Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead 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 leading role on a television limited series or television movie for the primetime network season.

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
The 2024 recipient: Jodie Foster
Awarded for	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Country	United States
Presented by	Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
First award	1955
Currently held by	Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country (2024)
Website	emmys.com

The award was first presented at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards on March 7, 1955, to Judith Anderson, for her performance as Lady Macbeth on the Hallmark Hall of Fame episode "Macbeth". It has undergone several name changes, with the category split into two categories at the 25th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy; and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series. By the 31st Primetime Emmy Awards, the categories were merged into one, and it has since undergone several name changes, leading to its current title.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 54 actresses. Jodie Foster is the current recipient of the award, for her portrayal of Chief Liz Danvers on True Detective: Night Country. Helen Mirren has won the most awards in this category, with four.

Winners and nominations

Judith Anderson won for: Hallmark Hall of Fame: Macbeth (1955).

Mary Martin won playing Peter Pan in the Producers' Showcase (1956).

Claire Trevor won for Producers' Showcase (1957)

Julie Harris won twice for Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1959 and 1962.

Ingrid Bergman won twice for Startime (1960) and A Woman Called Golda (1982).

Kim Stanley won for Ben Casey (1963).

Shelley Winters won for Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1964).

Geraldine Page won for ABC Stage 67 (1967) and The Thanksgiving Visitor (1969).

Patty Duke won thrice for her roles in My Sweet Charlie (1970), Captains and the Kings (1976), and The Miracle Worker (1979).

Lee Grant won for The Neon Ceiling (1971).

Glenda Jackson won for playing Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth R (1972).

Cloris Leachman won for A Brand New Life (1973).

Cicely Tyson won playing Jane Pittman in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974).

Katharine Hepburn won for Love Among the Ruins (1975).

Jessica Walter won for Amy Prentiss (1975).

Joanne Woodward won for See How She Runs (1978) and Do You Remember Love (1985).

Bette Davis won for Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter (1979).

Vanessa Redgrave won for Playing for Time (1980).

Barbara Stanwyck won for The Thorn Birds (1983).

Jane Fonda won for The Dollmaker (1984).

Gena Rowlands won twice for The Betty Ford Story (1987)a and Face of a Stranger (1992).

Jessica Tandy won for Foxfire (1987).

Barbara Hershey won for A Killing in a Small Town (1990).

Holly Hunter won for The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993).

Glenn Close won for Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story (1995)

Alfre Woodard won for Miss Evers' Boys (1997).

Ellen Barkin won for Before Women Had Wings (1998).

Halle Berry won for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (2000)

Judy Davis won for Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001)

Maggie Smith won for My House in Umbria (2003).

Meryl Streep won twice for Holocaust (1978) and Angels in America (2004).

S. Epatha Merkerson won for Lackawanna Blues (2005).

Helen Mirren won the award four times for Prime Suspect: Scent of Darkness (1996), The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999), Elizabeth I (2006), and Prime Suspect: The Final Act (2007)

Laura Linney won thrice for Wild Iris (2001), John Adams, and The Big C: Hereafter (2013).

Jessica Lange won the award twice: for her performances in Grey Gardens (2009) and American Horror Story: Coven (2014).

Claire Danes won in 2010 for her portrayal of Temple Grandin in the eponymous film.

Kate Winslet won twice for her roles in Mildred Pierce (2011) and Mare of Easttown (2021)

Julianne Moore won for her portrayal of Sarah Palin in Game Change (2012)

Frances McDormand won for Olive Kitteridge (2015)

Sarah Paulson won in 2016 for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in the limited mini-series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

Nicole Kidman won for Big Little Lies (2017)

Regina King won twice for Seven Seconds (2018) and Watchmen (2020

Michelle Williams won for Fosse/Verdon (2018)

Amanda Seyfried won for playing Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout (2022)

Jodie Foster won for True Detective: Night Country (2024)

Table key

Indicates the winner

1950s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Episode	Network
Best Actress in a Single Performance
1955 (7th) [1]
	Judith Anderson	Lady Macbeth	Hallmark Hall of Fame	"Macbeth"	NBC
	Ethel Barrymore	Mme. Rosalie La Grange	Climax!	"The Thirteenth Chair"	CBS
	Beverly Garland	Estelle Collins	Medic	"White Is the Color"	NBC
	Ruth Hussey	Harriet Craig	Lux Video Theater	"Craig's Wife"	CBS
	Dorothy McGuire	Janet Spence	Climax!	"The Gioconda Smile"
	Eva Marie Saint	Betty	The Philco Television Playhouse	"Middle of the Night"	NBC
	Claire Trevor	Ellen Creed	Lux Video Theater	"Ladies in Retirement"	CBS
1956 (8th) [2]
	Mary Martin	Peter Pan	Producers' Showcase	"Peter Pan"	NBC
	Julie Harris	Shevawn	The United States Steel Hour	"A Wind from the South"	CBS
	Eva Marie Saint	Emily	Producers' Showcase	"Our Town"	NBC
	Jessica Tandy	The Wife		"The Fourposter"
	Loretta Young	Sadie	The Loretta Young Show	"Christmas Stopover"
1957 (9th) [3]
	Claire Trevor	Fran Dodsworth	Producers' Showcase	"Dodsworth"	NBC
	Edna Best	Ethel Gibbons	Ford Star Jubilee	"This Happy Breed"	CBS
	Gracie Fields	Sarah Dowey	The United States Steel Hour	"The Old Lady Shows Her Medals"
	Nancy Kelly	Sister M. Aquinas	Studio One	"The Pilot"
	Evelyn Rudie	Eloise	Playhouse 90	"Eloise"
Best Single Performance by an Actress – Lead or Support
1958 (10th) [4]
	Polly Bergen	Helen Morgan	Playhouse 90	"The Helen Morgan Story"	CBS
	Julie Andrews	Cinderella	Cinderella		CBS
	Helen Hayes	Mrs. Gilling	The Alcoa Hour	"Mrs. Gilling and the Skyscraper"	NBC
	Piper Laurie	Ruth Cornelius	Studio One	"The Deaf Heart"	CBS
	Teresa Wright	Annie Sullivan	Playhouse 90	"The Miracle Worker"
Best Single Performance by an Actress
1959 (11th) [5]
	Julie Harris	Bridgid Mary	Hallmark Hall of Fame	"Little Moon of Alban"	CBS
	Judith Anderson	Marquesa de Montemayor	The DuPont Show of the Month	"The Bridge of San Luis Rey"	CBS
	Helen Hayes	Mother Seraphim	The United States Steel Hour	"One Red Rose for Christmas"
	Piper Laurie	Kirsten Clay	Playhouse 90	"Days of Wine and Roses"
	Geraldine Page	The Young Woman		"The Old Man"
	Maureen Stapleton	Sadie Burke	Kraft Television Theatre	"All the Kings Men"	NBC

1960s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Episode	Network
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress (Lead or Support)
1960 (12th) [6]
	Ingrid Bergman	The Governess	Startime	"The Turn of the Screw"	NBC
	Julie Harris	Mattie Silver	DuPont Show of the Month	"Ethan Frome"	CBS
	Teresa Wright	Margaret Bourke-White	NBC Sunday Showcase	"The Margaret Bourke-White Story"	NBC
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
1961 (13th) [7]
	Judith Anderson	Lady Macbeth	Hallmark Hall of Fame	"Macbeth"	NBC
	Ingrid Bergman	Clare Lester	Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life		CBS
	Elizabeth Montgomery	Rusty Heller	The Untouchables	"The Rusty Heller Story"	NBC
1962 (14th) [8]
	Julie Harris	Queen Victoria	Hallmark Hall of Fame	"Victoria Regina"	NBC
	Geraldine Brooks	Katherine Barnes	Bus Stop	"Call Back Yesterday"	ABC
	Suzanne Pleshette	Julie Lawler	Dr. Kildare	"Shining Image"	NBC
	Inger Stevens	Anna Beza	The Dick Powell Theatre	"The Price of Tomatoes"
	Ethel Waters	Jenny Henderson	Route 66	"Goodnight, Sweet Blues"	CBS
1963 (15th) [9]
	Kim Stanley	Faith Parsons	Ben Casey	"A Cardinal Act of Mercy"	ABC
	Diahann Carroll	Ruby Jay	Naked City	"A Horse Has a Big Head, Let Him Worry"	ABC
	Diana Hyland	Liza Laurents	Alcoa Premiere	"The Voice of Charlie Point"
	Eleanor Parker	Connie Folson	The Eleventh Hour	"Why Am I Grown So Cold?"	NBC
	Sylvia Sidney	Adela	The Defenders	"The Madman"	CBS
1964 (16th) [10]
	Shelley Winters	Jenny Dworak	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	"Two is the Number"	NBC
	Ruby Dee	Jenny Bishop	The Doctors and the Nurses	"Express Stop from Lennox Avenue"	CBS
	Bethel Leslie	Ellen Dudley	The Richard Boone Show	"Statement of Fact"	NBC
	Jeanette Nolan	Jessie McCoony		"Vote No on 11!"
	Diana Sands	Ruth	East Side/West Side	"Who Do You Kill?"	CBS
Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Actors and Performers
1965 (17th) [11]
	Lynn Fontanne	Fanny Bowditch Holmes	Hallmark Hall of Fame	"The Magnificent Yankee"	NBC
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama
1966 (18th) [12]
	Simone Signoret	Sara Lescault	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	"A Small Rebellion"	NBC
	Eartha Kitt	Angel	I Spy	"The Loser"	NBC
	Margaret Leighton	Chris Becker	Dr. Kildare	"A Life for a Life"
	Shelley Winters	Edith	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	"Back to Back"
1967 (19th) [13]
	Geraldine Page	Sook	ABC Stage 67	"Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory"	ABC
	Shirley Booth	Amanda Wingfield	CBS Playhouse	"The Glass Menagerie"	CBS
	Mildred Dunnock	Linda Loman	Death of a Salesman
	Lynn Fontanne	Grand Duchess Marie	Hallmark Hall of Fame	"Anastasia"	NBC
	Julie Harris	Anastasia
1968 (20th) [14]
	Maureen Stapleton	Mary O'Meaghan	Among the Paths to Eden		ABC
	Judith Anderson	Queen Elizabeth I	Hallmark Hall of Fame	"Elizabeth the Queen"	NBC
	Geneviève Bujold	Joan of Arc		"Saint Joan"
	Colleen Dewhurst	Elizabeth Proctor	The Crucible		CBS
	Anne Jackson	Vivian Spears	CBS Playhouse	"Dear Friends"
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
1969 (21st) [15]
	Geraldine Page	Sook	The Thanksgiving Visitor		ABC
	Anne Baxter	Betty-Jean Currier	The Name of the Game	"The Bobby Currier Story"	NBC
	Lee Grant	Kay Gould	Judd, for the Defense	"The Gates of Cerberus"	ABC

1970s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Network
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
1970 (22nd) [16]
	Patty Duke	Marlene Chambers	My Sweet Charlie	NBC
	Edith Evans	Aunt Betsy Trotwood	David Copperfield	NBC
	Shirley Jones	Katherine Johnson	Silent Night, Lonely Night
1971 (23rd) [17]
	Lee Grant	Carrie Miller	The Neon Ceiling	NBC
	Colleen Dewhurst	Mrs. Franz	The Price	NBC
	Lee Grant	Leslie Williams	Ransom for a Dead Man
1972 (24th) [18]
	Glenda Jackson	Queen Elizabeth I	Elizabeth R: The Shadow in the Sun	PBS
	Helen Hayes	Sophie Tate Curtis	Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate	ABC
	Glenda Jackson	Queen Elizabeth I	Elizabeth R: The Lion's Cub	PBS
	Patricia Neal	Olivia Walton	The Homecoming: A Christmas Story	CBS
	Susannah York	Jane Eyre	Jane Eyre	NBC
1973 (25th) [19]
	Cloris Leachman	Victoria Douglas	A Brand New Life	ABC
	Lauren Bacall	Margo Channing	Applause	CBS
	Hope Lange	Janet Salter	That Certain Summer	ABC
	Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Drama/Comedy - Limited Episodes)
	Susan Hampshire	Becky Sharp	Vanity Fair	PBS
	Vivien Heilbron	Rachel Verinder	The Moonstone	PBS
	Margaret Tyzack	Bette	Cousin Bette
1974 (26th)
	Best Lead Actress in a Drama[20]
	Cicely Tyson	Jane Pittman	The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman	CBS
	Carol Burnett	Anne Miller	6 Rms Riv Vu	CBS
	Katharine Hepburn	Amanda Wingfield	The Glass Menagerie	ABC
	Cloris Leachman	Viola Barlow	The Migrants	CBS
	Elizabeth Montgomery	Ellen Harrod	A Case of Rape	PBS
	Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series[21]
	Mildred Natwick	Gwendolyn Snoop Nicholson	The Snoop Sisters	NBC
	Helen Hayes	Ernesta Snoop	The Snoop Sisters	NBC
	Lee Remick	Cassie Walters	The Blue Knight
1975 (27th) [22]
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy
	Katharine Hepburn	Jessica Medlicott	Love Among the Ruins	ABC
	Jill Clayburgh	Wanda	Hustling	ABC
	Elizabeth Montgomery	Lizzie Borden	The Legend of Lizzie Borden
	Diana Rigg	Philippa	In This House of Brede	CBS
	Maureen Stapleton	Bea Asher	Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series
	Jessica Walter	Amy Prentiss	Amy Prentiss	NBC
	Susan Saint James	Sally McMillan	McMillan & Wife	NBC
1976 (28th) [23]
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy
	Susan Clark	Babe Didrikson Zaharias	Babe	CBS
	Jane Alexander	Eleanor Roosevelt	Eleanor and Franklin	ABC
	Colleen Dewhurst	Josie Hogan	A Moon for the Misbegotten
	Sada Thompson	Phoebe Rice	The Entertainer	NBC
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series
	Rosemary Harris	George Sand	Notorious Woman	PBS
	Susan Blakely	Julie Prescott	Rich Man, Poor Man	ABC
	Jean Marsh	Rose	Upstairs, Downstairs	PBS
	Lee Remick	Lady Randolph Churchill	Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill
1977 (29th) [24]
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy
	Sally Field	Sybil	Sybil	NBC
	Jane Alexander	Eleanor Roosevelt	Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years	ABC
	Susan Clark	Amelia Earhart	Amelia Earhart	NBC
	Julie Harris	Mary Todd Lincoln	The Last of Mrs. Lincoln	PBS
	Joanne Woodward	Dr. Cornelia Wilbur	Sybil	NBC
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series
	Patty Duke	Bernadette Hennessy Armagh	Captains and the Kings	NBC
	Dori Brenner	Rhoda Gold Blackman	Seventh Avenue	NBC
	Susan Flannery	Margot Bracken	The Moneychangers
	Eva Marie Saint	Katherine Macaran	How the West Was Won	ABC
	Jane Seymour	Marjorie Chisolm	Captains and the Kings	NBC
1978 (30th) [25]
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special
	Joanne Woodward	Betty Quinn	See How She Runs	CBS
	Helen Hayes	Emma Long	A Family Upside Down	NBC
	Eva Marie Saint	Passenger	Taxi!!!
	Maureen Stapleton	Kate	The Gathering	ABC
	Sada Thompson	Mrs. Gibbs	Our Town	NBC
	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series
	Meryl Streep	Inga Helms-Weiss	Holocaust	NBC
	Rosemary Harris	Berta Palitz Weiss	Holocaust	NBC
	Elizabeth Montgomery	Sayward Luckett Wheeler	The Awakening Land
	Lee Remick	Erica Trenton	Wheels
	Cicely Tyson	Coretta Scott King	King
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Special
1979 (31st) [26]
	Bette Davis	Lucy Mason	Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter	CBS
	Carol Burnett	Peg Mullen	Friendly Fire	ABC
	Olivia Cole	Maggie Rogers	Backstairs at the White House	NBC
	Katharine Hepburn	Miss Lily Moffat	The Corn Is Green	CBS
	Mary Tyler Moore	Betty Rollin	First, You Cry

1980s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Network
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Special
1980 (32nd) [27]
	Patty Duke	Annie Sullivan	The Miracle Worker	NBC
	Bette Davis	Estelle Malone	White Mama	CBS
	Melissa Gilbert	Helen Keller	The Miracle Worker	NBC
	Lee Remick	Margaret Sullivan	Haywire	CBS
1981 (33rd) [28]
	Vanessa Redgrave	Fania Fénelon	Playing for Time	CBS
	Ellen Burstyn	Jean Harris	The People vs. Jean Harris	NBC
	Catherine Hicks	Marilyn Monroe	Marilyn: The Untold Story	ABC
	Yoko Shimada	Lady Toda Buntaro	Shōgun	NBC
	Joanne Woodward	Elizabeth Huckaby	Crisis at Central High	CBS
1982 (34th) [29]
	Ingrid Bergman (post-humously)	Golda Meir	A Woman Called Golda	Syndicated
	Glenda Jackson	Patricia Neal	The Patricia Neal Story	CBS
	Ann Jillian	Mae West	Mae West	ABC
	Jean Stapleton	Eleanor Roosevelt	Eleanor, First Lady of the World	CBS
	Cicely Tyson	Marva Collins	The Marva Collins Story
1983 (35th) [30]
	Barbara Stanwyck	Mary Carson	The Thorn Birds: Part 1	ABC
	Ann-Margret	Lucile Fray	Who Will Love My Children?	ABC
	Rosanna Arquette	Nicole Baker	The Executioner's Song	NBC
	Mariette Hartley	Candy Lightner	M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers
	Angela Lansbury	Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney	Little Gloria... Happy at Last
1984 (36th) [31]
	Jane Fonda	Gertie Nevels	The Dollmaker	ABC
	Jane Alexander	Calamity Jane	Calamity Jane	CBS
	Ann-Margret	Blanche DuBois	A Streetcar Named Desire	ABC
	Glenn Close	Gail Bennett	Something About Amelia
	JoBeth Williams	Reve Walsh	Adam	NBC
1985 (37th) [32]
	Joanne Woodward	Barbara Wyatt-Hollis	Do You Remember Love	CBS
	Jane Alexander	Hedda Hopper	Malice in Wonderland	CBS
	Peggy Ashcroft	Barbie Batchelor	The Jewel in the Crown	PBS
	Farrah Fawcett	Francine Hughes	The Burning Bed	NBC
	Mary Tyler Moore	Martha Weinman Lear	Heartsounds	ABC
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special
1986 (38th) [33]
	Marlo Thomas	Marie Balter	Nobody's Child	CBS
	Katharine Hepburn	Margaret Delafield	Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry	CBS
	Vanessa Redgrave	Richard Radley and Renée Richards	Second Serve
	Gena Rowlands	Katherine Pierson	An Early Frost	NBC
	Mare Winningham	Margaret Ryder	Love Is Never Silent
1987 (39th) [34]
	Gena Rowlands	Betty Ford	The Betty Ford Story	ABC
	Ann-Margret	Ann Arden Grenville	The Two Mrs. Grenvilles	NBC
	Ellen Burstyn	Barbara Jackson	Pack of Lies	CBS
	Lee Remick	Frances Schrueder	Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder	NBC
	Alfre Woodard	Maude DeVictor	Unnatural Causes
1988 (40th) [35]
	Jessica Tandy	Annie Nations	Foxfire	CBS
	Ann Jillian	Herself	The Ann Jillian Story	NBC
	Mary Tyler Moore	Mary Todd Lincoln	Lincoln
	Mary Steenburgen	Miep Gies	The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank	CBS
	JoBeth Williams	Marybeth Whitehead	Baby M	ABC
1989 (41st) [36]
	Holly Hunter	Ellen Russell	Roe vs. Wade	NBC
	Anjelica Huston	Clara Allen	Lonesome Dove	CBS
	Diane Lane	Lorena Wood
	Amy Madigan	Sarah Weddington	Roe vs. Wade	NBC
	Jane Seymour	Natalie Henry	War and Remembrance	ABC

1990s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Network
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special
1990 (42nd) [37]
	Barbara Hershey	Candy Morrison	A Killing in a Small Town	CBS
	Farrah Fawcett	Diane Downs	Small Sacrifices	ABC
	Christine Lahti	Zan Cooper	No Place Like Home	CBS
	Annette O'Toole	Rose Kennedy	The Kennedys of Massachusetts	ABC
	Lesley Ann Warren	Barbara Walker	Family of Spies	CBS
	Alfre Woodard	Mary Thomas	A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story	NBC
1991 (43rd) [38]
	Lynn Whitfield	Josephine Baker	The Josephine Baker Story	HBO
	Glenn Close	Sarah Wheaton	Sarah, Plain and Tall	CBS
	Barbara Hershey	Hanna Trout	Paris Trout	Showtime
	Suzanne Pleshette	Leona Helmsley	Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean	CBS
	Lee Purcell	Bessie Robertson	Long Road Home	NBC
1992 (44th) [39]
	Gena Rowlands	Pat	Face of a Stranger	CBS
	Anne Bancroft	Mrs. Cage	Mrs. Cage	PBS
	Meredith Baxter	Betty Broderick	A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story	CBS
	Judy Davis	Mary Lindell	One Against the Wind
	Laura Dern	Janet Harduvel	Afterburn	HBO
1993 (45th) [40]
	Holly Hunter	Wanda Holloway	The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom	HBO
	Glenn Close	Sarah Wheaton	Skylark	CBS
	Helen Mirren	DCI Jane Tennison	Prime Suspect 2	PBS
	Maggie Smith	Mrs. Venable	Suddenly, Last Summer
	Joanne Woodward	Nell Harrington	Blind Spot	CBS
1994 (46th) [41]
	Kirstie Alley	Sally Goodson	David's Mother	CBS
	Bette Midler	Mama Rose	Gypsy	CBS
	Helen Mirren	DCI Jane Tennison	Prime Suspect 3	PBS
	Jessica Tandy	Cora Peek	To Dance with the White Dog	CBS
	Joanne Woodward	Maggie Moran	Breathing Lessons
1995 (47th) [42]
	Glenn Close	Margarethe Cammermeyer	Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story	NBC
	Sally Field	Bess Garner Steed	A Woman of Independent Means	NBC
	Anjelica Huston	Calamity Jane	Buffalo Girls	CBS
	Diane Keaton	Amelia Earhart	Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight	TNT
	Alfre Woodard	Berniece Charles	The Piano Lesson	CBS
1996 (48th) [43]
	Helen Mirren	DCI Jane Tennison	Prime Suspect: Scent of Darkness	PBS
	Ashley Judd	Norma Jean Dougherty	Norma Jean & Marilyn	HBO
	Jessica Lange	Blanche DuBois	A Streetcar Named Desire	CBS
	Mira Sorvino	Marilyn Monroe	Norma Jean & Marilyn	HBO
	Sela Ward	Jessica Savitch	Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story	Lifetime
1997 (49th) [44]
	Alfre Woodard	Nurse Eunice Evers	Miss Evers' Boys	HBO
	Stockard Channing	Barbara Whitney	An Unexpected Family	USA
	Glenn Close	Janet	In the Gloaming	HBO
	Helen Mirren	DCI Jane Tennison	Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement	PBS
	Meryl Streep	Lori Reimuller	...First Do No Harm	ABC
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
1998 (50th) [45]
	Ellen Barkin	Glory Marie	Before Women Had Wings	ABC
	Jamie Lee Curtis	Maggie Green	Nicholas' Gift	CBS
	Judy Davis	Gladwyn	The Echo of Thunder
	Olympia Dukakis	Anna Madrigal	More Tales of the City	Showtime
	Angelina Jolie	Gia Carangi	Gia	HBO
	Sigourney Weaver	Claudia Hoffman	Snow White: A Tale of Terror	Showtime
1999 (51st) [46]
	Helen Mirren	Ayn Rand	The Passion of Ayn Rand	Showtime
	Ann-Margret	Pamela Harriman	Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story	Lifetime
	Stockard Channing	Rachel Luckman	The Baby Dance	Showtime
	Judy Davis	Lillian Hellman	Dash and Lilly	A&E
	Leelee Sobieski	Joan of Arc	Joan of Arc	CBS

2000s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Network
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
2000 (52nd) [47]
	Halle Berry	Dorothy Dandridge	Introducing Dorothy Dandridge	HBO
	Judy Davis	Paula Tanner	A Cooler Climate	Showtime
	Sally Field	Iris Prue
	Holly Hunter	Ruby Kincaid	Harlan County War
	Gena Rowlands	Georgia Porter	The Color of Love: Jacey's Story	CBS
2001 (53rd) [48]
	Judy Davis	Judy Garland	Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows	ABC
	Judi Dench	Elizabeth Harman	The Last of the Blonde Bombshells	HBO
	Holly Hunter	Billie Jean King	When Billie Beat Bobby	ABC
	Hannah Taylor-Gordon	Anne Frank	Anne Frank: The Whole Story	ABC
	Emma Thompson	Vivian Bearing	Wit	HBO
2002 (54th) [49]
	Laura Linney	Iris Bravard	Wild Iris	Showtime
	Angela Bassett	Rosa Parks	The Rosa Parks Story	CBS
	Blythe Danner	Corinne Mulvaney	We Were the Mulvaneys	Lifetime
	Vanessa Redgrave	Clementine Churchill	The Gathering Storm	HBO
	Gena Rowlands	Minnie Brinn	Wild Iris	Showtime
2003 (55th) [50]
	Maggie Smith	Emily Delahunty	My House in Umbria	HBO
	Thora Birch	Liz Murray	Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story	Lifetime
	Helena Bonham Carter	Ingrid Formanek	Live from Baghdad	HBO
	Jessica Lange	Irma Applewood	Normal
	Helen Mirren	Karen Stone	The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone	Showtime
2004 (56th) [51]
	Meryl Streep	Hannah Pitt / Ethel Rosenberg / Rabbi Chemelwitz / The Angel Australia	Angels in America	HBO
	Glenn Close	Eleanor of Aquitaine	The Lion in Winter	Showtime
	Judy Davis	Nancy Reagan	The Reagans
	Helen Mirren	DCI Jane Tennison	Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness	PBS
	Emma Thompson	Nurse Emily / Homeless Woman / The Angel America	Angels in America	HBO
2005 (57th) [52]
	S. Epatha Merkerson	Rachel "Nanny" Crosby	Lackawanna Blues	HBO
	Halle Berry	Janie Crawford	Their Eyes Were Watching God	ABC
	Blythe Danner	Rebecca Davitch	Back When We Were Grownups	CBS
	Cynthia Nixon	Eleanor Roosevelt	Warm Springs	HBO
	Debra Winger	Dawn Anna	Dawn Anna	Lifetime
2006 (58th) [53]
	Helen Mirren	Queen Elizabeth I	Elizabeth I	HBO
	Gillian Anderson	Lady Dedlock	Bleak House	PBS
	Kathy Bates	Jane Stern	Ambulance Girl	Lifetime
	Annette Bening	Jean Harris	Mrs. Harris	HBO
	Judy Davis	Sante Kimes	A Little Thing Called Murder	Lifetime
2007 (59th) [54]
	Helen Mirren	DCI Jane Tennison	Prime Suspect: The Final Act	PBS
	Queen Latifah	Ana Wallace	Life Support	HBO
	Debra Messing	Molly Kagan	The Starter Wife	USA
	Mary-Louise Parker	Zenia Arden	The Robber Bride	Oxygen
	Gena Rowlands	Melissa Eisenbloom	What If God Were the Sun?	Lifetime
2008 (60th) [55]
	Laura Linney	Abigail Adams	John Adams	HBO
	Judi Dench	Miss Matty Jenkyns	Cranford	PBS
	Catherine Keener	Gertrude Baniszewski	An American Crime	Showtime
	Phylicia Rashad	Lena Younger	A Raisin in the Sun	ABC
	Susan Sarandon	Doris Duke	Bernard and Doris	HBO
2009 (61st) [56]
	Jessica Lange	Edith "Big Edie" Beale	Grey Gardens	HBO
	Drew Barrymore	Edith "Little Edie" Beale	Grey Gardens	HBO
	Shirley MacLaine	Coco Chanel	Coco Chanel	Lifetime
	Sigourney Weaver	Mary Griffith	Prayers for Bobby
	Chandra Wilson	Yvonne Caldwell	Accidental Friendship	Hallmark

2010s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Network
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
2010 (62nd) [57]
	Claire Danes	Temple Grandin	Temple Grandin	HBO
	Joan Allen	Georgia O'Keeffe	Georgia O'Keeffe	Lifetime
	Hope Davis	Hillary Clinton	The Special Relationship	HBO
	Judi Dench	Matty Jenkyns	Return to Cranford	PBS
	Maggie Smith	Mary Gilbert	Capturing Mary	HBO
2011 (63rd) [58]
	Kate Winslet	Mildred Pierce	Mildred Pierce	HBO
	Taraji P. Henson	Tiffany Rubin	Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story	Lifetime
	Diane Lane	Pat Loud	Cinema Verite	HBO
	Jean Marsh	Rose Buck	Upstairs, Downstairs	PBS
	Elizabeth McGovern	Cora, Countess of Grantham	Downton Abbey
2012 (64th) [59]
	Julianne Moore	Sarah Palin	Game Change	HBO
	Connie Britton	Vivien Harmon	American Horror Story	FX
	Ashley Judd	Rebecca Winstone	Missing	ABC
	Nicole Kidman	Martha Gellhorn	Hemingway & Gellhorn	HBO
	Emma Thompson	She	The Song of Lunch	PBS
2013 (65th) [60]
	Laura Linney	Cathy Jamison	The Big C: Hereafter	Showtime
	Jessica Lange	Sister Jude Martin	American Horror Story: Asylum	FX
	Helen Mirren	Linda Kenney Baden	Phil Spector	HBO
	Elisabeth Moss	Det. Robin Griffin	Top of the Lake	Sundance
	Sigourney Weaver	Elaine Barrish	Political Animals	USA
2014 (66th) [61]
	Jessica Lange	Fiona Goode	American Horror Story: Coven	FX
	Helena Bonham Carter	Elizabeth Taylor	Burton & Taylor	BBC America
	Minnie Driver	Maggie Royal	Return to Zero	Lifetime
	Sarah Paulson	Cordelia Foxx	American Horror Story: Coven	FX
	Cicely Tyson	Carrie Watts	The Trip to Bountiful	Lifetime
	Kristen Wiig	Cynthia Morehouse	The Spoils of Babylon	IFC
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
2015 (67th) [62]
	Frances McDormand	Olive Kitteridge	Olive Kitteridge	HBO
	Maggie Gyllenhaal	Nessa Stein	The Honorable Woman	Sundance
	Felicity Huffman	Barbara Hanlon	American Crime	ABC
	Jessica Lange	Elsa Mars	American Horror Story: Freak Show	FX
	Queen Latifah	Bessie Smith	Bessie	HBO
	Emma Thompson	Mrs. Lovett	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Live from Lincoln Center)	PBS
2016 (68th) [63]
	Sarah Paulson	Marcia Clark	The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story	FX
	Kirsten Dunst	Peggy Blumquist	Fargo	FX
	Felicity Huffman	Leslie Graham	American Crime	ABC
	Audra McDonald	Billie Holiday	Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill	HBO
	Lili Taylor	Anne Blaine	American Crime	ABC
	Kerry Washington	Anita Hill	Confirmation	HBO
2017 (69th) [64]	Nicole Kidman	Celeste Wright	Big Little Lies	HBO
	Carrie Coon	Gloria Burgle	Fargo	FX
	Felicity Huffman	Jeanette Hesby	American Crime	ABC
	Jessica Lange	Joan Crawford	Feud: Bette and Joan	FX
	Susan Sarandon	Bette Davis
	Reese Witherspoon	Madeline Martha McKenzie	Big Little Lies	HBO
2018 (70th) [65]
	Regina King	Latrice Butler	Seven Seconds	Netflix
	Jessica Biel	Cora Tannetti	The Sinner	USA
	Laura Dern	Jennifer Fox	The Tale	HBO
	Michelle Dockery	Alice Fletcher	Godless	Netflix
	Edie Falco	Leslie Abramson	Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders	NBC
	Sarah Paulson	Ally Mayfair-Richards	American Horror Story: Cult	FX
2019 (71st) [66]
	Michelle Williams	Gwen Verdon	Fosse/Verdon	FX
	Amy Adams	Camille Preaker	Sharp Objects	HBO
	Patricia Arquette	Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell	Escape at Dannemora	Showtime
	Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor	Sharonne Salaam	When They See Us	Netflix
	Joey King	Gypsy Rose Blanchard	The Act	Hulu
	Niecy Nash	Delores Wise	When They See Us	Netflix

2020s

Year	Actress	Role	Program	Network
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
2020 (72nd)
	Regina King	Angela Abar / Sister Night	Watchmen	HBO
	Cate Blanchett	Phyllis Schlafly	Mrs. America	FX
	Shira Haas	Esther "Esty" Shapiro	Unorthodox	Netflix
	Octavia Spencer	Madam C. J. Walker	Self Made
	Kerry Washington	Mia Warren	Little Fires Everywhere	Hulu
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
2021 (73rd)
	Kate Winslet	Mare Sheehan	Mare of Easttown	HBO
	Michaela Coel	Arabella Essiedu	I May Destroy You	HBO
	Cynthia Erivo	Aretha Franklin	Genius: Aretha	Nat Geo
	Elizabeth Olsen	Wanda Maximoff	WandaVision	Disney+
	Anya Taylor-Joy	Beth Harmon	The Queen's Gambit	Netflix
2022 (74th)
	Amanda Seyfried	Elizabeth Holmes	The Dropout	Hulu
	Toni Collette	Kathleen Peterson	The Staircase	HBO Max
	Julia Garner	Anna Delvey	Inventing Anna	Netflix
	Lily James	Pamela Anderson	Pam & Tommy	Hulu
	Sarah Paulson	Linda Tripp	Impeachment: American Crime Story	FX
	Margaret Qualley	Alex Russell	Maid	Netflix
2023 (75th)
	Ali Wong	Amy Lau	Beef	Netflix
	Lizzy Caplan	Libby	Fleishman Is in Trouble	FX
	Jessica Chastain	Tammy Wynette	George & Tammy	Showtime
	Dominique Fishback	Andrea "Dre" Greene	Swarm	Prime
	Kathryn Hahn	Clare Pierce	Tiny Beautiful Things	Hulu
	Riley Keough	Daisy Jones	Daisy Jones & the Six	Prime
2024 (76th)
	Jodie Foster	Chief Liz Danvers	True Detective: Night Country	HBO
	Brie Larson	Elizabeth Zott	Lessons in Chemistry	Apple TV+
	Juno Temple	Dorothy "Dot" Lyon	Fargo	FX
	Sofía Vergara	Griselda Blanco	Griselda	Netflix
	Naomi Watts	Babe Paley	Feud: Capote vs. The Swans	FX
2025 (77th)
	Cate Blanchett	Catherine Ravenscroft	Disclaimer	Apple TV+
	Meghann Fahy	Devon DeWitt	Sirens	Netflix
	Rashida Jones	Amanda	Black Mirror
	Cristin Milioti	Sofia Falcone	The Penguin	HBO
	Michelle Williams	Molly Kochan	Dying for Sex	FX

Superlatives

Superlative	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Actress with most awards	Helen Mirren (4)
Actress with most nominations	Helen Mirren (10)
Actress with most nominations without ever winning	Helen Hayes (5), Lee Remick (5)

Programs with multiple wins

5 wins Hallmark Hall of Fame

2 wins Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Prime Suspect Producers' Showcase

Performers with multiple wins

4 wins Helen Mirren (2 consecutive) 3 wins Patty Duke Laura Linney

2 wins Judith Anderson Ingrid Bergman Julie Harris Holly Hunter Regina King Jessica Lange Geraldine Page Gena Rowlands Meryl Streep Kate Winslet Joanne Woodward

Programs with multiple nominations

9 nominations Hallmark Hall of Fame 6 nominations American Horror Story Prime Suspect 5 nominations Playhouse 90 4 nominations American Crime 3 nominations Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Fargo Feud The United States Steel Hour

2 nominations American Crime Story Angels in America Big Little Lies Captains and the Kings CBS Playhouse Climax! A Cooler Climate Dr. Kildare* Elizabeth R Grey Gardens Holocaust Lonesome Dove Lux Video Theater The Miracle Worker Norma Jean & Marilyn The Richard Boone Show Roe vs. Wade The Snoop Sisters Studio One Sybil When They See Us Wild Iris

Performers with multiple nominations

10 nominations Helen Mirren 7 nominations Judy Davis Jessica Lange 6 nominations Glenn Close Julie Harris Gena Rowlands Joanne Woodward 5 nominations Helen Hayes Lee Remick 4 nominations Jane Alexander Judith Anderson Ann-Margret Katharine Hepburn Holly Hunter Elizabeth Montgomery Sarah Paulson Eva Marie Saint Maureen Stapleton Emma Thompson Cicely Tyson Alfre Woodard

3 nominations Ingrid Bergman Judi Dench Colleen Dewhurst Patty Duke Sally Field Lee Grant Felicity Huffman Glenda Jackson Laura Linney Mary Tyler Moore Geraldine Page Vanessa Redgrave Maggie Smith Meryl Streep Jessica Tandy Sigourney Weaver

2 nominations Halle Berry Cate Blanchett Helena Bonham Carter Carol Burnett Ellen Burstyn Stockard Channing Susan Clark Laura Dern Blythe Danner Bette Davis Farrah Fawcett Lynn Fontanne Rosemary Harris Barbara Hershey Anjelica Huston Ann Jillian Ashley Judd Nicole Kidman Regina King Diane Lane Piper Laurie Cloris Leachman Jean Marsh Suzanne Pleshette Queen Latifah Susan Sarandon Jane Seymour Sada Thompson Claire Trevor Kerry Washington JoBeth Williams Michelle Williams Kate Winslet Shelley Winters Teresa Wright

See also

• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
• TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
• Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie