# Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series is an award that is 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 guest starring role on a television drama series for the primetime network season.
The award was first presented at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 19, 1975, to Zohra Lampert, for her performance on Kojak, and to Cloris Leachman, for her role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It has undergone several name changes, originally honoring single leading and supporting appearances in drama and comedy series through 1978. The award was re-introduced at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards under the name Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series, honoring actors and actresses in guest starring roles on television drama series. In 1989, the category was split into categories for each gender, resulting in the name change to its current title. Beginning with the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, performers are no longer eligible in guest acting categories if they were previously nominated for a lead or supporting award for playing the same character role in the same series.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 35 actresses. Patricia Clarkson, Cherry Jones, Shirley Knight, Margo Martindale, Amanda Plummer, and Alfre Woodard have won the most awards in this category, with two each. Cicely Tyson has been nominated for the award on five occasions, the most in the category. Meanwhile, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit holds the most awardees, with 5 winners coming from the show.

## Winners and nominations

Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.

### 1970s

| Year | Actress | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network |
| 1975 (27th) |
| 1975 (27th) | Zohra Lampert | Kojak | Marina Sheldon | "Queen of the Gypsies" | CBS |
| 1975 (27th) | Cloris Leachman | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Phyllis Lindstrom | "Phyllis Whips Inflation" | CBS |
| 1975 (27th) | Shelley Winters | McCloud | Thelma | "The Barefoot Girls of Bleaker Street" | NBC |
| 1976 (28th) |
| Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama Series |||||
| 1976 (28th) | Kathryn Walker | The Adams Chronicles | Abigail Adams | "John Adams, Lawyer" | PBS |
| 1976 (28th) | Helen Hayes | Hawaii Five-O | Aunt Clara | "Retire In Sunny Hawaii... Forever" | CBS |
| 1976 (28th) | Sheree North | Marcus Welby, M.D. | June Monica | "How Do You Know What Hurts Me?" | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | Pamela Payton-Wright | The Adams Chronicles | Louisa Catherine Adams | "John Quincy Adams, Diplomat" | PBS |
| 1976 (28th) | Martha Raye | McMillan & Wife | Agatha | "Greed" | NBC |
| Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series |||||
| 1976 (28th) | Fionnula Flanagan | Rich Man, Poor Man | Clothilde | "Part II" | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | Kim Darby | Rich Man, Poor Man | Virginia Calderwood | "Part II" | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | Ruth Gordon | Rhoda | Carlton's Mother | "Kiss Your Epaulets Goodbye" | CBS |
| 1976 (28th) | Eileen Heckart | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Flo Meredith | "Mary's Aunt" | CBS |
| 1976 (28th) | Kay Lenz | Rich Man, Poor Man | Kate Jordache | "Part VIII" | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) |
| Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama Series |||||
| 1977 (29th) | Beulah Bondi | The Waltons | Aunt Martha Corinne Walton | "The Pony Cart" | CBS |
| 1977 (29th) | Susan Blakely | Rich Man, Poor Man Book II | Julie Prescott | "Chapter 1" | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | Madge Sinclair | Roots | Bell Reynolds | "Part IV" | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | Leslie Uggams | Roots | Kizzy Reynolds | "Part VI" | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | Jessica Walter | The Streets of San Francisco | Maggie Jarris / Mrs. Reston / Mrs. McCluskey | "Till Death Do Us Part" | ABC |
| Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series |||||
| 1977 (29th) | Olivia Cole | Roots | Mathilda | "Part VIII" | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | Sandy Duncan | Roots | Missy Anne Reynolds | "Part V" | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | Eileen Heckart | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Flo Meredith | "Lou Proposes" | CBS |
| 1977 (29th) | Cicely Tyson | Roots | Binta | "Part I" | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | Nancy Walker | Rhoda | Ida Morgenstern | "The Separation" | CBS |
| 1978 (30th) |
| Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama Series |||||
| 1978 (30th) | Rita Moreno | The Rockford Files | Rita Capkovic | "The Paper Palace" | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | Patty Duke | Having Babies III | Leslee Wexler | — | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) | Kate Jackson | Jamie at 16 | Robin | "Pilot" | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | Jayne Meadows | Meeting of Minds | Florence Nightingale | "Luther, Voltaire, Plato, Nightingale" | PBS |
| 1978 (30th) | Irene Tedrow | Jamie at 16 | Miss Jordan | "Ducks" | NBC |
| Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series |||||
| 1978 (30th) | Blanche Baker | Holocaust | Anna Weiss | "Part I" | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | Ellen Corby | The Waltons | Esther Walton | "Grandma Comes Home" | CBS |
| 1978 (30th) | Jeanette Nolan | The Awakening Land | Granny McWhirter | "Part I" | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | Beulah Quo | Meeting of Minds | Empress Tz'u-hsi | "Douglass, Tz'u-Hsi, Beccaria, De Sade" | PBS |
| 1978 (30th) | Beatrice Straight | The Dain Curse | Alice Dain Leggett | "Part 1" | CBS |

### 1980s

| Year | Actress | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series ||||||
| 1986 (38th) |
| 1986 (38th) | John Lithgow | Amazing Stories | John Walters | "The Doll" | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | Whoopi Goldberg | Moonlighting | Camille | "Camille" | ABC |
| 1986 (38th) | Edward Herrmann | St. Elsewhere | Father Joseph McCabe | "Time Heals" | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | Peggy McCay | Cagney & Lacey | Mrs. Carruthers | "Mothers and Sons" | CBS |
| 1986 (38th) | James Stacy | Cagney & Lacey | Ted Peters | "The Gimp" | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) |
| 1987 (39th) | Alfre Woodard | L.A. Law | Adrianne Moore | "Pilot" | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Steve Allen | St. Elsewhere | Lech Osoranski | "Visiting Daze" | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Jeanne Cooper | L.A. Law | Gladys Becker | "Fry Me to the Moon" | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Edward Herrmann | St. Elsewhere | Father Joseph McCabe | "Where There's Hope, There's Crosby" | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Jayne Meadows | St. Elsewhere | Olga Osoranski | "Visiting Daze" | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) |
| 1988 (40th) | Shirley Knight | Thirtysomething | Ruth Murdock | "The Parents Are Coming" | ABC |
| 1988 (40th) | Imogene Coca | Moonlighting | Clara DiPesto | "Los Dos DiPietos" | ABC |
| 1988 (40th) | Lainie Kazan | St. Elsewhere | Frieda Fiscus | "The Abby Singer Show" | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) | Gwen Verdon | Magnum, P.I. | Catherine Peters | "Infinity And Jelly Doughnuts" | CBS |
| 1988 (40th) | Alfre Woodard | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Roxanne Turner | "The Abby Singer Show" | NBC |
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ||||||
| 1989 (41st) |
| 1989 (41st) | Kay Lenz | Midnight Caller | Tina Cassidy | "After It Happened" | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) | Shirley Knight | The Equalizer | Kay | "Time Present, Time Past" | CBS |
| 1989 (41st) | Jean Simmons | Murder, She Wrote | Eudora McVeigh | "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Part 1" | CBS |
| 1989 (41st) | Maureen Stapleton | B.L. Stryker | Auntie Sue | "Auntie Sue" | ABC |
| 1989 (41st) | Chloe Webb | China Beach | Laurette Barber | "Chao Ong" | ABC |
| 1989 (41st) | Teresa Wright | Dolphin Cove | Nina Rothman | "The Elders" | CBS |

### 1990s

| Year | Actress | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network |
| 1990 (42nd) |
| 1990 (42nd) | Viveca Lindfors | Life Goes On | Mrs. Doubcha | "Save the Last Dance for Me" | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | Ruby Dee | China Beach | Ruby | "Skylark" | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | Colleen Dewhurst | Road to Avonlea | Marilla Cuthbert | "The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" | Disney |
| 1990 (42nd) | Shirley Knight | Thirtysomething | Ruth Murdoch | "Arizona" | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | Kay Lenz | Midnight Caller | Tina Cassidy | "Someone to Love" | NBC |
| 1991 (43rd) |
| 1991 (43rd) | Peggy McCay | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Irene Hayes | "State of Mind" | CBS |
| 1991 (43rd) | Eileen Brennan | Thirtysomething | Margaret Weston | "Sifting The Ashes" | ABC |
| 1991 (43rd) | Colleen Dewhurst | Road to Avonlea | Marilla Cuthbert | "The Materializing of Duncan McTavish" | Disney |
| 1991 (43rd) | Penny Fuller | China Beach | Margaret Mary McMurphy | "Fever" | ABC |
| 1992 (44th) | Valerie Mahaffey | Northern Exposure | Eve | "The Bumpy Road to Love" | CBS |
| 1992 (44th) | Barbara Barrie | Law & Order | Mrs. Bream | "Vengeance" | NBC |
| 1992 (44th) | Shirley Knight | Law & Order | Melanie Currants | "The Wages of Love" | NBC |
| 1992 (44th) | Kate Nelligan | Road to Avonlea | Sydney Carver | "After the Honeymoon" | Disney Channel |
| 1993 (45th) |
| 1993 (45th) | Elaine Stritch | Law & Order | Lanie Stieglitz | "Point of View" | NBC |
| 1993 (45th) | Bibi Besch | Northern Exposure | Jane O'Connell | "Grosse Pointe 48230" | CBS |
| 1993 (45th) | Rosanna Carter | I'll Fly Away | Eulalia Jefferson | "What's in a Name" | NBC |
| 1993 (45th) | Diane Ladd | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Charlotte Cooper | "Pilot" | CBS |
| 1993 (45th) | Gwen Verdon | Homicide: Life on the Street | Jessie Doohen | "A Ghost of a Chance" | NBC |
| 1994 (46th) |
| 1994 (46th) | Faye Dunaway | Columbo: It's All in the Game | Lauren Staton | "It's All in the Game" | ABC |
| 1994 (46th) | Bonnie Bedelia | Fallen Angels | Sally Creighton | "The Quiet Room" | Showtime |
| 1994 (46th) | Stockard Channing | Road to Avonlea | Viola Elliott | "The Minister's Wife" | Disney |
| 1994 (46th) | Laura Dern | Fallen Angels | Annie Ainsley | "Murder, Obliquely" | Showtime |
| 1994 (46th) | Penny Fuller | NYPD Blue | Roberta Taub | "Serge the Consierge" | ABC |
| 1994 (46th) | Marlee Matlin | Picket Fences | Laurie Bey | "Dancing Bandit" | CBS |
| 1995 (47th) |
| 1995 (47th) | Shirley Knight | NYPD Blue | Agnes Cantwell | "Large Mouth Bass" | ABC |
| 1995 (47th) | Amy Brenneman | NYPD Blue | Janice Licalsi | "For Whom the Skell Tolls" | ABC |
| 1995 (47th) | Rosemary Clooney | ER | Madame X / Mary Cavanaugh | "Going Home" | NBC |
| 1995 (47th) | Colleen Flynn | ER | Jodi O'Brien | "Love's Labor Lost" | NBC |
| 1995 (47th) | CCH Pounder | The X-Files | Agent Lucy Kazdin | "Duane Barry" | Fox |
| 1996 (48th) |
| 1996 (48th) | Amanda Plummer | The Outer Limits | Dr. Theresa Givens | "A Stitch in Time" | Showtime |
| 1996 (48th) | Louise Fletcher | Picket Fences | Christine Bey | "Bye Bye, Bey Bey" | CBS |
| 1996 (48th) | Penny Fuller | ER | Mrs. Constantine | "Welcome Back Carter" | NBC |
| 1996 (48th) | Carol Kane | Chicago Hope | Marguerite Birch | "Stand" | CBS |
| 1996 (48th) | Maureen Stapleton | Road to Avonlea | Maggie MacPhee | "What a Tangled Web We Weave" | Disney |
| 1996 (48th) | Lily Tomlin | Homicide: Life on the Street | Rose Halligan | "The Hat" | NBC |
| 1997 (49th) |
| 1997 (49th) | Dianne Wiest | Road to Avonlea | Lillian Hepworth | "Woman of Importance" | Disney |
| 1997 (49th) | Veronica Cartwright | ER | Norma Houston | "Who's Appy Now? Faith" | NBC |
| 1997 (49th) | Diane Ladd | Touched by an Angel | Carolyn Sellers | "An Angel By Any Other Name" | CBS |
| 1997 (49th) | Anne Meara | Homicide: Life on the Street | Donna DiGrazi | "Hostage, Part 2" | NBC |
| 1997 (49th) | Isabella Rossellini | Chicago Hope | Prof. Marina Giannini | "Mother, May I" | CBS |
| 1998 (50th) |
| 1998 (50th) | Cloris Leachman | Promised Land | Aunt Mooster | "Mooster's Revenge" | CBS |
| 1998 (50th) | Veronica Cartwright | The X-Files | Cassandra Spender | "Patient X" | Fox |
| 1998 (50th) | Swoosie Kurtz | ER | Tina Marie Chambliss | "Suffer the Little Children" | NBC |
| 1998 (50th) | Lili Taylor | The X-Files | Marty Glenn | "Mind's Eye" | Fox |
| 1998 (50th) | Alfre Woodard | Homicide: Life on the Street | Dr. Roxanne Turner | "Mercy" | NBC |
| 1999 (51st) |
| 1999 (51st) | Debra Monk | NYPD Blue | Katie Sipowicz | "Hearts and Souls" | ABC |
| 1999 (51st) | Veronica Cartwright | The X-Files | Cassandra Spender | "Two Fathers" | Fox |
| 1999 (51st) | Patty Duke | Touched by an Angel | Nancy Williams | "I Do" | CBS |
| 1999 (51st) | Julia Roberts | Law & Order | Katrina Ludlow | "Empire" | NBC |
| 1999 (51st) | Marion Ross | Touched by an Angel | Emma | "The Wind Beneath My Wings" | CBS |
* ↑ Valerie Mahaffey won in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Northern Exposure.
* ↑ Barbara Barrie was nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Law & Order.
* ↑ Shirley Knight was nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Law & Order, but lost to Dana Delaney, who won for her role on China Beach.
* ↑ Kate Nelligan was nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her guest appearance on Road to Avonlea, but lost to Dana Delaney, who won for her role on China Beach.

### 2000s

| Year | Actress | Program | Role | Network |
| 2000 (52nd) |
| 2000 (52nd) | Beah Richards | The Practice | Gertrude Turner | ABC |
| 2000 (52nd) | Jane Alexander | Law & Order | Regina Mulroney | NBC |
| 2000 (52nd) | Jane Alexander | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Regina Mulroney | NBC |
| 2000 (52nd) | Kathy Baker | Touched by an Angel | Ellen | CBS |
| 2000 (52nd) | Marlee Matlin | The Practice | Sally Berg | ABC |
| 2000 (52nd) | Tracy Pollan | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Harper Anderson | NBC |
| 2001 (53rd) |
| 2001 (53rd) | Sally Field | ER | Maggie Wyczenski | NBC |
| 2001 (53rd) | Kathy Baker | Boston Public | Meredith Peters | Fox |
| 2001 (53rd) | Dana Delany | Family Law | Mary Sullivan | CBS |
| 2001 (53rd) | Annabella Sciorra | The Sopranos | Gloria Trillo | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | Jean Smart | The District | Sherry Regan | CBS |
| 2002 (54th) |
| 2002 (54th) | Patricia Clarkson | Six Feet Under | Sarah O'Connor | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | Illeana Douglas | Six Feet Under | Angela | HBO |
| 2002 (54th) | Mary McDonnell | ER | Eleanor Carter | NBC |
| 2002 (54th) | Martha Plimpton | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Claire Rinato | NBC |
| 2002 (54th) | Lili Taylor | Six Feet Under | Lisa Kimmel Fisher | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) |
| 2003 (55th) | Alfre Woodard | The Practice | Denise Freeman | ABC |
| 2003 (55th) | Barbara Barrie | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Paula Haggerty | NBC |
| 2003 (55th) | Kathy Bates | Six Feet Under | Bettina | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | Farrah Fawcett | The Guardian | Mary Gressler | CBS |
| 2003 (55th) | Tovah Feldshuh | Law & Order | Danielle Melnick | NBC |
| 2003 (55th) | Sally Field | ER | Maggie Wyczenski | NBC |
| 2004 (56th) |
| 2004 (56th) | Sharon Stone | The Practice | Sheila Carlisle | ABC |
| 2004 (56th) | Louise Fletcher | Joan of Arcadia | Eva | CBS |
| 2004 (56th) | Marlee Matlin | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Amy Solwey | NBC |
| 2004 (56th) | Mare Winningham | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Sandra Blaine | NBC |
| 2004 (56th) | Betty White | The Practice | Catherine Piper | ABC |
| 2005 (57th) |
| 2005 (57th) | Amanda Plummer | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Miranda Cole | NBC |
| 2005 (57th) | Jill Clayburgh | Nip/Tuck | Bobbi Broderick | FX |
| 2005 (57th) | Swoosie Kurtz | Huff | Madeleine Sullivan | Showtime |
| 2005 (57th) | Angela Lansbury | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Eleanor Duvall | NBC |
| 2005 (57th) | Angela Lansbury | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Eleanor Duvall | NBC |
| 2005 (57th) | Cloris Leachman | Joan of Arcadia | Aunt Olive | CBS |
| 2006 (58th) |
| 2006 (58th) | Patricia Clarkson | Six Feet Under | Sarah O'Connor | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | Kate Burton | Grey's Anatomy | Ellis Grey | ABC |
| 2006 (58th) | Joanna Cassidy | Six Feet Under | Margaret Chenowith | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | Swoosie Kurtz | Huff | Madeleine Sullivan | Showtime |
| 2006 (58th) | Christina Ricci | Grey's Anatomy | Hannah Davies | ABC |
| 2007 (59th) |
| 2007 (59th) | Leslie Caron | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lorraine Delmas | NBC |
| 2007 (59th) | Kate Burton | Grey's Anatomy | Ellis Grey | ABC |
| 2007 (59th) | Marcia Gay Harden | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dana Lewis | NBC |
| 2007 (59th) | Elizabeth Reaser | Grey's Anatomy | Rebecca Pope / Ava | ABC |
| 2007 (59th) | Jean Smart | 24 | Martha Logan | Fox |
| 2008 (60th) |
| 2008 (60th) | Cynthia Nixon | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Janis Donovan | NBC |
| 2008 (60th) | Ellen Burstyn | Big Love | Nancy Davis Dutton | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | Diahann Carroll | Grey's Anatomy | Jane Burke | ABC |
| 2008 (60th) | Sharon Gless | Nip/Tuck | Colleen Rose | FX |
| 2008 (60th) | Anjelica Huston | Medium | Cynthia Keener | NBC |
| 2009 (61st) |
| 2009 (61st) | Ellen Burstyn | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Bernie Stabler | NBC |
| 2009 (61st) | Brenda Blethyn | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Linnie Malcolm / Caroline Cantwell | NBC |
| 2009 (61st) | Carol Burnett | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Bridget "Birdie" Sulloway | NBC |
| 2009 (61st) | Sharon Lawrence | Grey's Anatomy | Robbie Stevens | ABC |
| 2009 (61st) | CCH Pounder | The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | Andrea Curtin | HBO |

### 2010s

| Year | Actress | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network |
| 2010 (62nd) |
| 2010 (62nd) | Ann-Margret | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Rita Wills | "Bedtime" | NBC |
| 2010 (62nd) | Shirley Jones | The Cleaner | Lola Zellman | "Does Everybody Have a Drink?" | A&E |
| 2010 (62nd) | Elizabeth Mitchell | Lost | Dr. Juliet Burke | "The End" | ABC |
| 2010 (62nd) | Mary Kay Place | Big Love | Adaleen Grant | "The Mighty and Strong" | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | Sissy Spacek | Big Love | Marilyn Densham | "End of Days" | HBO |
| 2010 (62nd) | Lily Tomlin | Damages | Marilyn Tobin | "Your Secrets Are Safe" | FX |
| 2011 (63rd) |
| 2011 (63rd) | Loretta Devine | Grey's Anatomy | Adele Webber | "This Is How We Do It" | ABC |
| 2011 (63rd) | Cara Buono | Mad Men | Dr. Faye Miller | "Chinese Wall" | AMC |
| 2011 (63rd) | Joan Cusack | Shameless | Sheila Jackson | "Frank Gallagher: Loving Husband, Devoted Father" | Showtime |
| 2011 (63rd) | Randee Heller | Mad Men | Ida Blankenship | "The Beautiful Girls" | AMC |
| 2011 (63rd) | Mary McDonnell | The Closer | Sharon Raydor | "Help Wanted" | TNT |
| 2011 (63rd) | Julia Stiles | Dexter | Lumen Pierce | "In the Beginning" | Showtime |
| 2011 (63rd) | Alfre Woodard | True Blood | Ruby Jean Reynolds | "Night of the Sun" | HBO |
| 2012 (64th) |
| 2012 (64th) | Martha Plimpton | The Good Wife | Patti Nyholm | "The Dream Team" | CBS |
| 2012 (64th) | Joan Cusack | Shameless | Sheila Jackson | "Can I Have a Mother" | Showtime |
| 2012 (64th) | Loretta Devine | Grey's Anatomy | Adele Webber | "If Only You Were Lonely" | ABC |
| 2012 (64th) | Julia Ormond | Mad Men | Marie Calvet | "The Phantom" | AMC |
| 2012 (64th) | Jean Smart | Harry's Law | Roseanna Remmick | "The Rematch" | NBC |
| 2012 (64th) | Uma Thurman | Smash | Rebecca Duvall | "Tech" | NBC |
| 2013 (65th) |
| 2013 (65th) | Carrie Preston | The Good Wife | Elsbeth Tascioni | "Je Ne Sais What?" | CBS |
| 2013 (65th) | Linda Cardellini | Mad Men | Sylvia Rosen | "Man with a Plan" | AMC |
| 2013 (65th) | Joan Cusack | Shameless | Sheila Jackson | "A Long Way From Home" | Showtime |
| 2013 (65th) | Jane Fonda | The Newsroom | Leona Lansing | "The 112th Congress" | HBO |
| 2013 (65th) | Margo Martindale | The Americans | Claudia | "The Colonel" | FX |
| 2013 (65th) | Diana Rigg | Game of Thrones | Lady Olenna Tyrell | "And Now His Watch Is Ended" | HBO |
| 2014 (66th) |
| 2014 (66th) | Allison Janney | Masters of Sex | Margaret Scully | "Brave New World" | Showtime |
| 2014 (66th) | Kate Burton | Scandal | Vice President Sally Langston | "A Door Marked Exit" | ABC |
| 2014 (66th) | Jane Fonda | The Newsroom | Leona Lansing | "Red Team III" | HBO |
| 2014 (66th) | Kate Mara | House of Cards | Zoe Barnes | "Chapter 14" | Netflix |
| 2014 (66th) | Margo Martindale | The Americans | Claudia | "Behind the Red Door" | FX |
| 2014 (66th) | Diana Rigg | Game of Thrones | Lady Olenna Tyrell | "The Lion and the Rose" | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) |
| 2015 (67th) | Margo Martindale | The Americans | Claudia | "I Am Abassin Zadran" | FX |
| 2015 (67th) | Khandi Alexander | Scandal | Maya Pope | "Where the Sun Don't Shine" | ABC |
| 2015 (67th) | Rachel Brosnahan | House of Cards | Rachel Posner | "Chapter 39" | Netflix |
| 2015 (67th) | Allison Janney | Masters of Sex | Margaret Scully | "Parallax" | Showtime |
| 2015 (67th) | Diana Rigg | Game of Thrones | Lady Olenna Tyrell | "The Gift" | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | Cicely Tyson | How to Get Away with Murder | Ophelia Harkness | "Mama's Here Now" | ABC |
| 2016 (68th) |
| 2016 (68th) | Margo Martindale | The Americans | Claudia | "The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears" | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | Ellen Burstyn | House of Cards | Elizabeth Hale | "Chapter 41" | Netflix |
| 2016 (68th) | Allison Janney | Masters of Sex | Margaret Scully | "Matters of Gravity" | Showtime |
| 2016 (68th) | Laurie Metcalf | Horace and Pete | Sarah Marsh | "Episode 3" | louisck.net |
| 2016 (68th) | Molly Parker | House of Cards | Jackie Sharp | "Chapter 45" | Netflix |
| 2016 (68th) | Carrie Preston | The Good Wife | Elsbeth Tascioni | "Targets" | CBS |
| 2017 (69th) | Alexis Bledel | The Handmaid's Tale | Emily Malek / Ofglen | "Late" | Hulu |
| 2017 (69th) | Laverne Cox | Orange Is the New Black | Sophia Burset | "Doctor Psycho" | Netflix |
| 2017 (69th) | Ann Dowd | The Leftovers | Patti Levin | "The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother)" | HBO |
| 2017 (69th) | Shannon Purser | Stranger Things | Barb Holland | "Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly" | Netflix |
| 2017 (69th) | Cicely Tyson | How to Get Away with Murder | Ophelia Harkness | "Go Cry Somewhere Else" | ABC |
| 2017 (69th) | Alison Wright | The Americans | Martha Hanson | "The Soviet Division" | FX |
| 2018 (70th) | Samira Wiley | The Handmaid's Tale | Moira Strand | "After" | Hulu |
| 2018 (70th) | Viola Davis | Scandal | Annalise Keating | "Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself" | ABC |
| 2018 (70th) | Kelly Jenrette | The Handmaid's Tale | Annie | "Other Women" | Hulu |
| 2018 (70th) | Cherry Jones | The Handmaid's Tale | Holly Maddox | "Baggage" | Hulu |
| 2018 (70th) | Diana Rigg | Game of Thrones | Lady Olenna Tyrell | "The Queen's Justice" | HBO |
| 2018 (70th) | Cicely Tyson | How to Get Away with Murder | Ophelia Harkness | "I'm Going Away" | ABC |
| 2019 (71st) |
| 2019 (71st) | Cherry Jones | The Handmaid's Tale | Holly Maddox | "Holly" | Hulu |
| 2019 (71st) | Laverne Cox | Orange Is the New Black | Sophia Burset | "Well This Took a Dark Turn" | Netflix |
| 2019 (71st) | Jessica Lange | American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Constance Langdon | "Return to Murder House" | FX |
| 2019 (71st) | Phylicia Rashad | This Is Us | Carol Clarke | "Our Little Island Girl" | NBC |
| 2019 (71st) | Cicely Tyson | How to Get Away with Murder | Ophelia Harkness | "Where Are Your Parents?" | ABC |
| 2019 (71st) | Carice van Houten | Game of Thrones | Melisandre of Asshai | "The Long Night" | HBO |

### 2020s

| Year | Actress | Program | Role | Submitted episode(s) | Network |
| 2020 (72nd) |
| 2020 (72nd) | Cherry Jones | Succession | Nan Pierce | "Tern Haven" | HBO |
| 2020 (72nd) | Alexis Bledel | The Handmaid's Tale | Emily Malek / Ofglen | "God Bless the Child" | Hulu |
| 2020 (72nd) | Laverne Cox | Orange Is the New Black | Sophia Burset | "God Bless America" | Netflix |
| 2020 (72nd) | Phylicia Rashad | This Is Us | Carol Clarke | "Flip a Coin" | NBC |
| 2020 (72nd) | Cicely Tyson | How to Get Away with Murder | Ophelia Harkness | "Stay" | ABC |
| 2020 (72nd) | Harriet Walter | Succession | Caroline Collingwood | "Return" | HBO |
| 2021 (73rd) |
| 2021 (73rd) | Claire Foy | The Crown | Princess Elizabeth | "48:1" | Netflix |
| 2021 (73rd) | Alexis Bledel | The Handmaid's Tale | Emily Malek / Ofglen | "Testimony" | Hulu |
| 2021 (73rd) | Mckenna Grace | The Handmaid's Tale | Esther Keyes | "Pigs" | Hulu |
| 2021 (73rd) | Sophie Okonedo | Ratched | Charlotte Wells | "The Dance" | Netflix |
| 2021 (73rd) | Phylicia Rashad | This Is Us | Carol Clarke | "I've Got This" | NBC |
| 2022 (74th) |
| 2022 (74th) | Lee Yoo-mi | Squid Game | Ji-Yeong | "Gganbu" | Netflix |
| 2022 (74th) | Hope Davis | Succession | Sandi Furness | "Retired Janitors of Idaho" | HBO |
| 2022 (74th) | Marcia Gay Harden | The Morning Show | Maggie Brener | "Testimony" | Apple TV+ |
| 2022 (74th) | Martha Kelly | Euphoria | Laurie | "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird" | HBO |
| 2022 (74th) | Sanaa Lathan | Succession | Lisa Arthur | "What It Takes" | HBO |
| 2022 (74th) | Harriet Walter | Succession | Caroline Collingwood | "Chiantishire" | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) |
| 2023 (75th) | Storm Reid | The Last of Us | Riley Abel | "Left Behind" | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) | Hiam Abbass | Succession | Marcia Roy | "Honeymoon States" | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) | Cherry Jones | Succession | Nan Pierce | "The Munsters" | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) | Melanie Lynskey | The Last of Us | Kathleen Coghlan | "Endure and Survive" | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) | Anna Torv | The Last of Us | Tess Servopoulos | "Infected" | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) | Harriet Walter | Succession | Caroline Collingwood | "Church and State" | HBO |
| 2024 (76th) |
| 2024 (76th) | Michaela Coel | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Bev | "Infidelity" | Prime Video |
| 2024 (76th) | Claire Foy | The Crown | Elizabeth II | "Sleep, Dearie Sleep" | Netflix |
| 2024 (76th) | Marcia Gay Harden | The Morning Show | Maggie Brener | "Update Your Priors" | Apple TV+ |
| 2024 (76th) | Sarah Paulson | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Therapist | "Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)" | Prime Video |
| 2024 (76th) | Parker Posey | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Other Jane | "Double Date" | Prime Video |

## Performers with multiple wins
### 2 wins

* Patricia Clarkson
* Cherry Jones (consecutive)
* Shirley Knight
* Margo Martindale (consecutive)
* Amanda Plummer
* Alfre Woodard