This is a list of the winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the award was presented with the "possibility of one, more than one, or no award given," resulting in several years where there were nominees without a winner.
In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place:
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Winners and nominations 1980s Year Program Nominee(s) Network 1988(40th)As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. None of the nominees met the benchmark and no award was given. Beauty and the Beast Lee Holdridge CBS Great Performances John Corigliano PBS The Law and Harry McGraw Richard Markowitz CBS thirtysomething Stewart Levin and W. G. Snuffy Walden ABC 1989(41st) Knightwatch Stanley Clarke Men James Newton Howard Paradise Jerrold Immel CBS Tattingers Jonathan Tunick NBC Unsub Mike Post
1990s Year Program Nominee(s) Network 1990(42nd) Carol & Company Dan Foliart and Howard Pearl NBC FM Patrick Williams The Simpsons Danny Elfman Fox Twin Peaks Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch ABC The Young Riders John Debney 1991(43rd) ABC World of Discovery Lee Holdridge Against the Law Thomas Newman Fox Dream On Michael Skloff HBO Hull High Stanley Clarke, Maureen Crowe, Lawrence Edwards, Peggy Holmes, Kenny Ortega, Charles Spellman, and David Weiss NBC Singer and Sons Ray Colcord 1992(44th) Brooklyn Bridge Marvin Hamlisch, Alan and Marilyn Bergman USA I'll Fly Away W. G. Snuffy Walden NBC Major Dad Steve Dorff CBS Silk Stalkings Mike Post The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Laurence Rosenthal ABC 1993(45th) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Dennis McCarthy Syndicated Bob Lee Holdridge CBS Bodies of Evidence Christopher Klatman Covington Cross Carl Davis ABC Love and War Jonathan Tunick CBS Picket Fences Stewart Levin 1994(46th) seaQuest DSV John Debney NBC Frasier Bruce Miller and Darryl Phinnessee NBC Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Jay Gruska ABC NYPD Blue Mike Post The X-Files Mark Snow Fox 1995(47th) Star Trek: Voyager Jerry Goldsmith UPN Chicago Hope Mark Isham CBS ER James Newton Howard NBC Friends Michael Skloff and Allee Willis My So-Called Life W. G. Snuffy Walden ABC 1996(48th) Murder One Mike Post ABC Central Park West Tim Truman CBS Chicago Hope Mark Isham JAG Bruce Broughton NBC Nowhere Man Mark Snow UPN 1997(49th) EZ Streets Mark Isham CBS The Cape John Debney Syndicated Crisis Center Danny Lux NBC Dark Skies Michael Hoenig Early Edition W. G. Snuffy Walden CBS 1998(50th) Fame L.A. Robbie Buchanan, Maribeth Derry, Richard Barton Lewis, and Tom Snow Syndicated Four Corners Christopher Klatman CBS Earth: Final Conflict Micky Erbe and Maribeth Solomon Syndicated Nothing Sacred Mark Isham ABC Sessions at West 54th Mitchell Froom PBS 1999(51st) Trinity Martin Davich NBC Profiler Danny Lux NBC The PJs George Clinton, Quincy Jones III, La Rita Norman, and Marie Norman Fox V.I.P. Frankie Blue Syndicated Viva Variety Robert Ben Garant and Glen Roven Comedy Central
2000s Year Program Nominee(s) Network 2000(52nd) The West Wing W. G. Snuffy Walden NBC Falcone Jay Gruska CBS Jack London's Call of the Wild Hal Foxton Beckett Animal Planet Jack of All Trades Joseph LoDuca Syndicated The Pretender Velton Ray Bunch and Mark Leggett NBC 2001(53rd) Gideon's Crossing James Newton Howard ABC Big Apple Marc Bonilla CBS Soul Food Kenneth Edmonds and Al Green Showtime Survivor Russ Landau CBS Thoroughbred Michael Josephs Animal Planet 2002(54th) Six Feet Under Thomas Newman HBO A Day in Their Lives Mark Leggett History First Monday Bruce Broughton CBS Justice League Lolita Ritmanis Cartoon Network Wolf Lake David Schwartz CBS 2003(55th) Monk Jeff Beal USA Boomtown Philip Giffin NBC Everwood Blake Neely The WB Miracles W. G. Snuffy Walden and Joseph Williams ABC Penn and Teller: Bullshit! Gary Stockdale Showtime 2004(56th) Monk Randy Newman USA Deadwood David Schwartz HBO Monster House Daniel Mackenzie Discovery Nip/Tuck Jeffrey Cain, Cedric Lemoyne, and Gregory Slay FX Two and a Half Men Lee Aronsohn, Grant Geissman, and Chuck Lorre CBS 2005(57th) Desperate Housewives Danny Elfman ABC Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends James Venable Cartoon Network Huff W. G. Snuffy Walden Showtime Justice League Unlimited Michael McCuistion Cartoon Network Stargate Atlantis Joel Goldsmith Sci Fi 2006(58th) Masters of Horror Edward Shearmur Showtime Get Ed Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner Toon Disney Over There Chris Gerolmo FX Prison Break Ramin Djawadi Fox Rome Jeff Beal HBO 2007(59th) The Tudors Trevor Morris Showtime Dexter Rolfe Kent Showtime Hu$tle Simon Rogers AMC On the Lot Mark Williams and Jeff Lippencott Fox 30 Rock Jeff Richmond NBC 2008(60th) Pirate Master Russ Landau CBS Canterbury's Law Tree Adams Fox Kid Nation Jeff Lippencott and Mark Williams CBS Phineas and Ferb Dan Povenmire, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Michael Hirano Culross, Carl Hill Williams, and Michael Walker Disney Saving Grace Eric "Everlast" Schrody TNT 2009(61st) Great Performances John Williams PBS The Mole David Michael Frank ABC Sons of Anarchy Bob Thiele, Dave Kushner, Curtis Stigers, and Kurt Sutter FX Story Makers Bill Sherman AMC United States of Tara Tim DeLaughter Showtime
2010s Year Program Nominee(s) Network 2010(62nd) Nurse Jackie Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin Showtime Human Target Bear McCreary Fox Justified Jason Keaton and Oscar Owens FX Legend of the Seeker In 2010, Gaby Moreno and Vincent Jones were nominated for the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. After learning the same theme music had been submitted for the show the previous year, the theme was ruled ineligible and sixth place finisher Joseph LoDuca received the nomination. Joseph LoDuca Syndicated Warehouse 13 Edward Rogers Syfy 2011(63rd) The Borgias Trevor Morris Showtime Any Human Heart Dan Jones PBS Camelot Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna Starz Episodes Mark Thomas Showtime The Kennedys Sean Callery Reelz Mildred Pierce Carter Burwell HBO 2012(64th) Page Eight Paul Englishby PBS Great Expectations Martin Phipps PBS Hell on Wheels Gustavo Santaolalla AMC Homeland Sean Callery Showtime Touch Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin Fox 2013(65th) Da Vinci's Demons Bear McCreary Starz The Americans Nathan Barr FX Copper Brian Keane BBC America Elementary Sean Callery CBS Hemlock Grove Nathan Barr Netflix House of Cards Jeff Beal 2014(66th) Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Alan Silvestri Fox Black Sails Bear McCreary Starz Magic City Daniele Luppi Sleepy Hollow Brian Tyler and Robert Lydecker Fox The Spoils of Babylon Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau IFC 2015(67th) Transparent Dustin O'Halloran Amazon The Dovekeepers Jeff Beal CBS Marco Polo Daniele Luppi Netflix Penny Dreadful Abel Korzeniowski Showtime Texas Rising Bruce Broughton and John Debney History Tyrant Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna FX 2016(68th) Marvel's Jessica Jones Sean Callery Netflix Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger The CW Narcos Rodrigo Amarante Netflix The Night Manager Victor Reyes AMC Sense8 Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer Netflix The Whispers Robert Duncan ABC 2017(69th) Stranger Things Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon Netflix Feud: Bette and Joan Mac Quayle FX Genius Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe Nat Geo The Good Fight David Buckley CBS All Access Victoria Martin Phipps PBS Westworld Ramin Djawadi HBO 2018(69th) Godless Carlos Rafael Rivera Netflix The Last Tycoon Mychael Danna Prime Video Marvel's The Defenders John Paesano Netflix The Putin Interviews Jeff Beal Showtime Somebody Feed Phil Mike Olson, Bridget Kearney, Mike Calabrese and Rachael Price Netflix The Tick Chris Bacon Prime Video 2019(71st) Succession Nicholas Britell HBO Castle Rock Thomas Newman Hulu Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Rachel Bloom, Jack Dolgen and Adam Schlesinger The CW Good Omens David Arnold Prime Video Our Planet Steven Price Netflix
2020s Year Program Nominee(s) Network 2020(72nd) Hollywood Nathan Barr Netflix Carnival Row Nathan Barr Prime Video Defending Jacob Ólafur Arnalds Apple TV+ Unorthodox Antonio Gambale Netflix Why We Hate Laura Karpman Discovery Wu-Tang: An American Saga RZA Hulu 2021(73rd) The Flight Attendant Blake Neely HBO Max Allen v. Farrow Michael Abels HBO Bridgerton Kris Bowers and Michael Dean Parsons Netflix Ted Lasso Tom Howe and Marcus Mumford Apple TV+ WandaVision Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez Disney+ 2022(74th) The White Lotus Cristobal Tapia de Veer HBO Loki Natalie Holt Disney+ Only Murders in the Building Siddhartha Khosla Hulu Severance Theodore Shapiro Apple TV+ Squid Game Jung Jae-il Netflix 2023(75th) Wednesday Danny Elfman Netflix Andor Nicholas Britell Disney+ Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Holly Amber Church Netflix The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Howard Shore Prime Video Ms. Marvel Laura Karpman Disney+ 2024(76th) Palm Royale Jeff Toyne Apple TV+ Feud: Capote vs. The Swans Thomas Newman FX Lessons in Chemistry Carlos Rafael RiveraApple TV+ Masters of the Air Blake Neely Shōgun Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross and Nick Chuba FX 2025(77th) The White Lotus Cristobal Tapia de Veer HBO Dept. Q Carlos Rafael Rivera and Scott Frank Netflix Dune: Prophecy Volker Bertelmann HBO Lazarus Kamasi Washington Adult Swim The Residence Mark Mothersbaugh Netflix Your Friends & Neighbors Dominic Lewis and Hamilton Leithauser Apple TV+ 2026(78th) Pluribus Dave Porter Apple TV All Her Fault Jeff Beal Peacock The Beast in Me Sean Callery Netflix The 'Burbs Michael Abels Peacock Murderbot Amanda Jones Apple TV
Individuals with multiple wins
2 wins Danny Elfman Trevor Morris Cristobal Tapia de Veer
Individuals with multiple nominations
7 nominations W. G. Snuffy Walden
6 nominations Jeff Beal
5 nominations Sean Callery
4 nominations Nathan Barr John Debney Mark Isham Thomas Newman Mike Post
3 nominations Bruce Broughton Mychael Danna Danny Elfman Lee Holdridge James Newton Howard Bear McCreary Blake Neely Carlos Rafael Rivera
2 nominations Michael Abels Rachel Bloom Nicholas Britell Stanley Clarke Lisa Coleman Jeff Danna Ramin Djawadi Jay Gruska Laura Karpman Christopher Klatman Russ Landau Mark Leggett Stewart Levin Jeff Lippencott Joseph LoDuca Daniele Luppi Danny Lux Wendy Melvoin Trevor Morris Martin Phipps Adam Schlesinger David Schwartz Michael Skloff Mark Snow Cristobal Tapia de Veer Jonathan Tunick Mark Williams
Programs with multiple wins 2 wins Monk The White Lotus
Programs with multiple nominations 2 nominations Chicago Hope Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Feud Great Performances Monk The White Lotus
Notes
References