Giải Primetime Emmy cho nữ diễn viên chính trong series ngắn hoặc phim truyền hình xuất sắc nhất
Người đoạt giải > 1990s

| Year | Actor | Program | Role | Network |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
1989-1990 (42nd): 
| 1989-1990 (42nd) | Barbara Hershey | A Killing in a Small Town | Candy Morrison | CBS |
| 1989-1990 (42nd) | Farrah Fawcett | Small Sacrifices | Diane Downs | ABC |
| 1989-1990 (42nd) | Christine Lahti | No Place Like Home | Zan Cooper | CBS |
| 1989-1990 (42nd) | Annette O'Toole | The Kennedys of Massachusetts | Rose Kennedy | ABC |
| 1989-1990 (42nd) | Lesley Ann Warren | Family of Spies | Barbara Walker | CBS |
| 1989-1990 (42nd) | Alfre Woodard | A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story | Mary Thomas | NBC |
1990-1991 (43rd): 
| 1990-1991 (43rd) | Lynn Whitfield | The Josephine Baker Story | Josephine Baker | HBO |
| 1990-1991 (43rd) | Glenn Close | Sarah, Plain and Tall | Sarah Wheaton | CBS |
| 1990-1991 (43rd) | Barbara Hershey | Paris Trout | Hanna Trout | Showtime |
| 1990-1991 (43rd) | Suzanne Pleshette | Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean | Leona Helmsley | CBS |
| 1990-1991 (43rd) | Lee Purcell | Long Road Home | Bessie Robertson | NBC |
1991-1992 (44th): 
| 1991-1992 (44th) | Gena Rowlands | Face of a Stranger | Pat | CBS |
| 1991-1992 (44th) | Anne Bancroft | Mrs. Cage | Mrs. Cage | PBS |
| 1991-1992 (44th) | Meredith Baxter | A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story | Betty Broderick | CBS |
| 1991-1992 (44th) | Judy Davis | One Against the Wind | Mary Lindell | CBS |
| 1991-1992 (44th) | Laura Dern | Afterburn | Janet Harduvel | HBO |
1992-1993 (45th): 
| 1992-1993 (45th) | Holly Hunter | The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom | Wanda Holloway | HBO |
| 1992-1993 (45th) | Glenn Close | Skylark | Sarah Wheaton | CBS |
| 1992-1993 (45th) | Helen Mirren | Prime Suspect 2 | Jane Tennison | PBS |
| 1992-1993 (45th) | Maggie Smith | Suddenly, Last Summer | Mrs. Venable | PBS |
| 1992-1993 (45th) | Joanne Woodward | Blind Spot | Nell Harrington | CBS |
1993-1994 (46th): 
| 1993-1994 (46th) | Kirstie Alley | David's Mother | Sally Goodson | CBS |
| 1993-1994 (46th) | Bette Midler | Gypsy | Mama Rose | CBS |
| 1993-1994 (46th) | Helen Mirren | Prime Suspect 3 | Jane Tennison | PBS |
| 1993-1994 (46th) | Jessica Tandy | To Dance with the White Dog | Cora Peek | CBS |
| 1993-1994 (46th) | Joanne Woodward | Breathing Lessons | Maggie Moran | CBS |
1994-1995 (47th): 
| 1994-1995 (47th) | Glenn Close | Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story | Margarethe Cammermeyer | NBC |
| 1994-1995 (47th) | Sally Field | A Woman of Independent Means | Bess Garner Steed | NBC |
| 1994-1995 (47th) | Anjelica Huston | Buffalo Girls | Calamity Jane | CBS |
| 1994-1995 (47th) | Diane Keaton | Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight | Amelia Earhart | TNT |
| 1994-1995 (47th) | Alfre Woodard | The Piano Lesson | Berniece Charles | CBS |
1995-1996 (48th): 
| 1995-1996 (48th) | Helen Mirren | Prime Suspect 4: Scent of Darkness | Jane Tennison | PBS |
| 1995-1996 (48th) | Ashley Judd | Norma Jean & Marilyn | Norma Jean Dougherty | HBO |
| 1995-1996 (48th) | Jessica Lange | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois | CBS |
| 1995-1996 (48th) | Mira Sorvino | Norma Jean & Marilyn | Marilyn Monroe | HBO |
| 1995-1996 (48th) | Sela Ward | Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story | Jessica Savitch | Lifetime |
1996-1997 (49th): 
| 1996-1997 (49th) | Alfre Woodard | Miss Evers' Boys | Nurse Eunice Evers | HBO |
| 1996-1997 (49th) | Stockard Channing | An Unexpected Family | Barbara Whitney | USA |
| 1996-1997 (49th) | Glenn Close | In the Gloaming | Janet | HBO |
| 1996-1997 (49th) | Helen Mirren | Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement | Jane Tennison | PBS |
| 1996-1997 (49th) | Meryl Streep | ...First Do No Harm | Lori Reimuller | ABC |
1997-1998 (50th): 
| 1997-1998 (50th) | Ellen Barkin | Before Women Had Wings | Glory Marie | ABC |
| 1997-1998 (50th) | Jamie Lee Curtis | Nicholas' Gift | Maggie Green | CBS |
| 1997-1998 (50th) | Judy Davis | The Echo of Thunder | Gladwyn | CBS |
| 1997-1998 (50th) | Olympia Dukakis | More Tales of the City | Anna Madrigal | Showtime |
| 1997-1998 (50th) | Angelina Jolie | Gia | Gia Carangi | HBO |
| 1997-1998 (50th) | Sigourney Weaver | Snow White: A Tale of Terror | Claudia Hoffman | Showtime |
1998-1999 (51st): 
| 1998-1999 (51st) | Helen Mirren | The Passion of Ayn Rand | Ayn Rand | Showtime |
| 1998-1999 (51st) | Ann-Margret | Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story | Pamela Harriman | Lifetime |
| 1998-1999 (51st) | Stockard Channing | The Baby Dance | Rachel Luckman | Showtime |
| 1998-1999 (51st) | Judy Davis | Dash and Lilly | Lillian Hellman | A&E |
| 1998-1999 (51st) | Leelee Sobieski | Joan of Arc | Joan of Arc | CBS |