The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, or even gender-, specific. Beginning with 1970, supporting actresses in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances often included actresses from miniseries, telefilms, and guest performers competing against main cast competitors. Such instances are marked below:
# – Indicates a performance in a miniseries or television film, prior to the category's creation in 1975 § – Indicates a performance as a guest performer, prior to the category's creation in 1975
Winners and nominations 1950s Year Actress Role Program NetworkBest Series Supporting Actress 1954Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Vivian Vance Ethel Mertz I Love Lucy CBS Bea Benaderet Blanche Morton The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show CBS Ruth Gilbert Various Characters The Milton Berle ShowNBC Marion Lorne Mrs. Gurney Mister Peepers Audrey Meadows Alice Kramden The Jackie Gleason Show CBSBest Supporting Actress in a Regular Series 1955Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Audrey Meadows Alice Kramden The Jackie Gleason Show CBS Bea Benaderet Blanche Morton The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show CBS Jean Hagen Margaret Williams Make Room for Daddy ABC Marion Lorne Mrs. Gurney Mister Peepers NBC Vivian Vance Ethel Mertz I Love Lucy CBSBest Actress in a Supporting Role 1956Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Nanette Fabray Various Characters Caesar's Hour NBC Ann B. Davis Charmaine Schultz The Bob Cummings Show CBS Jean Hagen Margaret Williams Make Room for Daddy ABC Audrey Meadows Alice Kramden The Honeymooners CBS Thelma Ritter # Aggie Hurley Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse NBCBest Supporting Performance by an Actress 1957Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Pat Carroll Various Characters Caesar's Hour NBC Ann B. Davis Charmaine Schultz The Bob Cummings ShowCBS Audrey Meadows Various Characters The Jackie Gleason Show Mildred Natwick # Madame Arcati Ford Star Jubilee Vivian Vance Ethel Mertz I Love LucyBest Continuing Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic or Comedy Series 1958Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Ann B. Davis Charmaine Schultz The Bob Cummings Show CBS & NBC Pat Carroll Various Characters Caesar's HourNBC Marion Lorne Myrtle Banford Sally Verna Felton Hilda Crocker December BrideCBS Vivian Vance Ethel Mertz I Love LucyBest Supporting Actress (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series 1959(11th) Barbara Hale Della Street Perry Mason CBS Lola Albright Edie Hart Peter Gunn NBC Amanda Blake Kitty Gunsmoke CBS Hope Emerson Mother Peter Gunn NBC
1960s Year Actress Role Program NetworkOutstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead or Support) 1960 Jane Wyatt Margaret Anderson Father Knows Best CBS Donna Reed Donna Stone The Donna Reed Show ABC Teresa Wright Margaret Bourke-White NBC Sunday Showcase NBC Loretta Young Various Characters The Loretta Young ShowOutstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Series 1961Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Don Knotts Barney Fife The Andy Griffith Show CBS Abby Dalton Lt. Martha Hale HenneseyCBS Barbara Hale Della Street Perry MasonOutstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actress 1962Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Pamela Brown # Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Hallmark Hall of Fame NBC Jeanne Cooper § Anna Medalle Ben Casey ABC Colleen Dewhurst # Gertrude Hart Focus NBC Joan Hackett § Ellen Parker Ben Casey ABC Mary Wickes Maxfield The Gertrude Berg Show CBS 1963Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Glenda Farrell § Martha Morrison Ben Casey ABC Davey Davison § Laura Hunter The Eleventh Hour NBC Nancy Malone Libby Kingston Naked City ABC Rose Marie Sally Rogers The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS Kate Reid # Queen Victoria Hallmark Hall of Fame NBC 1964Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Ruth White # Shelagh Mangan Hallmark Hall of Fame NBC Martine Bartlett § Miranda Ledoux PorterArrest and TrialABC Anjanette Comer § Annabelle Selinsky Rose Marie Sally Rogers The Dick Van Dyke ShowCBS Claudia McNeil § Mrs. Hill The NursesOutstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Actors and Performers 1965Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Leonard Bernstein Conductor New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein CBS Lynn Fontanne Fanny Bowditch HolmesHallmark Hall of Fame: "The Magnificent Yankee"| rowspan=2|NBC|- style="background:#FAEB86" | Alfred Lunt| Oliver Wendell Holmes|- style="background:#FAEB86" | Barbra Streisand| Herself| My Name Is BarbraCBS Dick Van Dyke Rob Petrie The Dick Van Dyke Show Julie Andrews Herself The Andy Williams ShowNBC Johnny Carson Himself The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Gladys Cooper Margaret St. ClairThe Rogues Robert Coote Timmy St. Clair Richard Crenna James Slattery Slattery's People CBS Julie Harris Florence Nightingale Hallmark Hall of Fame: "The Holy Terror"NBC Bob Hope Himself Chrysler Presents A Bob Hope Comedy Special Dean Jagger Principal Albert Vane Mr. Novak Danny Kaye Himself The Danny Kaye Show CBS David McCallum Illya Kuryakin The Man from U.N.C.L.E. NBC Red Skelton Himself The Red Skelton Hour CBSOutstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series 1966(18th) Lee Grant Stella Chernak Peyton Place ABC Diane Baker # Rachel BrownHallmark Hall of FameNBC Pamela Franklin # Betsy Balcombe Jeanette Nolan § Helen Robinson I Spy 1967(19th) Agnes Moorehead § Emma Valentine The Wild Wild West CBS Tina Chen # Vietnamese Girl CBS Playhouse CBS Ruth Warrick Hannah Cord Peyton Place ABC 1968(20th) Barbara Anderson Officer Eve Whitfield Ironside NBC Linda Cristal Victoria Cannon The High Chaparral NBC Tessie O'Shea # Tessie O'Toole The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ABCOutstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series 1969Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Susan Saint James Peggy Maxwell The Name of the Game NBC Barbara Anderson Officer Eve Whitfield Ironside NBC Agnes Moorehead Endora Bewitched ABC
1970s Year Actress Role Program Network Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Drama 1970(22nd) Gail Fisher Peggy Fair Mannix CBS Barbara Anderson Officer Eve Whitfield IronsideNBC Susan Saint James Peggy Maxwell The Name of the Game 1971(23rd) Margaret Leighton # Gertrude Hamlet: Hallmark Hall of Fame NBC Gail Fisher Peggy Fair Mannix CBSSusan Saint James Peggy Maxwell The Name of the Game NBC Elena Verdugo Consuelo Lopez Marcus Welby, M.D. ABC 1972(24th) Jenny Agutter # Frith The Snow Goose: Hallmark Hall of Fame NBC Gail Fisher Peggy Fair Mannix CBS Elena Verdugo Consuelo Lopez Marcus Welby, M.D. ABC 1973(25th) Ellen Corby Esther Walton The Waltons CBS Gail Fisher Peggy Fair Mannix CBS Nancy Walker Mildred McMillan & Wife NBC Best Supporting Actress in Drama 1974(26th) Joanna Miles # Laura Wingfield The Glass Menagerie ABC Ellen Corby Esther Walton The Waltons CBS Nancy Walker Mildred McMillan & Wife NBC Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 1975(27th) Ellen Corby Esther Walton The Waltons CBS Angela Baddeley Mrs. Bridges Upstairs, Downstairs PBS Nancy Walker Mildred McMillan & Wife NBC 1976(28th) Ellen Corby Esther Walton The Waltons CBS Angela Baddeley Mrs. Bridges Upstairs, Downstairs PBS Susan Howard Maggie Petrocelli Petrocelli NBC Dorothy McGuire # Mary Jordache Rich Man, Poor Man ABC Sada Thompson # Mary Todd Lincoln Sandburg's Lincoln NBC 1977(29th) Kristy McNichol Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence Family ABC Meredith Baxter Nancy Lawrence Maitland Family ABC Ellen Corby Esther Walton The WaltonsCBS Lee Meriwether Betty Jones Barnaby Jones Jacqueline Tong Daisy Peel Upstairs, Downstairs PBS 1978(30th) Nancy Marchand Margaret Pynchon Lou Grant CBS Meredith Baxter Nancy Lawrence Maitland Family ABC Tovah Feldshuh # Helena Slomova Holocaust NBC Linda Kelsey Billie Newman Lou Grant CBS Kristy McNichol Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence Family ABC Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 1979(31st) Kristy McNichol Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence Family ABC Linda Kelsey Billie NewmanLou GrantCBS Nancy Marchand Margaret Pynchon
1980s Year Actress Role Program Network 1980(32nd) Nancy Marchand Margaret Pynchon Lou Grant CBS Nina Foch § Mrs. PolkLou GrantCBS Linda Kelsey Billie Newman Jessica Walter Melanie McIntyre Trapper John, M.D. 1981(33rd) Nancy Marchand Margaret Pynchon Lou Grant CBS Barbara Barrie Evelyn Stroller Breaking Away ABC Barbara Bosson Fay Furillo Hill Street Blues NBC Linda Kelsey Billie Newman Lou Grant CBS Betty Thomas Sgt. Lucille BatesHill Street Blues NBC 1982(34th) Nancy Marchand Margaret Pynchon Lou Grant CBS Barbara Bosson Fay Furillo Hill Street Blues NBC Julie Harris Lilimae Clements Knots LandingCBS Linda Kelsey Billie Newman Lou Grant Betty Thomas Sgt. Lucille Bates Hill Street Blues NBC 1983(35th) Doris Roberts § Cora St. Elsewhere NBC Barbara Bosson Fay Furillo Hill Street Blues NBC Christina Pickles Nurse Helen Rosenthal St. Elsewhere Madge Sinclair Nurse Ernestine Shoop Trapper John, M.D. CBS Betty Thomas Sgt. Lucille Bates Hill Street Blues NBC 1984(36th) Alfre Woodard § Doris Robson Hill Street Blues NBC Barbara Bosson Fay Furillo Hill Street BluesNBC Piper Laurie § Fran Singleton St. Elsewhere Madge Sinclair Nurse Ernestine Shoop Trapper John, M.D. CBS Betty Thomas Sgt. Lucille Bates Hill Street Blues NBC 1985(37th) Betty Thomas Sgt. Lucille Bates Hill Street Blues NBC Barbara Bosson Fay Furillo Hill Street BluesNBC Christina Pickles Nurse Helen Rosenthal St. Elsewhere Doris Roberts Mildred Krebs Remington Steele Madge Sinclair Nurse Ernestine Shoop Trapper John, M.D. CBS 1986(38th) Bonnie Bartlett Ellen Craig St. Elsewhere NBC Allyce Beasley Agnes DiPesto Moonlighting ABC Christina Pickles Nurse Helen Rosenthal St. ElsewhereNBC Betty Thomas Sgt. Lucille Bates Hill Street Blues 1987(39th) Bonnie Bartlett Ellen Craig St. Elsewhere NBC Allyce Beasley Agnes DiPesto Moonlighting ABC Christina Pickles Nurse Helen Rosenthal St. ElsewhereNBC Susan Ruttan Roxanne Melman L.A. Law Betty Thomas Sgt. Lucille Bates Hill Street Blues 1988(40th) Patricia Wettig Nancy Krieger Weston Thirtysomething ABC Bonnie Bartlett Ellen CraigSt. Elsewhere NBC Polly Draper Ellyn Warren Thirtysomething ABC Christina Pickles Nurse Helen Rosenthal St. Elsewhere NBC Susan Ruttan Roxanne Melman L.A. Law NBC 1989(41st) Melanie Mayron Melissa Steadman Thirtysomething ABC Michele Greene Abby Perkins L.A. LawNBC Lois Nettleton Joanne St. John In the Heat of the Night Amanda Plummer Alice HackettL.A. Law Susan Ruttan Roxanne Melman
1990s