# NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. The award was first given in 1972. Not to be confused with the Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Currently, LL Cool J holds the record for most wins in the category with four.

## Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

### 1970s

| Year | Actor | Series | Ref |
| 1972 |
| 1972 | Redd Foxx | Sanford and Son | |
| 1973 – 79 | — | — | — |

### 1980s

| Year | Actor | Series | Ref |
| 1980 – 81 | — | — | — |
| 1982 |
| 1982 | Paul Winfield | The Sophisticated Gents | |
| 1983 | | | |
| 1983 | Howard Rollins | For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story | |
| 1984 – 88 | — | — | — |
| 1989 |
| 1989 | Howard Rollins | In the Heat of the Night | |

### 1990s

| Year | Actor | Series | Ref |
| 1990 |
| 1990 | Danny Glover | Mandela | |
| 1991 | — | — | — |
| 1992 |
| 1992 | Blair Underwood | Murder in Mississippi | |
| 1993 | | | |
| 1993 | James Earl Jones | Gabriel's Fire | |
| 1993 | Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs | The Jacksons: An American Dream | |
| 1994 | | | |
| 1994 | Dorian Harewood | I'll Fly Away | |
| 1995 | | | |
| 1995 | Blair Underwood | L.A. Law | |
| 1996 | | | |
| 1996 | Malik Yoba | New York Undercover | |
| 1996 | André Braugher | Homicide: Life on the Street | |
| 1996 | Avery Brooks | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | |
| 1996 | Yaphet Kotto | Homicide: Life on the Street | |
| 1996 | Eriq La Salle | ER | |
| 1997 | | | |
| 1997 | Malik Yoba | New York Undercover | |
| 1997 | André Braugher | Homicide: Life on the Street | |
| 1997 | Avery Brooks | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | |
| 1997 | Yaphet Kotto | Homicide: Life on the Street | |
| 1997 | Eriq La Salle | ER | |
| 1998 | | | |
| 1998 | Malik Yoba | New York Undercover | |
| 1998 | André Braugher | Homicide: Life on the Street | |
| 1998 | Yaphet Kotto | Homicide: Life on the Street | |
| 1998 | Eriq La Salle | ER | |
| 1998 | Richard Roundtree | 413 Hope St. | |
| 1999 | | | |
| 1999 | Eriq La Salle | ER | |
| 1999 | André Braugher | Homicide: Life on the Street | |
| 1999 | Rocky Carroll | Chicago Hope | |
| 1999 | Steve Harris | The Practice | |
| 1999 | Yaphet Kotto | Homicide: Life on the Street | |

### 2000s

| Year | Actor | Series |
| 2000 |
| 2000 | Eriq La Salle | ER |
| 2000 | Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | Oz |
| 2000 | Michael Beach | Third Watch |
| 2000 | Steve Harris | The Practice |
| 2000 | Jesse L. Martin | Law & Order |
| 2001 | | |
| 2001 | Blair Underwood | City of Angels |
| 2001 | André Braugher | Gideon's Crossing |
| 2001 | Steve Harris | The Practice |
| 2001 | Eriq La Salle | ER |
| 2001 | Jesse L. Martin | Law & Order |
| 2002 | | |
| 2002 | Eriq La Salle | ER |
| 2002 | André Braugher | Gideon's Crossing |
| 2002 | Steve Harris | The Practice |
| 2002 | Ving Rhames | UC: Undercover |
| 2002 | Courtney B. Vance | Law & Order: Criminal Intent |
| 2003 | | |
| 2003 | Michael Beach | Third Watch |
| 2003 | Bill Bellamy | Fastlane |
| 2003 | André Braugher | Hack |
| 2003 | Dennis Haysbert | 24 |
| 2003 | Mykelti Williamson | Boomtown |
| 2004 | | |
| 2004 | Steve Harris | The Practice |
| 2004 | Gary Dourdan | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
| 2004 | Dennis Haysbert | 24 |
| 2004 | Jesse L. Martin | Law & Order |
| 2004 | Wendell Pierce | The Wire |
| 2005 | | |
| 2005 | Taye Diggs | Kevin Hill |
| 2005 | Gary Dourdan | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
| 2005 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2005 | Steve Harris | The Practice |
| 2005 | Jesse L. Martin | Law & Order |
| 2006 | | |
| 2006 | Isaiah Washington | Grey's Anatomy |
| 2006 | Omar Epps | House |
| 2006 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2006 | Ice-T | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit |
| 2006 | Jesse L. Martin | Law & Order |
| 2007 | | |
| 2007 | Isaiah Washington | Grey's Anatomy |
| 2007 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2007 | Dennis Haysbert | The Unit |
| 2007 | Jesse L. Martin | Law & Order |
| 2007 | Michael K. Williams | The Wire |
| 2008 | | |
| 2008 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2008 | Anthony Anderson | K-Ville |
| 2008 | Dennis Haysbert | The Unit |
| 2008 | Jesse L. Martin | Law & Order |
| 2008 | Jimmy Smits | Cane |
| 2009 | | |
| 2009 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2009 | Anthony Anderson | Law & Order |
| 2009 | Omar Epps | House |
| 2009 | Dennis Haysbert | The Unit |
| 2009 | Blair Underwood | In Treatment |

### 2010s

| Year | Actor | Series |
| 2010 |
| 2010 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2010 | Anthony Anderson | Law & Order |
| 2010 | Taye Diggs | Private Practice |
| 2010 | Laurence Fishburne | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
| 2010 | LL Cool J | NCIS: Los Angeles |
| 2011 | | |
| 2011 | LL Cool J | NCIS: Los Angeles |
| 2011 | Anthony Anderson | Law & Order |
| 2011 | Laurence Fishburne | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
| 2011 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2011 | Blair Underwood | The Event |
| 2012 | | |
| 2012 | LL Cool J | NCIS: Los Angeles |
| 2012 | André Braugher | Men of a Certain Age |
| 2012 | Taye Diggs | Private Practice |
| 2012 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2012 | Wendell Pierce | Treme |
| 2013 | | |
| 2013 | LL Cool J | NCIS: Los Angeles |
| 2013 | Michael Clarke Duncan | The Finder |
| 2013 | Hill Harper | CSI: NY |
| 2013 | Dulé Hill | Psych |
| 2013 | Wendell Pierce | Treme |
| 2014 | | |
| 2014 | LL Cool J | NCIS: Los Angeles |
| 2014 | Michael Ealy | Almost Human |
| 2014 | Shemar Moore | Criminal Minds |
| 2014 | James Pickens Jr. | Grey's Anatomy |
| 2014 | Wendell Pierce | Treme |
| 2015 | | |
| 2015 | Shemar Moore | Criminal Minds |
| 2015 | Taye Diggs | Murder in the First |
| 2015 | Omar Epps | Resurrection |
| 2015 | Omari Hardwick | Being Mary Jane |
| 2015 | LL Cool J | NCIS: Los Angeles |
| 2016 | | |
| 2016 | Terrence Howard | Empire |
| 2016 | Morris Chestnut | Rosewood |
| 2016 | Omari Hardwick | Power |
| 2016 | LL Cool J | NCIS: Los Angeles |
| 2016 | Wesley Snipes | The Player |
| 2017 | | |
| 2017 | Sterling K. Brown | This Is Us |
| 2017 | Mike Colter | Marvel's Luke Cage |
| 2017 | Omari Hardwick | Power |
| 2017 | Terrence Howard | Empire |
| 2017 | Kofi Siriboe | Queen Sugar |
| 2018 | | |
| 2018 | Omari Hardwick | Power |
| 2018 | Kofi Siriboe | Queen Sugar |
| 2018 | Mike Colter | The Defenders |
| 2018 | Sterling K. Brown | This Is Us |
| 2018 | Terrence Howard | Empire |
| 2019 | | |
| 2019 | Omari Hardwick | Power |
| 2019 | Jason Mitchell | The Chi |
| 2019 | Keith David | Greenleaf |
| 2019 | Kofi Siriboe | Queen Sugar |
| 2019 | Sterling K. Brown | This Is Us |

### 2020s

| Year | Actor | Series |
| 2020 |
| 2020 | Omari Hardwick | Power |
| 2020 | Sterling K. Brown | This Is Us |
| 2020 | Billy Porter | Pose |
| 2020 | Kofi Siriboe | Queen Sugar |
| 2020 | Forest Whitaker | Godfather of Harlem |
| 2021 | | |
| 2021 | Regé-Jean Page | Bridgerton |
| 2021 | Sterling K. Brown | This Is Us |
| 2021 | Jonathan Majors | Lovecraft Country |
| 2021 | Keith David | Greenleaf |
| 2021 | Nicco Annan | P-Valley |
| 2022 | | |
| 2022 | Sterling K. Brown | This Is Us |
| 2022 | Damson Idris | Snowfall |
| 2022 | Billy Porter | Pose |
| 2022 | Kofi Siriboe | Queen Sugar |
| 2022 | Forest Whitaker | Godfather of Harlem |
| 2023 | | |
| 2023 | Nicco Annan | P-Valley |
| 2023 | Jabari Banks | Bel-Air |
| 2023 | Kofi Siriboe | Queen Sugar |
| 2023 | Sterling K. Brown | This Is Us |
| 2023 | Damson Idris | Snowfall |