# Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1955 and it is given in honor of a writer or writers who produced an outstanding story or screenplay for an episode of a television drama series during the primetime network season. Undergoing several name changes, the award received its current title at the 48th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1996.
Since its inception, the award has been presented to 75 writers. Will Smith is the current recipient of the award for his work on the episode of Apple TV+'s Slow Horses titled "Negotiating with Tigers". Rod Serling holds the record for most wins for this category at six. The Sopranos holds the record for most wins and nominations for this category at 6 and 21, respectively. Game of Thrones, Hill Street Blues and The Sopranos are the only shows that have been nominated in 7 different years.

## Winners and nominations

Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
Table key :
* Indicates the winner

### 1950s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Best Written Dramatic Material |||||
| 1955 (7th) | Studio One | "Twelve Angry Men" | Reginald Rose | CBS |
| 1955 (7th) | Climax! | "An Error in Chemistry" | David Dortort | CBS |
| 1955 (7th) | Four Star Playhouse | "The Answer" | Leonard Freeman | CBS |
| 1955 (7th) | Medic | "White Is the Color" | James Moser | NBC |
| 1955 (7th) | The Philco Television Playhouse | The Philco Television Playhouse | Paddy Chayefsky | NBC |
| 1956 (8th) |
| Best Original Teleplay Writing ||||
| 1956 (8th) | Kraft Television Theatre | "Patterns" | Rod Serling | NBC |
| 1956 (8th) | Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse | "A Catered Affair" | Paddy Chayefsky | NBC |
| 1956 (8th) | Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse | "Thunder Over Washington" | David Davidson | NBC |
| 1956 (8th) | The Philco Television Playhouse | "A Man Is Ten Feet Tall" | Robert Alan Aurthur | NBC |
| 1956 (8th) | The United States Steel Hour | "Fearful Decision" | Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum | CBS |
| Best Television Adaptation ||||
| 1956 (8th) | Ford Star Jubilee | "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" | Paul Gregory and Franklin J. Schaffner | CBS |
| 1956 (8th) | The 20th Century Fox Hour | "The Miracle on 34th Street" | John Monks | CBS |
| 1956 (8th) | The 20th Century Fox Hour | "The Ox-Bow Incident" | David Dortort | CBS |
| 1956 (8th) | Climax! | "The Champion" | Rod Serling | CBS |
| 1956 (8th) | Producers' Showcase | "Our Town" | David Shaw | NBC |
| 1957 (9th) |
| Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less ||||
| 1957 (9th) | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | "Fog Closing In" | James P. Cavanagh | CBS |
| 1957 (9th) | Frontier | "Patrol" | Morton Fine and David Friedkin | NBC |
| 1957 (9th) | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | "The Buntime" | Dan Ullman | ABC |
| 1957 (9th) | The Loretta Young Show | "The Pearl" | Richard Morris | NBC |
| 1957 (9th) | Telephone Time | "Man with the Beard" | John Nesbitt | ABC |
| Best Teleplay Writing – One Hour or More ||||
| 1957 (9th) | Playhouse 90 | "Requiem for a Heavyweight" | Rod Serling | CBS |
| 1957 (9th) | Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse | "Joey" | Louis Peterson | NBC |
| 1957 (9th) | Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse | "Tragedy in a Temporary Town" | Reginald Rose | NBC |
| 1957 (9th) | Kraft Television Theatre | "A Night to Remember" | John Whedon and George Roy Hill | NBC |
| 1957 (9th) | Playhouse 90 | "Sizeman and Son" | Elick Moll | CBS |
| 1958 (10th) |
| Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less ||||
| 1958 (10th) | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | "The Lonely Wizard" | Paul Monash | CBS |
| 1958 (10th) | Father Knows Best | "Margaret Hires a Gardener" | Roswell Rogers | NBC |
| 1958 (10th) | Frontiers of Faith | "A Chassidic Tale" | Morton Wishengrad | NBC |
| 1958 (10th) | Gunsmoke | "Born to Hang" | John Meston | CBS |
| 1958 (10th) | Leave It to Beaver | "Beaver Gets 'Spelled" | Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher | CBS |
| Best Teleplay Writing – One Hour or More ||||
| 1958 (10th) | Playhouse 90 | "The Comedian" | Rod Serling | CBS |
| 1958 (10th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Green Pastures" | Marc Connelly | NBC |
| 1958 (10th) | Omnibus | "The Life of Samuel Johnson" | James Lee | NBC |
| 1958 (10th) | Playhouse 90 | "The Miracle Worker" | William Gibson | CBS |
| 1958 (10th) | Studio One | "No Deadly Medicine" | Arthur Hailey | CBS |
| 1959 (11th) |
| Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour ||||
| 1959 (11th) | Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre | "Eddie" | Alfred Brenner and Ken Hughes | NBC |
| 1959 (11th) | Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre | "The Loudmouth" | Christopher Knopf | NBC |
| 1959 (11th) | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | "Lamb to the Slaughter" | Roald Dahl | CBS |
| 1959 (11th) | General Electric Theater | "One is a Wanderer" | Samuel A. Taylor | CBS |
| 1959 (11th) | Peter Gunn | "The Kill" | Blake Edwards | NBC |
| Best Writing of a Single Dramatic Program - One Hour or Longer ||||
| 1959 (11th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Little Moon of Alban" | James Costigan | NBC |
| 1959 (11th) | Playhouse 90 | "Child of Our Time" | Irving G. Neiman | CBS |
| 1959 (11th) | Playhouse 90 | "Days of Wine and Roses" | JP Miller | CBS |
| 1959 (11th) | Playhouse 90 | "Old Man" | Horton Foote | CBS |
| 1959 (11th) | Playhouse 90 | "A Town Has Turned to Dust" | Rod Serling | CBS |

### 1960s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama |||||
| 1960 (12th) | The Twilight Zone | The Twilight Zone | Rod Serling | CBS |
| 1960 (12th) | Ford Startime | "The Turn of the Screw" | James Costigan | NBC |
| 1960 (12th) | Playhouse 90 | "Project Immortality" | Loring Mandel | CBS |
| 1961 (16th) | The Twilight Zone | The Twilight Zone | Rod Serling | CBS |
| 1961 (16th) | DuPont Show of the Month | "The Lincoln Murder Case" | Dale Wasserman | CBS |
| 1961 (16th) | NBC Sunday Showcase | "Sacco-Vanzetti Story" | Reginald Rose | NBC |
| 1962 (14th) |
| 1962 (14th) | The Defenders | The Defenders | Reginald Rose | CBS |
| 1962 (14th) | Alcoa Premiere | "People Need People" | Henry F. Greenberg | ABC |
| 1962 (14th) | Ben Casey | "I Remember a Lemon Tree" | Story by : Marcus W. Demian Teleplay by : Jack Laird | ABC |
| 1962 (14th) | The Dick Powell Show | "The Price of Tomatoes" | Richard Alan Simmons | NBC |
| 1962 (14th) | The Twilight Zone | The Twilight Zone | Rod Serling | CBS |
| 1963 (15th) |
| 1963 (15th) | The Defenders | "The Madman" | Robert Thom and Reginald Rose | CBS |
| 1963 (15th) | Ben Casey | "A Cardinal Act of Mercy" | Norman Katkov | ABC |
| 1963 (15th) | The DuPont Show of the Week | "Big Deal in Laredo" | Sidney Carroll | NBC |
| 1963 (15th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Invincible Mr. Disraeli" | James Lee | NBC |
| 1963 (15th) | Premiere, Presented by Fred Astaire | "The Voice of Charlie Pont" | Halsted Welles | ABC |
| 1964 (16th) |
| Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Original ||||
| 1964 (16th) | The Defenders | "Blacklist" | Ernest Kinoy | CBS |
| 1964 (16th) | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | "Something About Lee Wiley" | David Rayfiel | NBC |
| 1964 (16th) | Breaking Point | "And James Was a Very Small Snail" | Allan Sloane | ABC |
| 1964 (16th) | Dr. Kildare | "What's God to Julius?" | Adrian Spies | NBC |
| 1964 (16th) | East Side/West Side | "Who Do You Kill?" | Arnold Perl | CBS |
| Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Adaptation ||||
| 1964 (16th) | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | "It's Mental Work" | Rod Serling | NBC |
| 1964 (16th) | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | "The Jar" | James Bridges | CBS |
| 1964 (16th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Patriots" | Robert Hartung | NBC |
| 1964 (16th) | The Richard Boone Show | "The Hooligan" | Walter Newman | NBC |
| Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment – Writers |||||
| 1965 (17th) | The Defenders | "The 700-Year-Old Gang" | David Karp | CBS |
| 1965 (17th) | The Dick Van Dyke Show | "Never Bathe on Sunday" | Carl Reiner | CBS |
| 1965 (17th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Magnificent Yankee" | Robert Hartung | NBC |
| 1965 (17th) | That Was the Week That Was | That Was the Week That Was | William Boardman, Dee Caruso, Robert Emmett, David Frost, Gerald Gardner, Buck Henry, Joseph Hurley, Thomas Meehan, Herb Sargent, Larry Siegel, Gloria Steinem, Jim Stevenson, Calvin Trillin and Saul Turteltaub | NBC |
| 1965 (17th) | The Wonderful World of Burlesque | The Wonderful World of Burlesque | Arnie Rosen and Coleman Jacoby | NBC |
| Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama |||||
| 1966 (18th) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Eagle in a Cage" | Millard Lampell | NBC |
| 1966 (18th) | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | "The Game" | S. Lee Pogostin | NBC |
| 1966 (18th) | I Spy | "A Cup of Kindness" | Morton Fine and David Friedkin | NBC |
| 1967 (19th) | Mission: Impossible | "Pilot" | Bruce Geller | CBS |
| 1967 (19th) | CBS Playhouse | "The Final War of Olly Winter" | Ronald Ribman | CBS |
| 1967 (19th) | I Spy | "The War Lord" | Robert Culp | NBC |
| 1968 (20th) |
| 1968 (20th) | CBS Playhouse | "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" | Loring Mandel | CBS |
| 1968 (20th) | CBS Playhouse | "Dear Friends" | Reginald Rose | CBS |
| 1968 (20th) | Mission: Impossible | "The Seal" | William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter | CBS |
| 1968 (20th) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "Ironside" | Don Mankiewicz | NBC |
| 1969 (21st) |
| 1969 (21st) | CBS Playhouse | "The People Next Door" | JP Miller | CBS |
| 1969 (21st) | CBS Playhouse | "The Experiment" | Ellen M. Violett | CBS |
| 1969 (21st) | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Teacher, Teacher" | Allan Sloane | NBC |

### 1970s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama |||||
| 1970 (22nd) |
| 1970 (22nd) | NBC World Premiere Movie | "My Sweet Charlie" | Richard Levinson and William Link | NBC |
| 1970 (22nd) | The ABC Wednesday Night Movie | "Marcus Welby, M.D." | Don Mankiewicz | ABC |
| 1970 (22nd) | CBS Playhouse | "Sadbird" | George Bellak | CBS |
| 1971 (23rd) |
| 1971 (23rd) | The Bold Ones: The Senator | "To Taste of Death but Once" | Joel Oliansky | NBC |
| 1971 (23rd) | The Bold Ones: The Senator | "A Continual Roar of Musketry" | David W. Rintels | NBC |
| 1971 (23rd) | Four in One | "The Psychiatrist" | Jerrold Freedman | NBC |
| 1972 (24th) |
| 1972 (24th) | Columbo | "Death Lends a Hand" | Richard Levinson and William Link | NBC |
| 1972 (24th) | Columbo | "Murder by the Book" | Steven Bochco | NBC |
| 1972 (24th) | Columbo | "Suitable for Framing" | Jackson Gillis | NBC |
| 1973 (25th) |
| 1973 (25th) | The Waltons | "The Scholar" | John McGreevey | CBS |
| 1973 (25th) | Columbo | "Etude in Black" | Story by : Richard Levinson and William Link Teleplay by : Steven Bochco | NBC |
| 1973 (25th) | The Waltons | "The Love Story" | Earl Hamner Jr. | CBS |
| Best Writing in Drama |||||
| 1974 (26th) |
| 1974 (26th) | The Waltons | "The Thanksgiving Story" | Joanna Lee | CBS |
| 1974 (26th) | Kojak | "Death Is Not a Passing Grade" | Gene R. Kearney | CBS |
| 1974 (26th) | The Waltons | "The Easter Story" | John McGreevey | CBS |
| Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series |||||
| 1975 (27th) |
| 1975 (27th) | Benjamin Franklin | "The Ambassador" | Howard Fast | CBS |
| 1975 (27th) | Benjamin Franklin | "The Whirlwind" | Loring Mandel | CBS |
| 1975 (27th) | Police Story | "Robbery: 48 Hours" | Robert L. Collins | NBC |
| 1975 (27th) | Upstairs, Downstairs | "The Bolter" | John Hawkesworth | PBS |
| 1975 (27th) | Upstairs, Downstairs | "Miss Forrest" | Alfred Shaughnessy | PBS |
| 1976 (28th) |
| 1976 (28th) | The Adams Chronicles | "John Adams and Lawyer" | Sherman Yellen | PBS |
| 1976 (28th) | Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill | "Lady Randolph" | Julian Mitchell | PBS |
| 1976 (28th) | The Law | "Complaint Amended" | Joel Oliansky | NBC |
| 1976 (28th) | Rich Man, Poor Man | "Part I" | Dean Riesner | ABC |
| 1976 (28th) | Upstairs, Downstairs | "Another Year" | Alfred Shaughnessy | PBS |
| 1977 (29th) |
| 1977 (29th) | Roots | "Part II" | Ernest Kinoy and William Blinn | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | The Adams Chronicles | "Charles Francis Adams: Minister to Great Britain" | Roger O. Hirson | PBS |
| 1977 (29th) | The Adams Chronicles | "John Quincy Adams: President" | Tad Mosel | PBS |
| 1977 (29th) | Roots | "Part V" | James Lee | ABC |
| 1977 (29th) | Roots | "Part VIII" | M. Charles Cohen | ABC |
| 1978 (30th) |
| 1978 (30th) | Holocaust | Holocaust | Gerald Green | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | The Dain Curse | The Dain Curse | Robert W. Lenski | CBS |
| 1978 (30th) | King | King | Abby Mann | NBC |
| 1978 (30th) | Meeting of Minds | Meeting of Minds | Steve Allen | PBS |
| 1978 (30th) | The Norman Conquests | The Norman Conquests | Alan Ayckbourn | PBS |
| 1979 (31st) |
| 1979 (31st) | Lou Grant | "Dying" | Michele Gallery | CBS |
| 1979 (31st) | Lou Grant | "Marathon" | Gene Reynolds | CBS |
| 1979 (31st) | Lou Grant | "Vet" | Leon Tokatyan | CBS |
| 1979 (31st) | The Paper Chase | "The Late Mr. Hart" | James Bridges | CBS |

### 1980s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 1980 (32nd) |
| 1980 (32nd) | Lou Grant | "Cop" | Seth Freeman | CBS |
| 1980 (32nd) | Lou Grant | "Brushfire" | Allan Burns and Gene Reynolds | CBS |
| 1980 (32nd) | Lou Grant | "Lou" | Michele Gallery | CBS |
| 1980 (32nd) | Skag | "Pilot" | Abby Mann | NBC |
| 1980 (32nd) | Tenspeed and Brown Shoe | "Pilot" | Stephen J. Cannell | ABC |
| 1981 (33rd) |
| 1981 (33rd) | Hill Street Blues | "Hill Street Station" | Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll | NBC |
| 1981 (33rd) | American Dream | "Pilot" | Ronald M. Cohen, Barbara Corday and Ken Hecht | ABC |
| 1981 (33rd) | Hill Street Blues | "Jungle Madness" | Steven Bochco, Michael Kozoll and Anthony Yerkovich | NBC |
| 1981 (33rd) | Lou Grant | "Rape" | Seth Freeman | CBS |
| 1981 (33rd) | Lou Grant | "Strike" | April Smith | CBS |
| 1982 (34th) |
| 1982 (34th) | Hill Street Blues | "Freedom's Last Stand" | Story by : Michael Kozoll and Steven Bochco Teleplay by : Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Jeffrey Lewis and Michael Wagner | NBC |
| 1982 (34th) | Hill Street Blues | "Personal Foul" | Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Jeffrey Lewis and Michael Wagner | NBC |
| 1982 (34th) | Hill Street Blues | "The Second Oldest Profession" | Story by : Michael Kozoll, Steven Bochco and Anthony Yerkovich Teleplay by : Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich and Robert Crais | NBC |
| 1982 (34th) | Hill Street Blues | "The World According to Freedom" | Michael Wagner | NBC |
| 1982 (34th) | Lou Grant | "Blacklist" | Seth Freeman | CBS |
| 1983 (35th) |
| 1983 (35th) | Hill Street Blues | "Trial by Fury" | David Milch | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | Hill Street Blues | "Eugene's Comedy Empire Strikes Back" | Story by : Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich and Jeff Lewis Teleplay by : Anthony Yerkovich, David Milch and Karen Hall | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | Hill Street Blues | "A Hair of the Dog" | Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich and Jeffrey Lewis | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | Hill Street Blues | "No Body's Perfect" | Story by : Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich and Jeffrey Lewis Teleplay by : Michael I. Wagner and David Milch | NBC |
| 1983 (35th) | Hill Street Blues | "Officer of the Year" | Karen Hall | NBC |
| 1984 (36th) |
| 1984 (36th) | St. Elsewhere | "The Women" | Story by : John Masius and Tom Fontana Teleplay by : John Ford Noonan | NBC |
| 1984 (36th) | Hill Street Blues | "Doris in Wonderland" | Story by : Steven Bochco, Jeffrey Lewis and David Milch Teleplay by : Peter Silverman | NBC |
| 1984 (36th) | Hill Street Blues | "Grace Under Pressure" | Story by : Steven Bochco, Jeffrey Lewis and David Milch Teleplay by : Jeffrey Lewis, Michael I. Wagner, Karen Hall and Mark Frost | NBC |
| 1984 (36th) | St. Elsewhere | "All About Eve" | John Masius and Tom Fontana | NBC |
| 1984 (36th) | St. Elsewhere | "Newheart" | John Masius, Tom Fontana, Garn Stephens and Emilie R. Small | NBC |
| 1984 (36th) | St. Elsewhere | "Qui Transulit Sustinet" | Story by : John Masius and Tom Fontana Teleplay by : John Tinker & Mark Tinker | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) |
| 1985 (37th) | Cagney & Lacey | "Who Said It's Fair, Part 2" | Patricia Green | CBS |
| 1985 (37th) | Cagney & Lacey | "Child Witness" | Deborah Arakelian | CBS |
| 1985 (37th) | Hill Street Blues | "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" | Story by : Michael I. Wagner Teleplay by : Jacob Epstein | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | Miami Vice | "Pilot" | Anthony Yerkovich | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | St. Elsewhere | "Murder, She Rote" | John Masius, Tom Fontana and Steve Bello | NBC |
| 1985 (37th) | St. Elsewhere | "Sweet Dreams" | John Masius and Tom Fontana | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) |
| 1986 (38th) | St. Elsewhere | "Time Heals" | John Tinker, Tom Fontana and John Masius | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | Hill Street Blues | "What Are Friends For?" | Dick Wolf | NBC |
| 1986 (38th) | Moonlighting | "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" | Debra Frank and Carl Sautter | ABC |
| 1986 (38th) | Moonlighting | "Twas the Episode Before Christmas" | Glenn Gordon Caron | ABC |
| 1986 (38th) | St. Elsewhere | "Haunted" | Story by : John Masius and Tom Fontana Teleplay by : John Tinker, Charles H. Eglee and Channing Gibson | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) |
| 1987 (39th) | L.A. Law | "The Venus Butterfly" | Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Cagney & Lacey | "Turn, Turn, Turn, Part 1" | Georgia Jeffries | CBS |
| 1987 (39th) | Hill Street Blues | "It Ain't Over Till It's Over" | Jeffrey Lewis, David Milch and John Romano | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | L.A. Law | "Sidney the Dead-Nosed Reindeer" | William M. Finkelstein | NBC |
| 1987 (39th) | Moonlighting | "I Am Curious... Maddie" | Story by : Ron Osborn, Karen Hall, Roger Director and Charles H. Eglee Teleplay by : Jeff Reno and Glenn Gordon Caron | ABC |
| 1987 (39th) | Moonlighting | "Atomic Shakespeare" | Jeff Reno and Ron Osborn | ABC |
| 1987 (39th) | St. Elsewhere | "Afterlife" | Tom Fontana, John Tinker and John Masius | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) |
| 1988 (40th) | Thirtysomething | "Business as Usual" | Paul Haggis and Marshall Herskovitz | ABC |
| 1988 (40th) | Beauty and the Beast | "Pilot" | Ron Koslow | CBS |
| 1988 (40th) | China Beach | "Pilot" | John Sacret Young | ABC |
| 1988 (40th) | L.A. Law | "Beauty and Obese" | Terry Louise Fisher and David E. Kelley | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) | L.A. Law | "Full Martial Jacket" | Story by : Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher Teleplay by : Terry Louise Fisher and David E. Kelley | NBC |
| 1988 (40th) | St. Elsewhere | "The Last One" | Story by : Tom Fontana, John Tinker and Channing Gibson Teleplay by : Bruce Paltrow and Mark Tinker | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) |
| 1989 (41st) | Thirtysomething | "First Day/Last Day" | Joseph Dougherty | ABC |
| 1989 (41st) | L.A. Law | "His Suit Is Hirsute" | Steven Bochco, David E. Kelley, Michele Gallery and William M. Finkelstein | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) | L.A. Law | "I'm in the Nude for Love" | David E. Kelley | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) | L.A. Law | "Urine Trouble Now" | David E. Kelley, William M. Finkelstein, Michele Gallery and Judith Parker | NBC |
| 1989 (41st) | Thirtysomething | "The Mike Van Dyke Show" | Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick | ABC |

### 1990s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 1990 (42nd) | L.A. Law | "Blood, Sweat & Fears" | David E. Kelley | NBC |
| 1990 (42nd) | L.A. Law | "Bang... Zoom... Zap" | William M. Finkelstein and David E. Kelley | NBC |
| 1990 (42nd) | Thirtysomething | "The Go Between" | Joseph Dougherty | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | Twin Peaks | "Pilot" | Mark Frost and David Lynch | ABC |
| 1990 (42nd) | Twin Peaks | "Episode 3" | Harley Peyton | ABC |
| 1991 (43rd) | L.A. Law | "On the Toad Again" | David E. Kelley | NBC |
| 1991 (43rd) | L.A. Law | "Lie Harder" | Judith Feldman and Sarah Woodside Gallagher | NBC |
| 1991 (43rd) | L.A. Law | "Mutinies on the Banzai" | Alan Brennert, Patricia Green and David E. Kelley | NBC |
| 1991 (43rd) | Northern Exposure | "Pilot" | Joshua Brand and John Falsey | CBS |
| 1991 (43rd) | Thirtysomething | "Second Look" | Ann Lewis Hamilton | ABC |
| 1992 (44th) | Northern Exposure | "Seoul Mates" | Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider | CBS |
| 1992 (44th) | China Beach | "Hello-Goodbye" | Story by : John Sacret Young, John Wells, Lydia Woodward and Carol Flint Teleplay by : John Wells | ABC |
| 1992 (44th) | I'll Fly Away | "Master Magician" | David Chase | NBC |
| 1992 (44th) | Northern Exposure | "Burning Down the House" | Robin Green | CBS |
| 1992 (44th) | Northern Exposure | "Democracy in America" | Jeff Melvoin | CBS |
| 1993 (45th) | Homicide: Life on the Street | "Three Men and Adena" | Tom Fontana | NBC |
| 1993 (45th) | Homefront | "The Lacemakers" | Bernard Lechowick | ABC |
| 1993 (45th) | Law & Order | "Manhood" | Story by : Walon Green and Robert Nathan Teleplay by : Robert Nathan | NBC |
| 1993 (45th) | Northern Exposure | "Kaddish for Uncle Manny" | Jeff Melvoin | CBS |
| 1993 (45th) | Northern Exposure | "Midnight Sun" | Geoffrey Neigher | CBS |
| 1994 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "Steroid Roy" | Ann Biderman | ABC |
| 1994 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "NYPD Lou" | Ted Mann | ABC |
| 1994 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "Personal Foul" | Story by : David Milch Teleplay by : Burton Armus | ABC |
| 1994 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "Pilot" | Story by : David Milch and Steven Bochco Teleplay by : David Milch | ABC |
| 1994 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "Tempest in a C-Cup" | Gardner Stern | ABC |
| 1995 (47th) | ER | "Love's Labor Lost" | Lance Gentile | NBC |
| 1995 (47th) | ER | "24 Hours" | Michael Crichton | NBC |
| 1995 (47th) | My So-Called Life | "Pilot" | Winnie Holzman | ABC |
| 1995 (47th) | NYPD Blue | "Simone Says" | Story by : Steven Bochco, David Milch and Walon Green Teleplay by : David Milch and Walon Green | ABC |
| 1995 (47th) | The X-Files | "Duane Barry" | Chris Carter | Fox |
| 1996 (48th) | The X-Files | "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" | Darin Morgan | Fox |
| 1996 (48th) | ER | "The Healers" | John Wells | NBC |
| 1996 (48th) | ER | "Hell and High Water" | Neal Baer | NBC |
| 1996 (48th) | Murder One | "Chapter One" | Story by : Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee and Channing Gibson Teleplay by : Charles H. Eglee, Channing Gibson, Steven Bochco and David Milch | ABC |
| 1996 (48th) | NYPD Blue | "The Backboard Jungle" | Story by : William L. Morris Teleplay by : David Mills | ABC |
| 1997 (49th) | NYPD Blue | "Where's 'Swaldo?" | Stephen Gaghan, Michael R. Perry and David Milch | ABC |
| 1997 (49th) | ER | "Faith" | John Wells | NBC |
| 1997 (49th) | ER | "Whose Appy Now?" | Neal Baer | NBC |
| 1997 (49th) | NYPD Blue | "Taillight's Last Gleaming" | David Mills | ABC |
| 1997 (49th) | The X-Files | "Memento Mori" | Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, John Shiban and Frank Spotnitz | Fox |
| 1998 (50th) | NYPD Blue | "Lost Israel, Part 2" | Story by : David Milch and Bill Clark Teleplay by : David Milch and Nicholas Wootton | ABC |
| 1998 (50th) | Homicide: Life on the Street | "Subway" | James Yoshimura | NBC |
| 1998 (50th) | NYPD Blue | "Lost Israel, Part 1" | Story by : Ted Mann, Bill Clark and Meredith Stiehm Teleplay by : David Milch and Ted Mann | ABC |
| 1998 (50th) | The Practice | "Betrayal" | David E. Kelley | ABC |
| 1998 (50th) | The X-Files | "The Post-Modern Prometheus" | Chris Carter | Fox |
| 1999 (51st) | The Sopranos | "College" | James Manos Jr. and David Chase | HBO |
| 1999 (51st) | NYPD Blue | "Hearts and Souls" | Story by : Steven Bochco, David Milch and Bill Clark Teleplay by : Nicholas Wootton | ABC |
| 1999 (51st) | The Sopranos | "Isabella" | Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess | HBO |
| 1999 (51st) | The Sopranos | "Nobody Knows Anything" | Frank Renzulli | HBO |
| 1999 (51st) | The Sopranos | "The Sopranos" | David Chase | HBO |

### 2000s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 2000 (52nd) | The West Wing | "In Excelsis Deo" | Aaron Sorkin and Rick Cleveland | NBC |
| 2000 (52nd) | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | "Hush" | Joss Whedon | The WB |
| 2000 (52nd) | The Sopranos | "Funhouse" | David Chase and Todd A. Kessler | HBO |
| 2000 (52nd) | The Sopranos | "The Knight in White Satin Armor" | Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess | HBO |
| 2000 (52nd) | The West Wing | "Pilot" | Aaron Sorkin | NBC |
| 2001 (53rd) | The Sopranos | "Employee of the Month" | Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | The Sopranos | "Amour Fou" | Story by : David Chase Teleplay by : Frank Renzulli | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | The Sopranos | "Pine Barrens" | Story by : Tim Van Patten and Terence Winter Teleplay by : Terence Winter | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | The Sopranos | "Second Opinion" | Lawrence Konner | HBO |
| 2001 (53rd) | The West Wing | "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" | Aaron Sorkin | NBC |
| 2002 (54th) | 24 | "12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m." | Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow | Fox |
| 2002 (54th) | Alias | "Truth Be Told" | J. J. Abrams | ABC |
| 2002 (54th) | ER | "On the Beach" | John Wells | NBC |
| 2002 (54th) | The Shield | "Pilot" | Shawn Ryan | FX |
| 2002 (54th) | The West Wing | "Posse Comitatus" | Aaron Sorkin | NBC |
| 2003 (55th) | The Sopranos | "Whitecaps" | Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess and David Chase | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | Six Feet Under | "Twilight" | Craig Wright | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | The Sopranos | "Eloise" | Terence Winter | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | The Sopranos | "Whoever Did This" | Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess | HBO |
| 2003 (55th) | The West Wing | "Twenty Five" | Aaron Sorkin | NBC |
| 2004 (56th) | The Sopranos | "Long Term Parking" | Terence Winter | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | Deadwood | "Deadwood" | David Milch | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | The Sopranos | "Irregular Around the Margins" | Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | The Sopranos | "Unidentified Black Males" | Matthew Weiner and Terence Winter | HBO |
| 2004 (56th) | The Sopranos | "Where's Johnny?" | Michael Caleo | HBO |
| 2005 (57th) | House | "Three Stories" | David Shore | Fox |
| 2005 (57th) | Lost | "Pilot" | Story by : Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof Teleplay by : J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof | ABC |
| 2005 (57th) | Lost | Walkabout" | David Fury | ABC |
| 2005 (57th) | Rescue Me | "Guts" | Denis Leary and Peter Tolan | FX |
| 2005 (57th) | The Wire | "Middle Ground" | Story by : David Simon and George Pelecanos Teleplay by : George Pelecanos | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | The Sopranos | "Members Only" | Terence Winter | HBO |
| 2006 (58th) | Grey's Anatomy | "Into You Like a Train" | Krista Vernoff | ABC |
| 2006 (58th) | Grey's Anatomy | "It's the End of the World" & "As We Know It" | Shonda Rhimes | ABC |
| 2006 (58th) | Lost | "The 23rd Psalm" | Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof | ABC |
| 2006 (58th) | Six Feet Under | "Everyone's Waiting" | Alan Ball | HBO |
| 2007 (59th) | The Sopranos | "Made in America" | David Chase | HBO |
| 2007 (59th) | Battlestar Galactica | "Occupation" & "Precipice" | Ronald D. Moore | Sci Fi |
| 2007 (59th) | Lost | "Through the Looking Glass" | Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof | ABC |
| 2007 (59th) | The Sopranos | "Kennedy and Heidi" | Matthew Weiner and David Chase | HBO |
| 2007 (59th) | The Sopranos | "The Second Coming" | Terence Winter | HBO |
| 2008 (60th) | Mad Men | "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" | Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2008 (60th) | Battlestar Galactica | "Six of One" | Michael Angeli | Sci Fi |
| 2008 (60th) | Damages | "Get Me a Lawyer" | Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman | FX |
| 2008 (60th) | Mad Men | "The Wheel" | Matthew Weiner and Robin Veith | AMC |
| 2008 (60th) | The Wire | "–30–" | Story by : David Simon and Ed Burns Teleplay by : David Simon | HBO |
| 2009 (61st) | Mad Men | "Meditations in an Emergency" | Matthew Weiner and Kater Gordon | AMC |
| 2009 (61st) | Lost | "The Incident" | Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof | ABC |
| 2009 (61st) | Mad Men | "The Jet Set" | Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2009 (61st) | Mad Men | "A Night to Remember" | Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2009 (61st) | Mad Men | "Six Month Leave" | Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton and Matthew Weiner | AMC |

### 2010s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 2010 (62nd) | Mad Men | "Shut the Door. Have a Seat." | Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy | AMC |
| 2010 (62nd) | Friday Night Lights | "The Son" | Rolin Jones | DirecTV |
| 2010 (62nd) | The Good Wife | "Pilot" | Robert King and Michelle King | CBS |
| 2010 (62nd) | Lost | "The End" | Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse | ABC |
| 2010 (62nd) | Mad Men | "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" | Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2011 (63rd) | Friday Night Lights | "Always" | Jason Katims | DirecTV |
| 2011 (63rd) | Game of Thrones | "Baelor" | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO |
| 2011 (63rd) | The Killing | "Pilot" | Veena Sud | AMC |
| 2011 (63rd) | Mad Men | "Blowing Smoke" | Andre Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton | AMC |
| 2011 (63rd) | Mad Men | "The Suitcase" | Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2012 (64th) | Homeland | "Pilot" | Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff | Showtime |
| 2012 (64th) | Downton Abbey | "Episode Seven" | Julian Fellowes | PBS |
| 2012 (64th) | Mad Men | "Commissions and Fees" | Andre Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton | AMC |
| 2012 (64th) | Mad Men | "Far Away Places" | Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2012 (64th) | Mad Men | "The Other Woman" | Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2013 (65th) | Homeland | "Q&A" | Henry Bromell | Showtime |
| 2013 (65th) | Breaking Bad | "Dead Freight" | George Mastras | AMC |
| 2013 (65th) | Breaking Bad | "Say My Name" | Thomas Schnauz | AMC |
| 2013 (65th) | Downton Abbey | "Episode Four" | Julian Fellowes | PBS |
| 2013 (65th) | Game of Thrones | "The Rains of Castamere" | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO |
| 2014 (66th) | Breaking Bad | "Ozymandias" | Moira Walley-Beckett | AMC |
| 2014 (66th) | Breaking Bad | "Felina" | Vince Gilligan | AMC |
| 2014 (66th) | Game of Thrones | "The Children" | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO |
| 2014 (66th) | House of Cards | "Chapter 14" | Beau Willimon | Netflix |
| 2014 (66th) | True Detective | "The Secret Fate of All Life" | Nic Pizzolatto | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | Game of Thrones | "Mother's Mercy" | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO |
| 2015 (67th) | The Americans | "Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?" | Joshua Brand | FX |
| 2015 (67th) | Better Call Saul | "Five-O" | Gordon Smith | AMC |
| 2015 (67th) | Mad Men | "Lost Horizon" | Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2015 (67th) | Mad Men | "Person to Person" | Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2016 (68th) | Game of Thrones | "Battle of the Bastards" | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO |
| 2016 (68th) | The Americans | "Persona Non Grata" | Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg | FX |
| 2016 (68th) | Downton Abbey | "Episode Eight" | Julian Fellowes | PBS |
| 2016 (68th) | The Good Wife | "End" | Robert King and Michelle King | CBS |
| 2016 (68th) | Mr. Robot | "eps1.0 hellofriend.mov" | Sam Esmail | USA |
| 2016 (68th) | UnREAL | "Return" | Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro | Lifetime |
| 2017 (69th) | The Handmaid's Tale | "Offred" | Bruce Miller | Hulu |
| 2017 (69th) | The Americans | "The Soviet Division" | Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg | FX |
| 2017 (69th) | Better Call Saul | "Chicanery" | Gordon Smith | AMC |
| 2017 (69th) | The Crown | "Assassins" | Peter Morgan | Netflix |
| 2017 (69th) | Stranger Things | "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix |
| 2017 (69th) | Westworld | "The Bicameral Mind" | Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan | HBO |
| 2018 (70th) | The Americans | "START" | Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg | FX |
| 2018 (70th) | The Crown | "Mystery Man" | Peter Morgan | Netflix |
| 2018 (70th) | Game of Thrones | "The Dragon and the Wolf" | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO |
| 2018 (70th) | The Handmaid's Tale | "June" | Bruce Miller | Hulu |
| 2018 (70th) | Killing Eve | "Nice Face" | Phoebe Waller-Bridge | BBC America |
| 2018 (70th) | Stranger Things | "Chapter Nine: The Gate" | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix |
| 2019 (71st) |
| 2019 (71st) | Succession | "Nobody Is Ever Missing" | Jesse Armstrong | HBO |
| 2019 (71st) | Better Call Saul | "Winner" | Peter Gould and Thomas Schnauz | AMC |
| 2019 (71st) | Bodyguard | "Episode 1" | Jed Mercurio | Netflix |
| 2019 (71st) | Game of Thrones | "The Iron Throne" | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss | HBO |
| 2019 (71st) | The Handmaid's Tale | "Holly" | Bruce Miller and Kira Snyder | Hulu |
| 2019 (71st) | Killing Eve | "Nice and Neat" | Emerald Fennell | BBC America |

### 2020s

| Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
| 2020 (72nd) |
| 2020 (72nd) | Succession | "This Is Not for Tears" | Jesse Armstrong | HBO |
| 2020 (72nd) | Better Call Saul | "Bad Choice Road" | Thomas Schnauz | AMC |
| 2020 (72nd) | Better Call Saul | "Bagman" | Gordon Smith | AMC |
| 2020 (72nd) | The Crown | "Aberfan" | Peter Morgan | Netflix |
| 2020 (72nd) | Ozark | "All In" | Chris Mundy | Netflix |
| 2020 (72nd) | Ozark | "Boss Fight" | John Shiban | Netflix |
| 2020 (72nd) | Ozark | "Fire Pink" | Miki Johnson | Netflix |
| 2021 (73rd) |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Crown | "War" | Peter Morgan | Netflix |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Boys | "What I Know" | Rebecca Sonnenshine | Amazon |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Handmaid's Tale | "Home" | Yahlin Chang | Hulu |
| 2021 (73rd) | Lovecraft Country | "Sundown" | Misha Green | HBO |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Mandalorian | "Chapter 13: The Jedi" | Dave Filoni | Disney+ |
| 2021 (73rd) | The Mandalorian | "Chapter 16: The Rescue" | Jon Favreau | Disney+ |
| 2021 (73rd) | Pose | "Series Finale" | Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals, Janet Mock and Our Lady J | FX |
| 2022 (74th) |
| 2022 (74th) | Succession | "All the Bells Say" | Jesse Armstrong | HBO |
| 2022 (74th) | Better Call Saul | "Plan and Execution" | Thomas Schnauz | AMC |
| 2022 (74th) | Ozark | "A Hard Way to Go" | Chris Mundy | Netflix |
| 2022 (74th) | Severance | "The We We Are" | Dan Erickson | Apple TV+ |
| 2022 (74th) | Squid Game | "One Lucky Day" | Hwang Dong-hyuk | Netflix |
| 2022 (74th) | Yellowjackets | "F Sharp" | Jonathan Lisco, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson | Showtime |
| 2022 (74th) | Yellowjackets | "Pilot" | Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson | Showtime |
| 2023 (75th) |
| 2023 (75th) | Succession | "Connor's Wedding" | Jesse Armstrong | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) | Andor | "One Way Out" | Beau Willimon | Disney+ |
| 2023 (75th) | Bad Sisters | "The Prick" | Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel and Brett Baer | Apple TV+ |
| 2023 (75th) | Better Call Saul | "Point and Shoot" | Gordon Smith | AMC |
| 2023 (75th) | Better Call Saul | "Saul Gone" | Peter Gould | AMC |
| 2023 (75th) | The Last of Us | "Long, Long Time" | Craig Mazin | HBO |
| 2023 (75th) | The White Lotus | "Arrivederci" | Mike White | HBO |
| 2024 (76th) |
| 2024 (76th) | Slow Horses | "Negotiating with Tigers" | Will Smith | Apple TV+ |
| 2024 (76th) | The Crown | "Ritz" | Peter Morgan and Meriel Sheibani-Clare | Netflix |
| 2024 (76th) | Fallout | "The End" | Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner | Prime Video |
| 2024 (76th) | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | "First Date" | Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover | Prime Video |
| 2024 (76th) | Shōgun | "Anjin" | Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks | FX |
| 2024 (76th) | Shōgun | "Crimson Sky" | Rachel Kondo and Caillin Puente | FX |

## Total awards by network

* CBS – 23
* NBC – 19
* HBO – 12
* ABC – 6
* AMC – 4
* Fox – 3
* Showtime – 2
* Apple TV+ - 1
* DirecTV – 1
* FX – 1
* Hulu – 1
* Netflix – 1
* PBS – 1