# Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

This is a list of the winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

## Chronology of category names

Over the years, the scope of this award has evolved and the name with which it has been presented reflects those changes:
* 1975: Director of the Year – Special
* 1976: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy
* 1977: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program
* 1978–1979: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy
* 1980–1986: Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or Special
* 1987–1992: Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special
* 1993–1996: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or Special
* 1997–1998: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special
* 1999–2000: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie
* 2001–2002: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special
* 2003–2015: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special
* 2016–2020: Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special
* 2021–present: Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

## Winners and nominations
### 1970s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program |||||
| 1971 (23rd) |
| 1971 (23rd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Price" | Fielder Cook | NBC |
| 1971 (23rd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Hamlet" | Peter Wood | NBC |
| 1971 (23rd) | Movie of the Week on ABC | "Tribes" | Joseph Sargent | ABC |
| 1971 (23rd) | World Premiere NBC Saturday Night Movie | "A Clear and Present Danger" | James Goldstone | NBC |
| 1972 (24th) |
| 1972 (24th) | The New CBS Friday Night Movies | "The Glass House" | Tom Gries | CBS |
| 1972 (24th) | CBS Playhouse 90 | "Look Homeward, Angel" | Paul Bogart | CBS |
| 1972 (24th) | The Homecoming: A Christmas Story | The Homecoming: A Christmas Story | Fielder Cook | CBS |
| 1972 (24th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Snow Goose" | Patrick Garland | NBC |
| 1972 (24th) | Movie of the Week on ABC | "Brian's Song" | Buzz Kulik | ABC |
| 1973 (25th) |
| 1973 (25th) | The CBS Thursday Night Movie | "The Marcus-Nelson Murders" | Joseph Sargent | CBS |
| 1973 (25th) | The New CBS Tuesday Night Movies | "A War of Children" | George Schaefer | CBS |
| 1973 (25th) | Wednesday Movie of the Week on ABC | "That Certain Summer" | Lamont Johnson | ABC |
| Best Directing in Drama (A Single Program - Comedy or Drama) |||||
| 1974 (26th) |
| 1974 (26th) | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | John Korty | CBS |
| 1974 (26th) | ABC Theater | "Pueblo" | Anthony Page | ABC |
| 1974 (26th) | CBS Playhouse 90 | "The Migrants" | Tom Gries | CBS |
| 1974 (26th) | NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies | "A Case of Rape" | Boris Sagal | NBC |
| 1974 (26th) | NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies | "The Execution of Private Slovik" | Lamont Johnson | NBC |
| Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy |||||
| 1975 (27th) |
| 1975 (27th) | ABC Theater | "Love Among the Ruins" | George Cukor | ABC |
| 1975 (27th) | ABC Movie Special | "QB VII" | Tom Gries | ABC |
| 1975 (27th) | ABC Theater | "The Missiles of October" | Anthony Page | ABC |
| 1975 (27th) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "The Law" | John Badham | NBC |
| 1975 (27th) | Queen of the Stardust Ballroom | Queen of the Stardust Ballroom | Sam O'Steen | CBS |
| Outstanding Directing in a Special Program |||||
| 1976 (28th) |
| 1976 (28th) | ABC Theater | "Eleanor and Franklin" | Daniel Petrie | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | ABC Theater | "A Moon for the Misbegotten" | José Quintero and Gordon Rigsby | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | Babe | Babe | Buzz Kulik | CBS |
| 1976 (28th) | Fear on Trial | Fear on Trial | Lamont Johnson | CBS |
| Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy |||||
| 1977 (29th) |
| 1977 (29th) | ABC Theater | "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years" | Daniel Petrie | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | The Big Event | "Raid on Entebbe" | Irvin Kershner | NBC |
| 1977 (29th) | The Big Event | "Tail Gunner Joe" | Jud Taylor | NBC |
| 1977 (29th) | Helter Skelter | Helter Skelter | Tom Gries | CBS |
| 1977 (29th) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys" | Fielder Cook | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) |
| 1978 (30th) | The Defection of Simas Kudirka | The Defection of Simas Kudirka | David Lowell Rich | CBS |
| 1978 (30th) | Bell System Family Theatre | "Our Town" | George Schaefer | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | Breaking Up | Breaking Up | Delbert Mann | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | The Gathering | The Gathering | Randal Kleiser | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | Something for Joey | Something for Joey | Lou Antonio | CBS |
| 1978 (30th) | Great Performances | "Verna: USO Girl" | Ronald F. Maxwell | PBS |
| Outstanding Directing in a Limited Seriea or Special |||||
| 1979 (31st) |
| 1979 (31st) | Friendly Fire | Friendly Fire | David Greene | ABC |
| 1979 (31st) | Les Misérables | Les Misérables | Glenn Jordan | CBS |
| 1979 (31st) | Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story | Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story | Lou Antonio | CBS |

### 1980s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or Special |||||
| 1980 (32nd) |
| 1980 (32nd) | Attica | Attica | Marvin J. Chomsky | ABC |
| 1980 (32nd) | Amber Waves | Amber Waves | Joseph Sargent | ABC |
| 1980 (32nd) | Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones | Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones | William Graham | CBS |
| 1980 (32nd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "All Quiet on the Western Front" | Delbert Mann | ABC |
| 1980 (32nd) | Moviola | "The Scarlett O'Hara War" | John Erman | NBC |
| 1981 (33rd) |
| 1981 (33rd) | Kent State | Kent State | James Goldstone | NBC |
| 1981 (33rd) | Bitter Harvest | Bitter Harvest | Roger Young | NBC |
| 1981 (33rd) | Masada | "Part 4" | Boris Sagal (posthumously) | ABC |
| 1981 (33rd) | The Shadow Box | The Shadow Box | Paul Newman | ABC |
| 1981 (33rd) | Shōgun | "Part 5" | Jerry London | NBC |
| 1982 (34th) |
| 1982 (34th) | Inside the Third Reich | Inside the Third Reich | Marvin J. Chomsky | ABC |
| 1982 (34th) | Brideshead Revisited | "Et in Arcadia Ego" | Michael Lindsay-Hogg and Charles Sturridge | PBS |
| 1982 (34th) | Mae West | Mae West | Lee Philips | ABC |
| 1982 (34th) | Skokie | Skokie | Herbert Wise | CBS |
| 1983 (35th) |
| 1983 (35th) | Who Will Love My Children? | Who Will Love My Children? | John Erman | ABC |
| 1983 (35th) | Smiley's People | "Part 6" | Simon Langton | Syndicated |
| 1983 (35th) | Special Bulletin | Special Bulletin | Edward Zwick | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | The Thorn Birds | "Part 2" | Daryl Duke | ABC |
| 1983 (35th) | The Winds of War | "Into the Maelstrom" | Dan Curtis | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) |
| 1984 (36th) | American Playhouse | "Concealed Enemies" | Jeff Bleckner | PBS |
| 1984 (36th) | ABC Theater | "The Day After" | Nicholas Meyer | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) | ABC Theater | "Something About Amelia" | Randa Haines | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) | ABC Theater | "A Streetcar Named Desire" | John Erman | ABC |
| 1984 (36th) | Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter | Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter | Lamont Johnson | ABC |
| 1985 (37th) |
| 1985 (37th) | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | Lamont Johnson | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | ABC Theater | "Consenting Adult" | Gilbert Cates | ABC |
| 1985 (37th) | The Burning Bed | The Burning Bed | Robert Greenwald | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | Do You Remember Love | Do You Remember Love | Jeff Bleckner | CBS |
| 1985 (37th) | Fatal Vision | Fatal Vision | David Greene | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | The Jewel in the Crown | "Crossing the River" | Christopher Morahan and Jim O'Brien | PBS |
| Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1986 (38th) |
| 1986 (38th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Love Is Never Silent" | Joseph Sargent | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | ABC Theater | "The Execution of Raymond Graham" | Daniel Petrie | ABC |
| 1986 (38th) | Death of a Salesman | Death of a Salesman | Volker Schlöndorff | CBS |
| 1986 (38th) | An Early Frost | An Early Frost | John Erman | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Resting Place" | John Korty | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) |
| 1987 (39th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Promise" | Glenn Jordan | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) | Escape from Sobibor | Escape from Sobibor | Jack Gold | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) | LBJ: The Early Years | LBJ: The Early Years | Peter Werner | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder | "Part 1" | Paul Bogart | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Unnatural Causes | Unnatural Causes | Lamont Johnson | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) |
| 1988 (40th) | Lincoln | Lincoln | Lamont Johnson | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) | The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank | The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank | John Erman | CBS |
| 1988 (40th) | Billionaire Boys Club | Billionaire Boys Club | Marvin J. Chomsky | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) | Echoes in the Darkness | Echoes in the Darkness | Glenn Jordan | CBS |
| 1988 (40th) | The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story | The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story | Paul Wendkos | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) |
| 1989 (41st) | Lonesome Dove | "Part 1" & "Part 4" | Simon Wincer | CBS |
| 1989 (41st) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "My Name Is Bill W." | Daniel Petrie | ABC |
| 1989 (41st) | I Know My First Name is Steven | I Know My First Name is Steven | Larry Elikann | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) | Roe vs. Wade | Roe vs. Wade | Gregory Hoblit | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) | War and Remembrance | "Part 6" & "Part 7" | Dan Curtis | ABC |

### 1990s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1990 (42nd) |
| 1990 (42nd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Caroline?" | Joseph Sargent | CBS |
| 1990 (42nd) | AT&T Presents | "The Final Days" | Richard Pearce | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | Do You Know the Muffin Man? | Do You Know the Muffin Man? | Gilbert Cates | CBS |
| 1990 (42nd) | The Kennedys of Massachusetts | The Kennedys of Massachusetts | Lamont Johnson | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | A Killing in a Small Town | A Killing in a Small Town | Stephen Gyllenhaal | CBS |
| 1991 (43rd) |
| 1991 (43rd) | The Josephine Baker Story | The Josephine Baker Story | Brian Gibson | HBO |
| 1991 (43rd) | Absolute Strangers | Absolute Strangers | Gilbert Cates | CBS |
| 1991 (43rd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Decoration Day" | Robert Markowitz | NBC |
| 1991 (43rd) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Sarah, Plain and Tall" | Glenn Jordan | CBS |
| Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1992 (44th) |
| 1992 (44th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Miss Rose White" | Joseph Sargent | NBC |
| 1992 (44th) | Broadway Bound | Broadway Bound | Paul Bogart | ABC |
| 1992 (44th) | Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 | Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 | Lamont Johnson | ABC |
| 1992 (44th) | Homefront | "Pilot" | Ron Lagomarsino | ABC |
| 1992 (44th) | I'll Fly Away | "Pilot" | Joshua Brand | NBC |
| 1992 (44th) | Mark Twain and Me | Mark Twain and Me | Daniel Petrie | Disney |
| 1993 (45th) |
| 1993 (45th) | Sinatra | Sinatra | James Steven Sadwith | CBS |
| 1993 (45th) | Barbarians at the Gate | Barbarians at the Gate | Glenn Jordan | HBO |
| 1993 (45th) | Citizen Cohn | Citizen Cohn | Frank Pierson | HBO |
| 1993 (45th) | The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom | The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom | Michael Ritchie | HBO |
| 1993 (45th) | A Town Torn Apart | A Town Torn Apart | Daniel Petrie | NBC |
| 1994 (46th) |
| 1994 (46th) | Against the Wall | Against the Wall | John Frankenheimer | HBO |
| 1994 (46th) | And the Band Played On | And the Band Played On | Roger Spottiswoode | HBO |
| 1994 (46th) | Gypsy | Gypsy | Emile Ardolino | CBS |
| 1994 (46th) | My Breast | My Breast | Betty Thomas | CBS |
| 1994 (46th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "To Dance with the White Dog" | Glenn Jordan | CBS |
| 1995 (47th) |
| 1995 (47th) | The Burning Season | The Burning Season | John Frankenheimer | HBO |
| 1995 (47th) | Citizen X | Citizen X | Chris Gerolmo | HBO |
| 1995 (47th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Piano Lesson" | Lloyd Richards | CBS |
| 1995 (47th) | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Mick Jackson | HBO |
| 1995 (47th) | Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story | Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story | Jeff Bleckner | NBC |
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special |||||
| 1996 (48th) |
| 1996 (48th) | Andersonville | Andersonville | John Frankenheimer | TNT |
| 1996 (48th) | Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story | Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story | Peter Werner | Lifetime |
| 1996 (48th) | Gulliver's Travels | Gulliver's Travels | Charles Sturridge | NBC |
| 1996 (48th) | The Heidi Chronicles | The Heidi Chronicles | Paul Bogart | TNT |
| 1996 (48th) | The Late Shift | The Late Shift | Betty Thomas | HBO |
| 1997 (49th) |
| 1997 (49th) | The Odyssey | The Odyssey | Andrei Konchalovsky | NBC |
| 1997 (49th) | Bastard out of Carolina | Bastard out of Carolina | Anjelica Huston | Showtime |
| 1997 (49th) | Crime of the Century | Crime of the Century | Mark Rydell | HBO |
| 1997 (49th) | Gotti | Gotti | Robert Harmon | HBO |
| 1997 (49th) | In the Gloaming | In the Gloaming | Christopher Reeve | HBO |
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie |||||
| 1998 (50th) |
| 1998 (50th) | George Wallace | George Wallace | John Frankenheimer | TNT |
| 1998 (50th) | 12 Angry Men | 12 Angry Men | William Friedkin | Showtime |
| 1998 (50th) | Don King: Only in America | Don King: Only in America | John Herzfeld | HBO |
| 1998 (50th) | From the Earth to the Moon | "Can We Do This?" | Tom Hanks | HBO |
| 1998 (50th) | Merlin | Merlin | Steve Barron | NBC |
| 1999 (51st) |
| 1999 (51st) | The Temptations | The Temptations | Allan Arkush | NBC |
| 1999 (51st) | The Baby Dance | The Baby Dance | Jane Anderson | Showtime |
| 1999 (51st) | Dash and Lilly | Dash and Lilly | Kathy Bates | A&E |
| 1999 (51st) | Joan of Arc | Joan of Arc | Christian Duguay | CBS |
| 1999 (51st) | A Lesson Before Dying | A Lesson Before Dying | Joseph Sargent | HBO |

### 2000s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Special |||||
| 2000 (52nd) |
| 2000 (52nd) | The Corner | The Corner | Charles S. Dutton | HBO |
| 2000 (52nd) | Annie | Annie | Rob Marshall | ABC |
| 2000 (52nd) | Fail Safe | Fail Safe | Stephen Frears and Martin Pasetta | CBS |
| 2000 (52nd) | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | Martha Coolidge | HBO |
| 2000 (52nd) | RKO 281 | RKO 281 | Benjamin Ross | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) |
| 2001 (53rd) | Wit | Wit | Mike Nichols | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | 61* | 61* | Billy Crystal | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | Anne Frank: The Whole Story | Anne Frank: The Whole Story | Robert Dornhelm | ABC |
| 2001 (53rd) | Conspiracy | Conspiracy | Frank Pierson | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows | Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows | Robert Allan Ackerman | ABC |
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2002 (54th) |
| 2002 (54th) | Band of Brothers | Band of Brothers | David Frankel, Tom Hanks, David Leland, Richard Loncraine, David Nutter, Phil Alden Robinson, Mikael Salomon, and Tony To | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | The Gathering Storm | The Gathering Storm | Richard Loncraine | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | James Dean | James Dean | Mark Rydell | TNT |
| 2002 (54th) | The Laramie Project | The Laramie Project | Moisés Kaufman | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | Path to War | Path to War | John Frankenheimer | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) |
| 2003 (55th) | Door to Door | Door to Door | Steven Schachter | TNT |
| 2003 (55th) | Live from Baghdad | Live from Baghdad | Mick Jackson | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | My House in Umbria | My House in Umbria | Richard Loncraine | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone | The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone | Robert Allan Ackerman | Showtime |
| 2003 (55th) | Soldier's Girl | Soldier's Girl | Frank Pierson | Showtime |
| 2004 (56th) |
| 2004 (56th) | Angels in America | Angels in America | Mike Nichols | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | Ike: Countdown to D-Day | Ike: Countdown to D-Day | Robert Harmon | A&E |
| 2004 (56th) | The Lion in Winter | The Lion in Winter | Andrei Konchalovsky | Showtime |
| 2004 (56th) | Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness | Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness | Tom Hooper | PBS |
| 2004 (56th) | Something the Lord Made | Something the Lord Made | Joseph Sargent | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) |
| 2005 (57th) | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | Stephen Hopkins | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) | Empire Falls | Empire Falls | Fred Schepisi | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) | Lackawanna Blues | Lackawanna Blues | George C. Wolfe | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) | Warm Springs | Warm Springs | Joseph Sargent | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) |
| 2006 (58th) | Elizabeth I | Elizabeth I | Tom Hooper | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | Bleak House | Bleak House | Justin Chadwick | PBS |
| 2006 (58th) | Flight 93 | Flight 93 | Peter Markle | A&E |
| 2006 (58th) | The Girl in the Café | The Girl in the Café | David Yates | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | High School Musical | High School Musical | Kenny Ortega | Disney |
| 2006 (58th) | Mrs. Harris | Mrs. Harris | Phyllis Nagy | HBO |
| 2007 (59th) |
| 2007 (59th) | Prime Suspect: The Final Act | Prime Suspect: The Final Act | Philip Martin | PBS |
| 2007 (59th) | Broken Trail | Broken Trail | Walter Hill | AMC |
| 2007 (59th) | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee | Yves Simoneau | HBO |
| 2007 (59th) | Jane Eyre | Jane Eyre | Susanna White | PBS |
| 2007 (59th) | Tsunami: The Aftermath | Tsunami: The Aftermath | Bharat Nalluri | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) |
| 2008 (60th) | Recount | Recount | Jay Roach | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | Bernard and Doris | Bernard and Doris | Bob Balaban | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | The Company | The Company | Mikael Salomon | TNT |
| 2008 (60th) | Extras | "The Extra Special Series Finale" | Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | John Adams | John Adams | Tom Hooper | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) |
| 2009 (61st) | Little Dorrit | "Part 1" | Dearbhla Walsh | PBS |
| 2009 (61st) | Generation Kill | "Bomb in the Garden" | Susanna White | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Grey Gardens | Grey Gardens | Michael Sucsy | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Into the Storm | Into the Storm | Thaddeus O'Sullivan | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Taking Chance | Taking Chance | Ross Katz | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Wallander: One Step Behind | Wallander: One Step Behind | Philip Martin | PBS |

### 2010s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2010 (62nd) |
| 2010 (62nd) | Temple Grandin | Temple Grandin | Mick Jackson | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | Georgia O'Keeffe | Georgia O'Keeffe | Bob Balaban | Lifetime |
| 2010 (62nd) | The Pacific | "Part 8" | David Nutter and Jeremy Podeswa | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | The Pacific | "Part 9" | Tim Van Patten | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | You Don't Know Jack | You Don't Know Jack | Barry Levinson | HBO |
| 2011 (63rd) |
| 2011 (63rd) | Downton Abbey | "Episode One" | Brian Percival | PBS |
| 2011 (63rd) | Carlos | Carlos | Olivier Assayas | Sundance |
| 2011 (63rd) | Cinema Verite | Cinema Verite | Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini | HBO |
| 2011 (63rd) | Mildred Pierce | Mildred Pierce | Todd Haynes | HBO |
| 2011 (63rd) | Too Big to Fail | Too Big to Fail | Curtis Hanson | HBO |
| 2012 (64th) |
| 2012 (64th) | Game Change | Game Change | Jay Roach | HBO |
| 2012 (64th) | Hatfields & McCoys | Hatfields & McCoys | Kevin Reynolds | History |
| 2012 (64th) | Hemingway & Gellhorn | Hemingway & Gellhorn | Philip Kaufman | HBO |
| 2012 (64th) | Luther | Luther | Sam Miller | BBC America |
| 2012 (64th) | Sherlock: "A Scandal in Belgravia" | Paul McGuigan | PBS |
| 2013 (65th) |
| 2013 (65th) | Behind the Candelabra | Behind the Candelabra | Steven Soderbergh | HBO |
| 2013 (65th) | The Girl | The Girl | Julian Jarrold | HBO |
| 2013 (65th) | Phil Spector | Phil Spector | David Mamet | HBO |
| 2013 (65th) | Ring of Fire | Ring of Fire | Allison Anders | Lifetime |
| 2013 (65th) | Top of the Lake | "Part 5" | Jane Campion and Garth Davis | Sundance |
| 2014 (66th) |
| 2014 (66th) | Fargo | "Buridan's Ass" | Colin Bucksey | FX |
| 2014 (66th) | American Horror Story: Coven | "Bitchcraft" | Alfonso Gomez-Rejon | FX |
| 2014 (66th) | Fargo | "The Crocodile's Dilemma" | Adam Bernstein | FX |
| 2014 (66th) | Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight | Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight | Stephen Frears | HBO |
| 2014 (66th) | The Normal Heart | The Normal Heart | Ryan Murphy | HBO |
| 2014 (66th) | Sherlock: His Last Vow | Sherlock: His Last Vow | Nick Hurran | PBS |
| Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2015 (67th) |
| 2015 (67th) | Olive Kitteridge | Olive Kitteridge | Lisa Cholodenko | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | American Horror Story: Freak Show | "Monsters Among Us" | Ryan Murphy | FX |
| 2015 (67th) | Bessie | Bessie | Dee Rees | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | The Honorable Woman | The Honorable Woman | Hugo Blick | Sundance |
| 2015 (67th) | Houdini | Houdini | Uli Edel | History |
| 2015 (67th) | The Missing | The Missing | Tom Shankland | Starz |
| 2015 (67th) | Wolf Hall | Wolf Hall | Peter Kosminsky | PBS |
| 2016 (68th) |
| 2016 (68th) | The Night Manager | The Night Manager | Susanne Bier | AMC |
| 2016 (68th) | All the Way | All the Way | Jay Roach | HBO |
| 2016 (68th) | Fargo | "Before the Law" | Noah Hawley | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "From the Ashes of Tragedy" | Ryan Murphy | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "Manna from Heaven" | Anthony Hemingway | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "The Race Card" | John Singleton | FX |
| 2017 (69th) |
| 2017 (69th) | Big Little Lies | Big Little Lies | Jean-Marc Vallée | HBO |
| 2017 (69th) | Fargo | "The Law of Vacant Places" | Noah Hawley | FX |
| 2017 (69th) | Feud: Bette and Joan | "And the Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)" | Ryan Murphy | FX |
| 2017 (69th) | Genius | "Einstein: Chapter One" | Ron Howard | Nat Geo |
| 2017 (69th) | The Night Of | "The Art of War" | James Marsh | HBO |
| 2017 (69th) | The Night Of | "The Beach" | Steven Zaillian | HBO |
| 2018 (70th) |
| 2018 (70th) | The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | "The Man Who Would Be Vogue" | Ryan Murphy | FX |
| 2018 (70th) | Godless | Godless | Scott Frank | Netflix |
| 2018 (70th) | Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert | Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert | David Leveaux and Alex Rudzinski | NBC |
| 2018 (70th) | The Looming Tower | "9/11" | Craig Zisk | Hulu |
| 2018 (70th) | Paterno | Paterno | Barry Levinson | HBO |
| 2018 (70th) | Patrick Melrose | Patrick Melrose | Edward Berger | Showtime |
| 2018 (70th) | Twin Peaks | Twin Peaks | David Lynch | Showtime |
| 2019 (71st) |
| 2019 (71st) | Chernobyl | Chernobyl | Johan Renck | HBO |
| 2019 (71st) | Escape at Dannemora | Escape at Dannemora | Ben Stiller | Showtime |
| 2019 (71st) | Fosse/Verdon | "Glory" | Jessica Yu | FX |
| 2019 (71st) | Fosse/Verdon | "Who's Got the Pain?" | Thomas Kail | FX |
| 2019 (71st) | A Very English Scandal | A Very English Scandal | Stephen Frears | Prime Video |
| 2019 (71st) | When They See Us | When They See Us | Ava DuVernay | Netflix |

### 2020s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special |||||
| 2020 (72nd) |
| 2020 (72nd) | Unorthodox | Unorthodox | Maria Schrader | Netflix |
| 2020 (72nd) | Little Fires Everywhere | "Find a Way" | Lynn Shelton (posthumous) | Hulu |
| 2020 (72nd) | Normal People | "Episode 5" | Lenny Abrahamson | Hulu |
| 2020 (72nd) | Watchmen | "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" | Nicole Kassell | HBO |
| 2020 (72nd) | Watchmen | "Little Fear of Lightning" | Steph Green | HBO |
| 2020 (72nd) | Watchmen | "This Extraordinary Being" | Stephen Williams | HBO |
| Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie |||||
| 2021 (73rd) |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Queen's Gambit | The Queen's Gambit | Scott Frank | Netflix |
| 2021 (73rd) | Hamilton | Hamilton | Thomas Kail | Disney+ |
| 2021 (73rd) | I May Destroy You | "Ego Death" | Sam Miller and Michaela Coel | HBO |
| 2021 (73rd) | I May Destroy You | "Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes" | Sam Miller | HBO |
| 2021 (73rd) | Mare of Easttown | Mare of Easttown | Craig Zobel | HBO |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Underground Railroad | The Underground Railroad | Barry Jenkins | Prime Video |
| 2021 (73rd) | WandaVision | WandaVision | Matt Shakman | Disney+ |
| 2022 (74th) |
| 2022 (74th) | The White Lotus | The White Lotus | Mike White | HBO |
| 2022 (74th) | Dopesick | "The People vs. Purdue Pharma" | Danny Strong | Hulu |
| 2022 (74th) | The Dropout | "Green Juice" | Michael Showalter | Hulu |
| 2022 (74th) | The Dropout | "Iron Sisters" | Francesca Gregorini | Hulu |
| 2022 (74th) | Maid | "Sky Blue" | John Wells | Netflix |
| 2022 (74th) | Station Eleven | "Wheel of Fire" | Hiro Murai | HBO Max |
| 2023 (75th) |
| 2023 (75th) | Beef | "Figures of Light" | Lee Sung Jin | Netflix |
| 2023 (75th) | Beef | "The Great Fabricator" | Jake Schreier | Netflix |
| 2023 (75th) | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | "Bad Meat" | Carl Franklin | Netflix |
| 2023 (75th) | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | "Silenced" | Paris Barclay | Netflix |
| 2023 (75th) | Fleishman Is in Trouble | "Me-Time" | Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris | FX |
| 2023 (75th) | Prey | Prey | Dan Trachtenberg | Hulu |
| 2024 (76th) |
| 2024 (76th) | Ripley | Ripley | Steven Zaillian | Netflix |
| 2024 (76th) | Baby Reindeer | "Episode 4" | Weronika Tofilska | Netflix |
| 2024 (76th) | Fargo | "The Tragedy of the Commons" | Noah Hawley | FX |
| 2024 (76th) | Feud: Capote vs. The Swans | "Pilot" | Gus Van Sant | FX |
| 2024 (76th) | Lessons in Chemistry | "Poirot" | Millicent Shelton | Apple TV+ |
| 2024 (76th) | True Detective: Night Country | True Detective: Night Country | Issa López | HBO |

## Total awards by network

* HBO – 17
* CBS – 8
* NBC – 8
* ABC – 7
* PBS – 4
* Netflix – 4
* TNT – 3
* FX – 2
* AMC – 1