The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series.

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.

Rules Animated programs have the option to compete in broader program categories such as Outstanding Comedy Series, but cannot also submit for Outstanding Animation Program in the same year. The Simpsons, for instance, unsuccessfully submitted the episodes "A Streetcar Named Marge" and "Mr. Plow" in 1993 and 1994 while Family Guy was successfully nominated in 2009. Several animated programs won Outstanding Children's Program prior to 1979 and, in the years since, Rugrats, Winnie the Pooh specials and Star Wars Rebels have been nominated for that award.

Prior to 1989, all of the nominated programs were specials produced outside the confines of a running series. The category was divided into programs "one hour or less" and "more than one hour" from 1989 to 2009, with episodes of running series becoming eligible. Programs that are 15 minutes or less were given their own category, Outstanding Short Form Animated Program, in 2008.

Winners and nominations

1970s Year Program Nominees Network 1979(31st) The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe David D. Connell, executive producer; Steven C. Melendez, producer CBS Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson, producerCBS You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson, executive producer; Bill Melendez, producer

1980s Year Program Nominees Network 1980(32nd) Carlton Your Doorman Barton Dean & Lorenzo Music, producers CBS Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? David H. DePatie & Friz Freleng, executive producers; Dr. SeussABC The Pink Panther in: Olym-Pinks David H. DePatie, executive producer; Friz Freleng, producer She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson, executive producer; Bill Melendez, producer CBS 1981(33rd) Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson, executive producer; Bill Melendez, producer CBS Bugs Bunny: All American Hero Hal Geer, executive producer; Friz Freleng, producerCBS Faeries Thomas W. Moore & Anne E. Upson, executive producers; Jack Zander, producer Gnomes Thomas W. Moore, Jean Moore Edwards & Upson, executive producers; Lee Mishkin, Fred Hellmich & Norton Virgien, producers It's Magic, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson, executive producer; Bill Melendez, producer 1982(34th) The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat David H. DePatie, executive producer; Dr. Seuss & Friz Freleng, producers ABC A Charlie Brown Celebration Lee Mendelson & Bill Melendez, producers CBS The Smurfs William Hanna & Joseph Barbera, executive producers; Gerard Baldwin & Kay Wright, producersNBC The Smurfs Springtime Special William Hanna & Joseph Barbera, executive producers; Gerard Baldwin, producer Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson, executive producer; Bill Melendez, producer CBS 1983(35th) Ziggy's Gift Lena Tabori, executive producer; Richard Williams & Tom Wilson, producers ABC Here Comes Garfield Jay Poynor, executive producer; Lee Mendelson & Bill Melendez, producersCBS Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? Lee Mendelson & Bill Melendez, producers The Smurfs Christmas Special William Hanna & Joseph Barbera, executive producers; Gerard Baldwin, producer NBC What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? Lee Mendelson, executive producer; Bill Melendez, producer CBS 1984(36th) Garfield on the Town Jay Poynor, executive producer; Lee Mendelson & Bill Melendez, producers CBS A Disney Christmas Gift —CBS It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson & Bill Melendez, producers The Smurfic Games William Hanna & Joseph Barbera, executive producers; Gerard Baldwin, producer NBC 1985(37th) Garfield in the Rough Jay Poynor, executive producer; Phil Roman, producer/director; Jim Davis, writer CBS Donald Duck's 50th Birthday Andrew Solt, producer/director/writer; Phil Savenick, co-producer; Peter Elbling, writerCBS Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown Lee Mendelson, producer; Bill Melendez, producer/director; Charles M. Schulz, writer 1986(38th) Garfield's Halloween Adventure Jay Poynor, executive producer; Phil Roman, producer/director; Jim Davis, writer CBS Garfield in Paradise Jay Poynor, executive producer; Phil Roman, producer/director; Jim Davis, writer CBS 1987(39th) Cathy Lee Mendelson, executive producer; Bill Melendez, producer; Evert Brown, director; Cathy Guisewite, writer CBS Garfield Goes Hollywood Phil Roman, producer/director; Jim Davis, writer CBS 1988(40th) A Claymation Christmas Celebration Will Vinton, executive producer/director; David Altschul, producer; Ralph Liddle, writer CBS The Brave Little Toaster Peter Locke & Willard Carroll, executive producers; Donald Kushner & Thomas L. Wilhite, producers; Jerry Rees, director/writer; Joe Ranft, writer Disney Channel A Garfield Christmas Special Phil Roman, producer/director; George Singer, co-director; Jim Davis, writer CBS1989(41st)One Hour or Less Garfield's Babes and Bullets Phil Roman, producer/director; John Sparey & Bob Nesler, co-directors; Jim Davis, writer CBS Abel's Island Giuliana Nicodemi, executive producer; Michael Sporn, producer/director/writer; Maxine Fisher, writer PBS Garfield: His 9 Lives Phil Roman, producer/director; George Singer, John Sparey, Ruth Kissane, Bob Scott, Bob Nesler, Doug Frankel & Bill Littlejohn, co-directors; Jim Davis, writer CBS Madeline Andy Heyward, Richard Rosen, Saul Cooper & Pancho Kohner, executive producers; Cassandra Schafhausen, producer; Stephan Martinière, director; Judy Rothman Rofé, writer HBO Meet the Raisins! Will Vinton, executive producer; David Altschul, producer; Arthur Sellers, screenwriter/story by; Barry Bruce, director/story by; Mark Gustafson & Craig Bartlett, story by CBSMore Than One HourAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The benchmark was not met and no award was given. DuckTales: "Super DuckTales" Bob Hathcock, producer; Ken Koonce & David Weimers, producers/written by; James T. Walker, director; Jymn Magon, written by NBC

1990s