This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. The award was first given in 1972. Not to be confused with the Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Currently, LL Cool J holds the record for most wins in the category with four.

Winners and nominees Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

1970s Year Actor Series Ref 1972 Redd Foxx Sanford and Son 1973 – 79 colspan="3"

1980s Year Actor Series Ref 1980 – 81 colspan="3" 1982 Paul Winfield The Sophisticated Gents 1983 Howard Rollins For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story 1984 – 88 colspan="3" 1989 Howard Rollins In the Heat of the Night

1990s Year Actor Series Ref 1990 Danny Glover Mandela 1991 colspan="3" 1992 Blair Underwood Murder in Mississippi 1993 James Earl Jones Gabriel's Fire Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs The Jacksons: An American Dream 1994 Dorian Harewood I'll Fly Away 1995 Blair Underwood L.A. Law 1996 Malik Yoba New York Undercover André Braugher Homicide: Life on the Street Avery Brooks Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Yaphet Kotto Homicide: Life on the Street Eriq La Salle ER 1997 Malik Yoba New York Undercover André Braugher Homicide: Life on the Street Avery Brooks Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Yaphet Kotto Homicide: Life on the Street Eriq La Salle ER 1998 Malik Yoba New York Undercover André Braugher Homicide: Life on the Street Yaphet Kotto Eriq La Salle ER Richard Roundtree 413 Hope St. 1999 Eriq La Salle ER André Braugher Homicide: Life on the Street Rocky Carroll Chicago Hope Steve Harris The Practice Yaphet Kotto Homicide: Life on the Street

2000s Year Actor Series Ref 2000 Eriq La Salle ER Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Oz Michael Beach Third Watch Steve Harris The Practice Jesse L. Martin Law & Order 2001 Blair Underwood City of Angels André Braugher Gideon's Crossing Steve Harris The Practice Eriq La Salle ER Jesse L. Martin Law & Order 2002 Eriq La Salle ER André Braugher Gideon's Crossing Steve Harris The Practice Ving Rhames UC: Undercover Courtney B. Vance Law & Order: Criminal Intent 2003 Michael Beach Third Watch Bill Bellamy Fastlane André Braugher Hack Dennis Haysbert 24 Mykelti Williamson Boomtown 2004 Steve Harris The Practice Gary Dourdan CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dennis Haysbert 24 Jesse L. Martin Law & Order Wendell Pierce The Wire 2005 Taye Diggs Kevin Hill Gary Dourdan CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Hill Harper CSI: NY Steve Harris The Practice Jesse L. Martin Law & Order 2006 Isaiah Washington Grey's Anatomy Omar Epps House Hill Harper CSI: NY Ice-T Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jesse L. Martin Law & Order 2007 Isaiah Washington Grey's Anatomy Hill Harper CSI: NY Dennis Haysbert The Unit Jesse L. Martin Law & Order Michael K. Williams The Wire 2008 Hill Harper CSI: NY Anthony Anderson K-Ville Dennis Haysbert The Unit Jesse L. Martin Law & Order Jimmy Smits Cane 2009 Hill Harper CSI: NY Anthony Anderson Law & Order Omar Epps House Dennis Haysbert The Unit Blair Underwood In Treatment

2010s Year Actor Series Ref 2010 Hill Harper CSI: NY Anthony Anderson Law & Order Taye Diggs Private Practice Laurence Fishburne CSI: Crime Scene Investigation LL Cool J NCIS: Los Angeles 2011 LL Cool J NCIS: Los Angeles Anthony Anderson Law & Order Laurence Fishburne CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Hill Harper CSI: NY Blair Underwood The Event 2012 LL Cool J NCIS: Los Angeles André Braugher Men of a Certain Age Taye Diggs Private Practice Hill Harper CSI: NY Wendell Pierce Treme 2013 LL Cool J NCIS: Los Angeles Michael Clarke Duncan The Finder Hill Harper CSI: NY Dulé Hill Psych Wendell Pierce Treme 2014 LL Cool J NCIS: Los Angeles Michael Ealy Almost Human Shemar Moore Criminal Minds James Pickens Jr. Grey's Anatomy Wendell Pierce Treme 2015 Shemar Moore Criminal Minds Taye Diggs Murder in the First Omar Epps Resurrection Omari Hardwick Being Mary Jane LL Cool J NCIS: Los Angeles 2016 Terrence Howard Empire Morris Chestnut Rosewood Omari Hardwick Power LL Cool J NCIS: Los Angeles Wesley Snipes The Player 2017 Sterling K. Brown This Is Us Mike Colter Marvel's Luke Cage Omari Hardwick Power Terrence Howard Empire Kofi Siriboe Queen Sugar 2018 Omari Hardwick Power Kofi Siriboe Queen Sugar Mike Colter The Defenders Sterling K. Brown This Is Us Terrence Howard Empire 2019 Omari Hardwick Power Jason Mitchell The Chi Keith David Greenleaf Kofi Siriboe Queen Sugar Sterling K. Brown This Is Us

2020s Year Actor Series Ref 2020 Omari Hardwick Power Sterling K. Brown This Is Us Billy Porter Pose Kofi Siriboe Queen Sugar Forest Whitaker Godfather of Harlem 2021 Regé-Jean Page Bridgerton Sterling K. Brown This Is Us Jonathan Majors Lovecraft Country Keith David Greenleaf Nicco Annan P-Valley 2022 Sterling K. Brown This Is Us Damson Idris Snowfall Billy Porter Pose Kofi Siriboe Queen Sugar Forest Whitaker Godfather of Harlem 2023 Nicco Annan P-Valley Jabari Banks Bel-Air Kofi Siriboe Queen Sugar Sterling K. Brown This Is Us Damson Idris Snowfall 2024 Damson Idris Snowfall Forest Whitaker Godfather of Harlem Idris Elba Hijack Jabari Banks Bel-Air Jesse L. Martin The Irrational 2025 Michael Rainey Jr. Power Book II: Ghost Aldis Hodge Cross Donald Glover Mr. & Mrs. Smith Harold Perrineau From Jabari Banks Bel-Air 2026 Sterling K. Brown Paradise Forest Whitaker Godfather of Harlem Jabari Banks Bel-Air Michael Cooper Jr. Forever Morris Chestnut Watson

Multiple wins and nominations Wins

4 wins LL Cool J

3 wins Sterling K. Brown Omari Hardwick Hill Harper Eriq La Salle Blair Underwood Malik Yoba

2 wins Isaiah Washington Howard Rollins

Nominations

9 nominations Hill Harper

8 nominations André Braugher Sterling K. Brown Jesse L. Martin

7 nominations Eriq La Salle LL Cool J

6 nominations Steve Harris Omari Hardwick Kofi Siriboe

5 nominations Dennis Haysbert Blair Underwood

4 nominations Anthony Anderson Jabari Banks Taye Diggs Yaphet Kotto Wendell Pierce Forest Whitaker

3 nominations Omar Epps Terrence Howard Damson Idris Malik Yoba

2 nominations Nicco Annan Michael Beach Avery Brooks Morris Chestnut Mike Colter Keith David Gary Dourdan Laurence Fishburne Shemar Moore Billy Porter Isaiah Washington

References