# Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for Variety Series is awarded to one television series each year. After being grouped together for decades as Outstanding Directing for Variety or Music Program, categories were divided for series and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special in 2009.
In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place:

## Winners and nominations
### 1970s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety, Comedy or Music |||||
| 1970 |
| 1970 | Kraft Music Hall | "The Sound of Burt Bacharach" | Dwight A. Hemion | NBC |
| 1970 | New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts | "Berlioz Takes a Trip" | Roger Englander | CBS |
| 1970 | The Second Bill Cosby Special | The Second Bill Cosby Special | Seymour Berns | NBC |
| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy-Variety or Music Series |||||
| 1971 |
| 1971 | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | "Orson Welles" | Mark Warren | NBC |
| 1971 | The Andy Williams Show | "Christmas Show" | Art Fisher | NBC |
| 1971 | The Flip Wilson Show | "David Frost, James Brown and The Muppets" | Tim Kiley | NBC |
| 1972 |
| 1972 | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | "Tony Randall" | Art Fisher | CBS |
| 1972 | The Carol Burnett Show | "Carol Channing and Steve Lawrence" | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1972 | The Flip Wilson Show | "Petula Clark and Redd Foxx" | Tim Kiley | NBC |
| 1973 |
| 1973 | The Julie Andrews Hour | "Lisa Doolittle and Mary Poppins" | Bill Davis | ABC |
| 1973 | The Flip Wilson Show | "Roberta Flack and Burt Reynolds" | Tim Kiley | NBC |
| 1973 | The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour | "Mike Connors" | Art Fisher | CBS |
| 1974 |
| 1974 | The Carol Burnett Show | "The Australia Show" | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1974 | In Concert | "Cat Stevens" | Joshua White | ABC |
| 1974 | The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour | "Ken Berry and George Foreman" | Art Fisher | CBS |
| 1975 |
| 1975 | The Carol Burnett Show | "Alan Alda" | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1975 | Cher | "Bette Midler, Flip Wilson and Elton John" | Art Fisher | CBS |
| 1976 |
| 1976 | Saturday Night Live | "Paul Simon" | Dave Wilson | NBC |
| 1976 | The Carol Burnett Show | "Maggie Smith" | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1976 | The Sonny and Cher Show | "Premiere" | Tim Kiley | CBS |
| 1977 |
| 1977 | The Carol Burnett Show | "Eydie Gormé" | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1977 | Saturday Night Live | "Paul Simon" | Dave Wilson | NBC |
| 1977 | Van Dyke and Company | "John Denver" | John Moffitt | NBC |
| 1978 |
| 1978 | The Carol Burnett Show | "Steve Martin and Betty White" | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1978 | The Muppet Show | "Elton John" | Peter Harris | Syndicated |
| 1978 | The Richard Pryor Show | "Paula Kelly" | John Moffitt | NBC |
| 1978 | Saturday Night Live | "Steve Martin" | Dave Wilson | NBC |
| 1978 | Shields and Yarnell | "John Aylesworth" | Steve Binder | CBS |
| Outstanding Directing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series |||||
| 1979 |
| 1979 | Barney Miller | "The Harris Incident" | Noam Pitlik | ABC |
| 1979 | All in the Family | "California, Here We Are, Part 2" | Paul Bogart | CBS |
| 1979 | M*A*S*H | "Dear Sis" | Alan Alda | CBS |
| 1979 | M*A*S*H | "Point of View" | Charles S. Dubin | CBS |
| 1979 | Soap | "Episode 27" | Jay Sandrich | ABC |

### 1980s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 1980 | Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program | Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program | Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program | Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program |
| 1980 | Baryshnikov on Broadway | Baryshnikov on Broadway | Dwight Hemion | ABC |
| 1980 | The Big Show | "Mariette Hartley and Dean Martin" | Steve Binder | NBC |
| 1980 | John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together | John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together | Tony Charmoli | ABC |
| 1980 | The Muppet Show | "Liza Minnelli" | Peter Harris | Syndicated |
| 1981 |
| 1981 | The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | Don Mischer | CBS |
| 1981 | The 53rd Annual Academy Awards | The 53rd Annual Academy Awards | Marty Pasetta | ABC |
| 1981 | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | "Dolly Parton and John Schneider" | Bob Henry | NBC |
| 1981 | Linda in Wonderland | Linda in Wonderland | Dwight Hemion | CBS |
| 1981 | Nureyev and the Joffrey Ballet in Tribute to Nijinsky (Great Performances) | Nureyev and the Joffrey Ballet in Tribute to Nijinsky (Great Performances) | Emile Ardolino | PBS |
| 1981 | Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight II | Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight II | Tony Charmoli | PBS |
| 1982 |
| 1982 | Goldie and Kids... Listen to Us | Goldie and Kids... Listen to Us | Dwight Hemion | ABC |
| 1982 | The 54th Annual Academy Awards | The 54th Annual Academy Awards | Marty Pasetta | ABC |
| 1982 | Baryshnikov in Hollywood | Baryshnikov in Hollywood | Don Mischer | CBS |
| 1982 | Live from Lincoln Center: An Evening with Danny Kaye | Live from Lincoln Center: An Evening with Danny Kaye | Robert Scheerer | PBS |
| 1982 | Night of 100 Stars | Night of 100 Stars | Clark Jones | ABC |
| 1983 |
| 1983 | Sheena Easton... Act One | Sheena Easton... Act One | Dwight Hemion | NBC |
| 1983 | The 55th Annual Academy Awards | The 55th Annual Academy Awards | Marty Pasetta | ABC |
| 1983 | Lincoln Center Special — Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Genius Has a Birthday! | Lincoln Center Special — Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Genius Has a Birthday! | Emile Ardolino | PBS |
| 1983 | Live from Lincoln Center: Zubin Mehta Conducts Beethoven's Ninth with the New York Philharmonic | Live from Lincoln Center: Zubin Mehta Conducts Beethoven's Ninth with the New York Philharmonic | Kirk Browning | PBS |
| 1983 | Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever | Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever | Don Mischer | NBC |
| 1983 | SCTV Network | "The Energy Ball" / "Sweeps Week Show" | John Blanchard and John Bell | NBC |
| 1984 |
| 1984 | Here's Television Entertainment | Here's Television Entertainment | Dwight Hemion | NBC |
| 1984 | Burnett "Discovers" Domingo | Burnett "Discovers" Domingo | Marty Pasetta | CBS |
| 1984 | The 6th Annual Kennedy Center Honors | The 6th Annual Kennedy Center Honors | Don Mischer | CBS |
| 1984 | The 1984 Tony Awards | The 1984 Tony Awards | Clark Jones | CBS |
| 1985 |
| 1985 | Sweeney Todd (Great Performances) | Sweeney Todd (Great Performances) | Terry Hughes | PBS |
| 1985 | Late Night with David Letterman | "3rd Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1985 | Motown Returns to the Apollo | Motown Returns to the Apollo | Don Mischer | PBS |
| 1985 | Night of 100 Stars II | Night of 100 Stars II | Waris Hussein | ABC |
| 1986 |
| 1986 | Copacabana | Copacabana | Waris Hussein | CBS |
| 1986 | The 58th Annual Academy Awards | The 58th Annual Academy Awards | Marty Pasetta | ABC |
| 1986 | The Gospel at Colonus (Great Performances) | The Gospel at Colonus (Great Performances) | Kirk Browning | PBS |
| 1986 | Neil Diamond... Hello Again | Neil Diamond... Hello Again | Dwight Hemion | CBS |
| 1987 |
| 1987 | The Kennedy Center Honors | The Kennedy Center Honors | Don Mischer | CBS |
| 1987 | Late Night with David Letterman | "5th Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1987 | Liberty Weekend: Opening Ceremonies | Liberty Weekend: Opening Ceremonies | Dwight Hemion | ABC |
| 1987 | The 41st Annual Tony Awards | The 41st Annual Tony Awards | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1987 | The Tracey Ullman Show | "Meg and Tina in August" / "Pre-School" / "Golf" | Ted Bessell and Stuart Margolin | Fox |
| 1988 |
| 1988 | Celebrating Gershwin (Great Performances) | Celebrating Gershwin (Great Performances) | Patricia Birch and Humphrey Burton | PBS |
| 1988 | Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration | Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1988 | Late Night with David Letterman | "6th Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1988 | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The 20th Reunion | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The 20th Reunion | David Grossman | CBS |
| 1989 |
| 1989 | The Jim Henson Hour | "Dog City" | Jim Henson | NBC |
| 1989 | Dance in America: Gregory Hines — Tap Dance in America (Great Performances) | Dance in America: Gregory Hines — Tap Dance in America (Great Performances) | Don Mischer | PBS |
| 1989 | The Debbie Allen Special | The Debbie Allen Special | Debbie Allen | ABC |
| 1989 | Late Night with David Letterman | "In Chicago" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1989 | The Tracey Ullman Show | "D.U.I." / "Family Therapy" / "9 Minutes & 52 Seconds Over Tokyo" / "Conjugal Visit" | Ted Bessell | Fox |

### 1990s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 1990 |
| 1990 | The Kennedy Center Honors | The Kennedy Center Honors | Dwight Hemion | CBS |
| 1990 | The 62nd Annual Academy Awards | "100 Years at the Movies" (segment) | Chuck Workman | ABC |
| 1990 | Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow | Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow | Paul Flaherty | HBO |
| 1990 | The Jim Henson Hour | "The Song of the Cloud Forest" | Jim Henson | NBC |
| 1990 | Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration | Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1991 |
| 1991 | Late Night with David Letterman | "1425" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1991 | The 63rd Annual Academy Awards | The 63rd Annual Academy Awards | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1991 | The Kennedy Center Honors | The Kennedy Center Honors | Dwight Hemion | CBS |
| 1992 |
| 1992 | Unforgettable... with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole (Great Performances) | Unforgettable... with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole (Great Performances) | Patricia Birch | PBS |
| 1992 | The 64th Annual Academy Awards | The 64th Annual Academy Awards | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1992 | Late Night with David Letterman | "10th Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Bobby Quinn | NBC |
| 1992 | The 45th Annual Tony Awards | The 45th Annual Tony Awards | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1993 |
| 1993 | The 1992 Tony Awards | The 1992 Tony Awards | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1993 | The 65th Annual Academy Awards | The 65th Annual Academy Awards | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1993 | Black and Blue (Great Performances) | Black and Blue (Great Performances) | Robert Altman | PBS |
| 1993 | Late Night with David Letterman | "1723" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1994 |
| 1994 | The Tony Awards | The Tony Awards | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1994 | The 66th Annual Academy Awards | The 66th Annual Academy Awards | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1994 | Late Show with David Letterman | "160" | Hal Gurnee | CBS |
| 1994 | Saturday Night Live | Saturday Night Live | Dave Wilson | NBC |
| 1994 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | "463" | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 1994 | Tracey Ullman Takes On New York | Tracey Ullman Takes On New York | Don Scardino | HBO |
| 1995 |
| 1995 | The 67th Annual Academy Awards | The 67th Annual Academy Awards | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1995 | Barbra Streisand: The Concert | Barbra Streisand: The Concert | Barbra Streisand and Dwight Hemion | HBO |
| 1995 | The Kennedy Center Honors | The Kennedy Center Honors | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 1995 | Late Show with David Letterman | "384" | Hal Gurnee | CBS |
| 1995 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | "541" | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 1996 |
| 1996 | The Kennedy Center Honors | The Kennedy Center Honors | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 1996 | The 68th Annual Academy Awards | The 68th Annual Academy Awards | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1996 | Late Show with David Letterman | "503" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 1996 | Marsalis on Music | "Sousa to Satchmo" | Michael Lindsay-Hogg | PBS |
| 1996 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | "914" | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 1997 |
| 1997 | Centennial Olympic Games: Opening Ceremonies | Centennial Olympic Games: Opening Ceremonies | Don Mischer | NBC |
| 1997 | The 69th Annual Academy Awards | The 69th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 1997 | Bette Midler: Diva Las Vegas | Bette Midler: Diva Las Vegas | Marty Callner | HBO |
| 1997 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | "1062" | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 1997 | Tracey Takes On... | "1976" | Thomas Schlamme | HBO |
| 1998 |
| 1998 | The 70th Annual Academy Awards | The 70th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 1998 | Fleetwood Mac: The Dance | Fleetwood Mac: The Dance | Bruce Gowers | MTV |
| 1998 | Garth: Live from Central Park | Garth: Live from Central Park | Marty Callner | HBO |
| 1998 | Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella | Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella | Robert Iscove | ABC |
| 1998 | Stomp Out Loud | Stomp Out Loud | Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas | HBO |
| 1998 | Tracey Takes On... | "Smoking" | Don Scardino | HBO |
| 1999 |
| 1999 | The 1998 Tony Awards | The 1998 Tony Awards | Paul Miller | CBS |
| 1999 | The 41st Annual Grammy Awards | The 41st Annual Grammy Awards | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1999 | The Kennedy Center Honors | The Kennedy Center Honors | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 1999 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Jennifer Love Hewitt" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | NBC |
| 1999 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | "1613" | Ellen Brown | NBC |

### 2000s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 2000 |
| 2000 | The 72nd Annual Academy Awards | The 72nd Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2000 | Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker | Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker | Keith Truesdell | HBO |
| 2000 | The Gershwins' "Crazy for You" (Great Performances) | The Gershwins' "Crazy for You" (Great Performances) | Matthew Diamond | PBS |
| 2000 | Late Show with David Letterman | "1294" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2000 | Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special | Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special | Beth McCarthy-Miller | NBC |
| 2000 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | "1770" | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 2001 |
| 2001 | Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion | Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion | David Mallet | Bravo |
| 2001 | The 73rd Annual Academy Awards | The 73rd Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2001 | Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City | Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City | Chris Hilson | HBO |
| 2001 | Late Show with David Letterman | "1527" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2001 | The 54th Annual Tony Awards | The 54th Annual Tony Awards | Paul Miller | CBS |
| 2002 |
| 2002 | Opening Ceremony Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games | Opening Ceremony Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games | Bucky Gunts, Ron de Moraes and Kenny Ortega | NBC |
| 2002 | The 74th Annual Academy Awards | The 74th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2002 | America: A Tribute to Heroes | America: A Tribute to Heroes | Joel Gallen and Beth McCarthy-Miller | |
| 2002 | From Broadway: Fosse (Great Performances) | From Broadway: Fosse (Great Performances) | Matthew Diamond | PBS |
| 2002 | Late Show with David Letterman | Late Show with David Letterman | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2003 |
| 2003 | The 56th Annual Tony Awards | The 56th Annual Tony Awards | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2003 | The 75th Annual Academy Awards | The 75th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2003 | Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in Barcelona | Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in Barcelona | Chris Hilson | CBS |
| 2003 | Late Show with David Letterman | "1876" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2003 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Christopher Walken" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | NBC |
| 2004 |
| 2004 | The 76th Annual Academy Awards | The 76th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2004 | Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home | Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home | John Moffitt | HBO |
| 2004 | Chappelle's Show | "204" | Neal Brennan, Andre Allen and Scott Vincent | Comedy Central |
| 2004 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "8086" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2004 | Elaine Stritch: At Liberty | Elaine Stritch: At Liberty | Andy Picheta, Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker | HBO |
| 2004 | Late Show with David Letterman | "2170" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2005 |
| 2005 | The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad - Opening Ceremony | The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad - Opening Ceremony | Bucky Gunts | NBC |
| 2005 | The 77th Annual Academy Awards | The 77th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2005 | Da Ali G Show | "Rekognize" | James Bobin | HBO |
| 2005 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "9010" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2005 | Late Show with David Letterman | "2269" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2006 |
| 2006 | The 78th Annual Academy Awards | The 78th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2006 | American Idol | "Finale" | Bruce Gowers | Fox |
| 2006 | The Colbert Report | "110" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2006 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "10140" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2006 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Steve Martin" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | NBC |
| 2007 |
| 2007 | Tony Bennett: An American Classic | Tony Bennett: An American Classic | Rob Marshall | NBC |
| 2007 | American Idol | "The Final Two" | Bruce Gowers | Fox |
| 2007 | The Colbert Report | "2161" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2007 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "12061" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2007 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Alec Baldwin" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2008 |
| 2008 | The 80th Annual Academy Awards | The 80th Annual Academy Awards | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2008 | The Colbert Report | "4051" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2008 | Company (Great Performances) | Company (Great Performances) | Lonny Price | PBS |
| 2008 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "13050" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2008 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Tina Fey" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2009 | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series |
| 2009 | American Idol | "833 (The Final Three)" | Bruce Gowers | Fox |
| 2009 | The Colbert Report | "4159" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2009 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "13107" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2009 | Late Show with David Letterman | "2932" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2009 | Real Time with Bill Maher | "705" | Hal Grant | HBO |
| 2009 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Justin Timberlake" | Don Roy King | NBC |

### 2010s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 2010 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Betty White" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2010 | The Colbert Report | "5076 (in Iraq)" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2010 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "15054" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2010 | Late Show with David Letterman | "3289" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2010 | The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien | "146" | Allan Kartun | NBC |
| 2011 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Justin Timberlake" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2011 | American Idol | "1024/1025A" | Gregg Gelfand | Fox |
| 2011 | The Colbert Report | "6112" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2011 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "16048" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2011 | Late Show with David Letterman | "3333" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2012 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Mick Jagger" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2012 | The Colbert Report | "7121A" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2012 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "17087" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2012 | Late Show with David Letterman | "3602" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2012 | Portlandia | "One Moore Episode" | Jonathan Krisel | IFC |
| 2013 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Justin Timberlake" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2013 | The Colbert Report | "8131" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2013 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "17153" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2013 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | "13-1810" | Andy Fisher | ABC |
| 2013 | Late Show with David Letterman | "3749" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2013 | Portlandia | "Alexandra" | Jonathan Krisel | IFC |
| 2014 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Jimmy Fallon" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2014 | The Colbert Report | "9135" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2014 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "18153" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2014 | Portlandia | "Getting Away" | Jonathan Krisel | IFC |
| 2014 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | "Episode 1 (Will Smith/U2)" | Dave Diomedi | NBC |
| 2015 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "20103" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2015 | The Colbert Report | "11040" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2015 | Inside Amy Schumer | "12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer" | Amy Schumer and Ryan McFaul | Comedy Central |
| 2015 | Late Show with David Letterman | "4214" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2015 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | "203" | Dave Diomedi | NBC |
| 2016 |
| 2016 | Inside Amy Schumer | "Madonna/Whore" | Ryan McFaul | Comedy Central |
| 2016 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "303" | Paul Pennolino | HBO |
| 2016 | The Late Late Show with James Corden | "Post-Super Bowl Episode" | Tim Mancinelli | CBS |
| 2016 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Tina Fey & Amy Poehler" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2016 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | "325" | Dave Diomedi | NBC |
| 2017 |
| 2017 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Jimmy Fallon" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2017 | Drunk History | "Hamilton" | Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner | Comedy Central |
| 2017 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | "The (RED) Show" | Andy Fisher | ABC |
| 2017 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "Multi-Level Marketing" | Paul Pennolino | HBO |
| 2017 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "0179" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |
| 2018 |
| 2018 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Donald Glover" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2018 | Full Frontal with Samantha Bee | "2061" | Andre Allen | TBS |
| 2018 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "421" | Paul Pennolino | HBO |
| 2018 | The Late Late Show with James Corden | "0416" | Tim Mancinelli | CBS |
| 2018 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "438" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |
| 2018 | Portlandia | "Riot Spray" | Carrie Brownstein | IFC |
| 2019 |
| 2019 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Adam Sandler" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2019 | Documentary Now! | "Waiting for the Artist" | Alex Buono and Rhys Thomas | IFC |
| 2019 | Drunk History | "Are You Afraid of the Drunk?" | Derek Waters | Comedy Central |
| 2019 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "Psychics" | Paul Pennolino | HBO |
| 2019 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "Live Midterm Election Show" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |
| 2019 | Who Is America? | "Episode 102" | Sacha Baron Cohen, Nathan Fielder, Daniel Gray Longino and Dan Mazer | Showtime |

### 2020s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 2020 |
| 2020 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Eddie Murphy" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2020 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | "Born at Night, But Not Last Night" | Dime Davis | HBO |
| 2020 | The Daily Show with Trevor Noah | "Dr. Fauci Answers Trevor's Questions About Coronavirus" | David Paul Meyer | Comedy Central |
| 2020 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "Episode 629" | Paul Pennolino and Christopher Werner | HBO |
| 2020 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "Live Show; Chris Christie; Nathaniel Rateliff" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |
| 2020 | Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready | "Flame Monroe" | Linda Mendoza | Netflix |
| 2021 |
| 2021 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Dave Chappelle" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2021 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020" | Christopher Werner | HBO |
| 2021 | Late Night with Seth Meyers | "Episode 1085a" | Alexander J. Vietmeier | NBC |
| 2021 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "Live Show Following Capitol Insurrection; Senator Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Performance By Jamila Woods" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |
| 2021 | Real Time with Bill Maher | "Episode 1835" | Paul G. Casey | HBO |
| 2022 |
| 2022 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | "Save My Edges, I'm a Donor!" | Bridget Stokes | HBO |
| 2022 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "Union Busting" | Paul Pennolino and Christopher Werner | HBO |
| 2022 | Late Night with Seth Meyers | "Episode 1252" | Alexander J. Vietmeier | NBC |
| 2022 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "Artistic Musical Performance by Chance The Rapper; Monologue: Ukraine & Russian War, January 6 Committee Evidence on Trump & Donald Jr.; Guest Beanie Feldstein" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |
| 2022 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Billie Eilish" | Don Roy King and Liz Patrick | NBC |
| 2023 |
| 2023 | Saturday Night Live | "Co-Hosts: Steve Martin & Martin Short" | Liz Patrick | NBC |
| 2023 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | "20th Anniversary Special" | Andy Fisher | ABC |
| 2023 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | "Afghanistan" | Paul Pennolino | HBO |
| 2023 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "John Oliver; Broadway Cast of the Lion King" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |
| 2023 | The Problem with Jon Stewart | "Chaos, Law, and Order" | André Allen | Apple TV+ |
| 2024 |
| 2024 | Saturday Night Live | "Host: Ryan Gosling" | Liz Patrick | NBC |
| 2024 | The Daily Show | "Jon Stewart Returns to The Daily Show" | David Paul Meyer | Comedy Central |
| 2024 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | "Trump Still Mad About Oscars Joke and Thinks Jimmy is Al Pacino, Chris Stapleton's Ballad for John Stamos, Guest Rob McElhenney & The Return of Our Outdoor Stage!" | Andy Fisher | ABC |
| 2024 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | "December 21, 2023: GOP Wants Biden Kicked Off Ballot, Bankrupt Rudy Hawks Supplements, Elf on the Shelf For Parents; Meanwhile; Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen; Louis Cato and The Late Show Band" | Jim Hoskinson | CBS |

## Programs with multiple nominations

Totals include nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming.

## Individuals with multiple wins
### 10 wins

* Don Roy King

### 6 wins

* Louis J. Horvitz

### 5 wins

* Dwight Hemion

### 4 wins

* Dave Powers

### 3 wins

* Don Mischer

### 2 wins

* Patricia Birch
* Bucky Gunts
* Walter C. Miller