top contender and three-time winner Bryan Cranston of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” and last year’s winner, Damian Lewis of “Homeland.”
Actor: Jim Parsons,”The Big Bang Theory”
– Jeff Danies, “Newsroom”
– Michael Douglas, “Behind the Candelabra”
Actress: – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, (“Veep”)
– Claire Danes, “Homeland”
– Laura Linney, “The Big C: Hereafter”
While “Breaking Bad” came to an end nearly a year after this Emmy broadcast, the drama ruled the night, taking home wins for drama series and top acting categories. On the comedy front, “Modern Family” dominated with consecutive wins for comedy series and supporting actor (Ty Burrell), as well as a win for writing.
Actor: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
– Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
– Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock: His Last Vow”
Actress: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
– Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
– Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story: Coven”
With 24 nominations at the 2015 Emmy Awards, and 83 nods to date, HBO’s “Game of Thrones” took home the Emmy for drama series and more. The evening also proved to be very rewarding for HBO’s four-part drama “Olive Kitteridge,” with wins for limited series, actress in a limited series and actor in a limited series among several more nods.
Actor: Jeffrey Tambor,”Transparent”
– Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
– Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge”
Actress: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
– Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder”
– Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge”
Remember when the Emmys recognized clones, a hacktivist with an “imaginary friend” and Sherlock all in the same year? 2016 was big for geekdom at the Emmy Awards. Tatiana Maslany was finally recognized for her performances in “Orphan Black”; lead actor in a drama went to Rami Malek of “Mr. Robot”; and “Game of Thrones” set a record with 38 awards, including best drama series for the second straight year.
Actor: Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
– Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot”
– Courtney B. Vance, “The People v. O.J. Simpson”
Actress: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
– Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
– Sarah Paulson, “The People v. O.J. Simpson”
Sources: Times research
Credits: Noelene Clark, Patrick Kevin Day, Lily Mihalik, Maloy Moore, Jevon Phillips, Nardine Saad, Daniel Schonhaut, Aaron Williams, TimelineSetter