The 50th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 13, 1998. It was broadcast on NBC. 27 awards were presented.
When Frasier was announced as the winner of Outstanding Comedy Series, Emmy history was made. The NBC sitcom became the first show to win one of the two main series prizes five consecutive years. This record has since been passed by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, whose winning streak was ten years, but for the main two genres, it was not matched until 2014, when the ABC sitcom Modern Family won its fifth consecutive award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Frasier tied for the most major wins overall with three, and most overall wins with five.
The Practice won Outstanding Drama Series. For the second straight year, medical drama ER came into the night as the most nominated program, but once again walked away empty handed, going 0/8 in major categories.
Ally McBeal became the first hour-long series to be nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series since Love, American Style in 1971.
This year saw the Emmys move to a new venue, the Shrine Auditorium, marking the return of the award ceremony to Los Angeles for the first time since the 1976 Emmy Awards, following a 20-year residency at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium outside L.A. in Pasadena. The Shrine had hosted the 70th Academy Awards the previous march; the Oscars tied with Frasier with five overall awards, including two major awards.
As of the 2023 Emmy Awards ceremony, this is the last year where all the nominees for Outstanding Drama Series were from the broadcast networks.
Winners and nominees Emmys.com list of 1998 Nominees & Winners
Programs
Frasier (NBC) 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC) Ally McBeal (Fox) The Larry Sanders Show (HBO) Seinfeld (NBC) The Practice (ABC) ER (NBC) Law & Order (NBC) NYPD Blue (ABC) The X-Files (Fox) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Dennis Miller Live (HBO) Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (ABC) The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) Tracey Takes On... (HBO) The 1997 Tony Awards (CBS) The 70th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope (ABC) Cinderella (ABC) Garth: Live from Central Park (HBO) Don King: Only in America (HBO) 12 Angry Men (Showtime) A Bright Shining Lie (HBO) Gia (HBO) What the Deaf Man Heard (CBS) From the Earth to the Moon (HBO) George Wallace (TNT) Merlin (NBC) Moby Dick (USA) More Tales of the City (Showtime)
Acting
Lead performances
Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane in Frasier (NBC) (Episode: "Frasier's Imaginary Friend") Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty in Spin City (ABC) (Episode: "The Goodbye Girl") John Lithgow as Dr. Dick Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC) (Episode: "Stuck with Dick") Paul Reiser as Paul Buchman in Mad About You (NBC) (Episode: "The Conversation") Garry Shandling as Larry Sanders in The Larry Sanders Show (HBO) (Episode: "Flip") Helen Hunt as Jamie Buchman in Mad About You (NBC) (Episode: "Moody Blues") Kirstie Alley as Veronica Chase in Veronica's Closet (NBC) (Episode: "Pilot") Ellen DeGeneres as Ellen Morgan in Ellen (ABC) (Episode: "Neighbors") Jenna Elfman as Dharma Montgomery in Dharma & Greg (ABC) (Episode: "Haus Arrest") Calista Flockhart as Ally McBeal in Ally McBeal (Fox) (Episode: "One Hundred Tears Away") Patricia Richardson as Jill Taylor in Home Improvement (ABC) (Episode: "Bright Christmas") Andre Braugher as Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC) (Episode: "Fallen Heroes", Part 2) David Duchovny as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder in The X-Files (Fox) (Episode: "Redux II") Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene in ER (NBC) (Episode: "Family Practice") Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue (ABC) (Episode: "The One That Got Away") Jimmy Smits as Bobby Simone in NYPD Blue (ABC) (Episode: "Lost Israel") Christine Lahti as Dr. Kate Austin in Chicago Hope (CBS) (Episode: "Cabin Fever") Gillian Anderson as Dr. Dana Scully in The X-Files (Fox) (Episode: "All Souls") Roma Downey as Monica in Touched by an Angel (CBS) (Episode: "The Spirit of Liberty Moon") Julianna Margulies as Carol Hathaway in ER (NBC) (Episode: "Carter's Choice") Jane Seymour as Dr. Michaela Quinn on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (CBS) (Episode: "Point Blank") Gary Sinise as George Wallace in George Wallace (TNT) Jack Lemmon as Juror #8 in 12 Angry Men (Showtime) Sam Neill as Merlin in Merlin (NBC) Ving Rhames as Don King in Don King: Only in America (HBO) Patrick Stewart as Captain Ahab in Moby Dick (USA) Ellen Barkin as Glory Marie Jackson in Before Women Had Wings (ABC) Jamie Lee Curtis as Maggie Green in Nicholas' Gift (CBS) Judy Davis as Gladwyn Ritchie in The Echo of Thunder (CBS) Olympia Dukakis as Mrs. Anna Madrigal in More Tales of the City (Showtime) Angelina Jolie as Gia Carangi in Gia (HBO) Sigourney Weaver as Lady Claudia Hoffman in Snow White: A Tale of Terror (Showtime) Billy Crystal in The 70th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) Garth Brooks in Garth: Live from Central Park (HBO) Michael Crawford in Michael Crawford in Concert (PBS) Jay Leno in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) David Letterman in Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Tracey Ullman in Tracey Takes On... (HBO)
Supporting performances
David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Niles Crane in Frasier (NBC) (Episodes: "The Maris Counselor" + "First Date") Jason Alexander as George Costanza in Seinfeld (NBC) (Episode: "The Strike") Phil Hartman as Bill McNeal in NewsRadio (NBC) (posthumously) Jeffrey Tambor as Hank Kingsley in The Larry Sanders Show (HBO) Rip Torn as Arthur in The Larry Sanders Show (HBO) Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay in Friends (NBC) (Episode: "The One with Ross's Wedding") Christine Baranski as Maryann Thorpe in Cybill (CBS) (Episode: "The Golden Years") Kristen Johnston as Sally Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC) Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon in Frasier (NBC) (Episodes: "Where Every Bloke Knows Your Name" + "First Date") Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes in Seinfeld (NBC) Gordon Clapp as Greg Medavoy in NYPD Blue (ABC) Héctor Elizondo as Dr. Phillip Watters in Chicago Hope (CBS) (Episodes: "Psychodrama" + "Bridge Over Troubled Watters") Steven Hill as Adam Schiff in Law & Order (NBC) Eriq La Salle as Dr. Peter Benton in ER (NBC) Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter in ER (NBC) Camryn Manheim as Ellenor Frutt in The Practice (ABC) (Episodes: "Checkmate" + "Axe Murderer") Kim Delaney as Diane Russell in NYPD Blue (ABC) Laura Innes as Dr. Kerry Weaver in ER (NBC) Della Reese as Tess in Touched by an Angel (CBS) Gloria Reuben as Jeanie Boulet in ER (NBC) George C. Scott as Juror #3 in 12 Angry Men (Showtime) Hume Cronyn as Juror #9 in 12 Angry Men (Showtime) Gregory Peck as Father Mapple in Moby Dick (USA) Martin Short as Frik in Merlin (NBC) J. T. Walsh as Ray Percy in Hope (TNT) Mare Winningham as Lurleen Wallace in George Wallace (TNT) Helena Bonham Carter as Morgan Le Fey in Merlin (NBC) Julie Harris as Leonora Nelson in Ellen Foster (CBS) Judith Ivey as Lucille in What the Deaf Man Heard (CBS) Angelina Jolie as Cornelia Wallace in George Wallace (TNT)
Directing
The Larry Sanders Show (HBO): "Flip" – Todd Holland 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC): "Dick and the Other Guy" – Terry Hughes Ally McBeal (Fox): "Cro-Magnon" – Allan Arkush Ally McBeal (Fox): "Pilot" – James Frawley Dharma & Greg (ABC): "Pilot" – James Burrows Brooklyn South (CBS): "Pilot" – Mark Tinker NYPD Blue (ABC): "Lost Israel", Part 2 – Paris Barclay Chicago Hope (CBS): "Brain Salad Surgery" – Bill D'Elia ER (NBC): "Ambush" – Thomas Schlamme The X-Files (Fox): "The Post-Modern Prometheus" – Chris Carter The 70th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) – Louis J. Horvitz Cinderella (ABC) – Robert Iscove Fleetwood Mac: The Dance (MTV) – Bruce Gowers Garth: Live from Central Park (HBO) – Marty Callner Stomp Out Loud (HBO) – Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas Tracey Takes On... (HBO): "Smoking" – Don Scardino George Wallace (TNT) – John Frankenheimer 12 Angry Men (Showtime) – William Friedkin Don King: Only in America (HBO) – John Herzfeld From the Earth to the Moon (HBO): "Part I" – Tom Hanks Merlin (NBC) – Steve Barron
Writing
The Larry Sanders Show (HBO): "Flip" – Peter Tolan and Garry Shandling Ally McBeal (Fox): "Theme of Life" – David E. Kelley Ellen (ABC): "Emma" – Lawrence Broch Frasier (NBC): "The Ski Lodge" – Joe Keenan The Larry Sanders Show (HBO): "Putting the 'Gay' Back in Litigation" – Richard Day, Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck NYPD Blue (ABC): "Lost Israel", Part 2 – Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC): "The Subway" – James Yoshimura NYPD Blue (ABC): "Lost Israel", Part 1 – The Practice (ABC): "Betrayal" – David E. Kelley The X-Files (Fox): "The Post-Modern Prometheus" – Chris Carter Dennis Miller Live (HBO) The Chris Rock Show (HBO) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Mr. Show with Bob and David (HBO) Don King: Only in America (HBO) – Kario Salem From the Earth to the Moon (HBO): "Part II" – Graham Yost Gia (HBO) – Jay McInerney and Michael Cristofer Merlin (NBC) – More Tales of the City (Showtime) – Nicholas Wright
Most major nominations +Networks with multiple major nominations"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. Network No. ofNominations NBC 49 HBO 29 ABC 25 CBS 19 Fox 13
+Programs with multiple major nominations Program Category Network No. ofNominations ERDrama NBC8 NYPD Blue ABC The Larry Sanders Show Comedy HBO 7 Merlin Miniseries NBC 6 12 Angry Men Movie Showtime5 Ally McBealComedy Fox Frasier NBC George Wallace Miniseries TNT The X-Files Drama Fox 3rd Rock from the Sun Comedy NBC4 Don King: Only in America Movie HBO The 70th Annual Academy Awards Variety ABC3 Chicago Hope Drama CBS From the Earth to the Moon MiniseriesHBO Garth: Live from Central Park Variety Gia Movie Late Show with David Letterman Variety CBS Moby DickMiniseries USA More Tales of the City Showtime The Practice Drama ABC Seinfeld Comedy NBC Tracey Takes On...Variety HBO Cinderella ABC2 Dennis Miller Live HBO Dharma & GregComedyABC Ellen Homicide: Life on the StreetDramaNBC Law & Order Mad About You Comedy The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Variety Touched by an Angel DramaCBS What the Deaf Man Heard Movie
Most major awards +Networks with multiple major awards"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. Network No. ofAwards ABC 8 HBO6 NBC CBS 4 TNT 3
+Programs with multiple major awards Program Category Network No. ofAwards Frasier Comedy NBC3 George Wallace Miniseries TNT NYPD Blue DramaABC The 70th Annual Academy Awards Variety2 Don King: Only in America MovieHBO The Larry Sanders Show Comedy The Practice Drama ABC
Notes
In Memoriam Patrick Stewart presented a clip tribute to the TV actors who had died: Red Skelton, Shari Lewis, Lloyd Bridges, Roy Rogers, singer John Denver, Robert Young, dancer Jerome Robbins, sports narrator Harry Caray, Frank Sinatra, singer Buffalo Bob, E. G. Marshall, J. T. Walsh, Sonny Bono, Phil Hartman, and Chris Farley. As an interesting note, Gary Sinise won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his portrayal of George Wallace on the day that the latter died.
References
External links Emmys.com list of 1998 Nominees & Winners