The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1955 and it is given in honor of a writer or writers who produced an outstanding story or screenplay for an episode of a television drama series during the primetime network season. Undergoing several name changes, the award received its current title at the 48th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1996.
Since its inception, the award has been presented to 75 writers. Dan Gilroy is the current recipient of the award for his work on the episode of Disney+'s Andor titled "Welcome to the Rebellion". Rod Serling holds the record for most wins for this category at six. The Sopranos holds the record for most wins and nominations for this category at 6 and 21, respectively. Game of Thrones, Hill Street Blues and The Sopranos are the only shows that have been nominated in 7 different years.
Winners and nominations Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees. + Table key Indicates the winner
1950s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Best Written Dramatic Material 1955 Studio One "Twelve Angry Men" Reginald Rose CBS Climax! "An Error in Chemistry" David Dortort CBS Four Star Playhouse "The Answer" Leonard Freeman Medic "White Is the Color" James Moser NBC The Philco Television Playhouse Paddy Chayefsky 1956 Best Original Teleplay Writing Kraft Television Theatre "Patterns" Rod Serling NBC Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse "A Catered Affair" Paddy Chayefsky NBC "Thunder Over Washington" David Davidson The Philco Television Playhouse "A Man Is Ten Feet Tall" Robert Alan Aurthur The United States Steel Hour "Fearful Decision" Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum CBS Best Television Adaptation Ford Star Jubilee "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" Paul Gregory and Franklin J. Schaffner CBS The 20th Century Fox Hour "The Miracle on 34th Street" John Monks CBS "The Ox-Bow Incident" David Dortort Climax! "The Champion" Rod Serling Producers' Showcase "Our Town" David Shaw NBC 1957 Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less Alfred Hitchcock Presents "Fog Closing In" James P. Cavanagh CBS Frontier "Patrol" Morton Fine and David Friedkin NBC The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp "The Buntime" Dan Ullman ABC The Loretta Young Show "The Pearl" Richard Morris NBC Telephone Time "Man with the Beard" John Nesbitt ABC Best Teleplay Writing – One Hour or More Playhouse 90 "Requiem for a Heavyweight" Rod Serling CBS Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse "Joey" Louis Peterson NBC"Tragedy in a Temporary Town" Reginald Rose Kraft Television Theatre "A Night to Remember" John Whedon and George Roy Hill Playhouse 90 "Sizeman and Son" Elick Moll CBS 1958 Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less Schlitz Playhouse of Stars "The Lonely Wizard" Paul Monash CBS Father Knows Best "Margaret Hires a Gardener" Roswell RogersNBC Frontiers of Faith "A Chassidic Tale" Morton Wishengrad Gunsmoke "Born to Hang" John MestonCBS Leave It to Beaver "Beaver Gets 'Spelled" Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher Best Teleplay Writing – One Hour or More Playhouse 90 "The Comedian" Rod Serling CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Green Pastures" Marc Connelly NBC Omnibus "The Life of Samuel Johnson" James Lee Playhouse 90 "The Miracle Worker" William GibsonCBS Studio One "No Deadly Medicine" Arthur Hailey 1959 Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre "Eddie" Alfred Brenner and Ken Hughes NBC Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre "The Loudmouth" Christopher Knopf NBC Alfred Hitchcock Presents "Lamb to the Slaughter" Roald Dahl CBS General Electric Theater "One is a Wanderer" Samuel A. Taylor Peter Gunn "The Kill" Blake Edwards NBC Best Writing of a Single Dramatic Program - One Hour or Longer Hallmark Hall of Fame "Little Moon of Alban" James Costigan NBC Playhouse 90 "Child of Our Time" Irving G. Neiman CBS "Days of Wine and Roses" JP Miller "Old Man" Horton Foote "A Town Has Turned to Dust" Rod Serling
1960s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama 1960 The Twilight Zone Rod Serling CBS Ford Startime "The Turn of the Screw" James Costigan NBC Playhouse 90 "Project Immortality" Loring Mandel CBS 1961 The Twilight Zone Rod Serling CBS DuPont Show of the Month "The Lincoln Murder Case" Dale Wasserman CBS NBC Sunday Showcase "Sacco-Vanzetti Story" Reginald Rose NBC 1962 The Defenders Reginald Rose CBS Alcoa Premiere "People Need People" Henry F. Greenberg ABC Ben Casey "I Remember a Lemon Tree" The Dick Powell Show "The Price of Tomatoes" Richard Alan Simmons NBC The Twilight Zone Rod Serling CBS 1963 The Defenders "The Madman" Robert Thom and Reginald Rose CBS Ben Casey "A Cardinal Act of Mercy" Norman Katkov ABC The DuPont Show of the Week "Big Deal in Laredo" Sidney Carroll NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Invincible Mr. Disraeli" James Lee Premiere, Presented by Fred Astaire "The Voice of Charlie Pont" Halsted Welles ABC 1964 Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Original The Defenders "Blacklist" Ernest Kinoy CBS Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre "Something About Lee Wiley" David Rayfiel NBC Breaking Point "And James Was a Very Small Snail" Allan Sloane ABC Dr. Kildare "What's God to Julius?" Adrian Spies NBC East Side/West Side "Who Do You Kill?" Arnold Perl CBS Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Adaptation Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre "It's Mental Work" Rod Serling NBC The Alfred Hitchcock Hour "The Jar" James Bridges CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Patriots" Robert Hartung NBC The Richard Boone Show "The Hooligan" Walter Newman Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment – Writers 1965 The Defenders "The 700-Year-Old Gang" David Karp CBS The Dick Van Dyke Show "Never Bathe on Sunday" Carl Reiner CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "The Magnificent Yankee" Robert Hartung NBC That Was the Week That Was William Boardman, Dee Caruso, Robert Emmett, David Frost, Gerald Gardner, Buck Henry, Joseph Hurley, Thomas Meehan, Herb Sargent, Larry Siegel, Gloria Steinem, Jim Stevenson, Calvin Trillin and Saul TurteltaubThe Wonderful World of Burlesque Arnie Rosen and Coleman Jacoby Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama 1966 Hallmark Hall of Fame "Eagle in a Cage" Millard Lampell NBC Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre "The Game" S. Lee Pogostin NBC I Spy "A Cup of Kindness" Morton Fine and David Friedkin 1967 Mission: Impossible "Pilot" Bruce Geller CBS CBS Playhouse "The Final War of Olly Winter" Ronald Ribman CBS I Spy "The War Lord" Robert Culp NBC 1968 CBS Playhouse "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" Loring Mandel CBS CBS Playhouse "Dear Friends" Reginald Rose CBS Mission: Impossible "The Seal" William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter CBS NBC World Premiere Movie "Ironside" Don Mankiewicz NBC 1969 CBS Playhouse "The People Next Door" JP Miller CBS CBS Playhouse "The Experiment" Ellen M. Violett CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame "Teacher, Teacher" Allan Sloane NBC
1970s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama 1970 NBC World Premiere Movie "My Sweet Charlie" Richard Levinson and William Link NBC The ABC Wednesday Night Movie"Marcus Welby, M.D." Don Mankiewicz ABC CBS Playhouse "Sadbird" George Bellak CBS 1971 The Bold Ones: The Senator "To Taste of Death but Once" Joel Oliansky NBC The Bold Ones: The Senator "A Continual Roar of Musketry" David W. Rintels NBC Four in One "The Psychiatrist" Jerrold Freedman 1972 Columbo "Death Lends a Hand" Richard Levinson and William Link NBC Columbo"Murder by the Book" Steven Bochco NBC"Suitable for Framing" Jackson Gillis 1973 The Waltons "The Scholar" John McGreevey CBS Columbo "Etude in Black" NBC The Waltons "The Love Story" Earl Hamner Jr. CBS Best Writing in Drama 1974 The Waltons "The Thanksgiving Story" Joanna Lee CBS Kojak "Death Is Not a Passing Grade" Gene R. Kearney CBS The Waltons "The Easter Story" John McGreevey Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series 1975 Benjamin Franklin "The Ambassador" Howard Fast CBS Benjamin Franklin "The Whirlwind" Loring Mandel CBS Police Story "Robbery: 48 Hours" Robert L. Collins NBC Upstairs, Downstairs "The Bolter" John Hawkesworth PBS "Miss Forrest" Alfred Shaughnessy 1976 The Adams Chronicles "John Adams and Lawyer" Sherman Yellen PBS Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill "Lady Randolph" Julian Mitchell PBS The Law "Complaint Amended" Joel Oliansky NBC Rich Man, Poor Man "Part I" Dean Riesner ABC Upstairs, Downstairs "Another Year" Alfred Shaughnessy PBS 1977 Roots "Part II" Ernest Kinoy and William Blinn ABC The Adams Chronicles "Charles Francis Adams: Minister to Great Britain" Roger O. Hirson PBS "John Quincy Adams: President" Tad Mosel Roots "Part V" James Lee ABC "Part VIII" M. Charles Cohen 1978 Holocaust Gerald Green NBC The Dain Curse Robert W. Lenski CBS King Abby Mann NBC Meeting of Minds Steve Allen PBS The Norman Conquests Alan Ayckbourn 1979 Lou Grant "Dying" Michele Gallery CBS Lou Grant "Marathon" Gene Reynolds CBS "Vet" Leon Tokatyan The Paper Chase "The Late Mr. Hart" James Bridges
1980s