The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for Variety Series is awarded to one television series each year. After being grouped together for decades as Outstanding Directing for Variety or Music Program, categories were divided for series and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special in 2009.
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 1970s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) NetworkOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety, Comedy or Music1970Kraft Music Hall"The Sound of Burt Bacharach"Dwight A. HemionNBCNew York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts"Berlioz Takes a Trip"Roger EnglanderCBSThe Second Bill Cosby SpecialSeymour BernsNBC Outstanding Directing for a Comedy-Variety or Music Series1971 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In "Orson Welles" Mark Warren NBC The Andy Williams Show "Christmas Show" Art FisherNBC The Flip Wilson Show "David Frost, James Brown and The Muppets" Tim Kiley1972 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour "Tony Randall" Art Fisher CBS The Carol Burnett Show "Carol Channing and Steve Lawrence" Dave Powers CBS The Flip Wilson Show "Petula Clark and Redd Foxx" Tim Kiley NBC1973 The Julie Andrews Hour "Lisa Doolittle and Mary Poppins" Bill Davis ABC The Flip Wilson Show "Roberta Flack and Burt Reynolds" Tim Kiley NBC The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour "Mike Connors" Art Fisher CBS1974 The Carol Burnett Show "The Australia Show" Dave Powers CBS In Concert "Cat Stevens" Joshua White ABC The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour "Ken Berry and George Foreman" Art Fisher CBS1975 The Carol Burnett Show "Alan Alda" Dave Powers CBS Cher "Bette Midler, Flip Wilson and Elton John" Art Fisher CBS1976 Saturday Night Live "Paul Simon" Dave Wilson NBC The Carol Burnett Show "Maggie Smith" Dave PowersCBS The Sonny and Cher Show "Premiere" Tim Kiley1977 The Carol Burnett Show "Eydie Gormé" Dave Powers CBS Saturday Night Live "Paul Simon" Dave WilsonNBC Van Dyke and Company "John Denver" John Moffitt1978 The Carol Burnett Show "Steve Martin and Betty White" Dave Powers CBS The Muppet Show "Elton John" Peter Harris Syndicated The Richard Pryor Show "Paula Kelly" John MoffittNBC Saturday Night Live "Steve Martin" Dave Wilson Shields and Yarnell "John Aylesworth" Steve Binder CBSOutstanding Directing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series1979In 1979, there were no variety programs nominated for the comedy directing award.Barney Miller"The Harris Incident"Noam PitlikABCAll in the Family"California, Here We Are, Part 2"Paul BogartCBSM*A*S*H"Dear Sis"Alan Alda"Point of View"Charles S. DubinSoap"Episode 27"Jay SandrichABC
1980s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network1980 Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program Baryshnikov on Broadway Dwight Hemion ABC The Big Show "Mariette Hartley and Dean Martin" Steve Binder NBC John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together Tony Charmoli ABC The Muppet Show "Liza Minnelli" Peter Harris Syndicated1981 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts Don Mischer CBS The 53rd Annual Academy Awards Marty Pasetta ABC Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters "Dolly Parton and John Schneider" Bob Henry NBC Linda in Wonderland Dwight Hemion CBS Nureyev and the Joffrey Ballet in Tribute to Nijinsky (Great Performances) Emile Ardolino PBS Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight II Tony Charmoli1982 Goldie and Kids... Listen to Us Dwight Hemion ABC The 54th Annual Academy Awards Marty Pasetta ABC Baryshnikov in Hollywood Don Mischer CBS Live from Lincoln Center: An Evening with Danny Kaye Robert Scheerer PBS Night of 100 Stars Clark Jones ABC1983 Sheena Easton... Act One Dwight Hemion NBC The 55th Annual Academy Awards Marty Pasetta ABCLincoln Center Special — Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Genius Has a Birthday! Emile ArdolinoPBS Live from Lincoln Center: Zubin Mehta Conducts Beethoven's Ninth with the New York Philharmonic Kirk Browning Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever Don MischerNBC SCTV Network "The Energy Ball" / "Sweeps Week Show" John Blanchard and John Bell1984 Here's Television Entertainment Dwight Hemion NBC Burnett "Discovers" Domingo Marty PasettaCBS The 6th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Don Mischer The 1984 Tony Awards Clark Jones1985 Sweeney Todd (Great Performances) Terry Hughes PBS Late Night with David Letterman "3rd Anniversary Special" Hal Gurnee NBC Motown Returns to the Apollo Don Mischer PBS Night of 100 Stars II Waris Hussein ABC1986 Copacabana Waris Hussein CBS The 58th Annual Academy Awards Marty Pasetta ABC The Gospel at Colonus (Great Performances) Kirk Browning PBS Neil Diamond... Hello Again Dwight Hemion CBS1987 The Kennedy Center Honors Don Mischer CBS Late Night with David Letterman "5th Anniversary Special" Hal Gurnee NBC Liberty Weekend: Opening Ceremonies Dwight Hemion ABC The 41st Annual Tony Awards Walter C. Miller CBS The Tracey Ullman Show "Meg and Tina in August" / "Pre-School" / "Golf" Ted Bessell and Stuart Margolin Fox1988 Celebrating Gershwin (Great Performances) Patricia Birch and Humphrey Burton PBS Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration Walter C. Miller CBS Late Night with David Letterman "6th Anniversary Special" Hal Gurnee NBC The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The 20th Reunion David Grossman CBS1989 The Jim Henson Hour "Dog City" Jim Henson NBC Dance in America: Gregory Hines — Tap Dance in America (Great Performances) Don Mischer PBS The Debbie Allen Special Debbie Allen ABC Late Night with David Letterman "In Chicago" Hal Gurnee NBC The Tracey Ullman Show "D.U.I." / "Family Therapy" / "9 Minutes & 52 Seconds Over Tokyo" / "Conjugal Visit" Ted Bessell Fox
1990s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network1990 The Kennedy Center Honors Dwight Hemion CBS The 62nd Annual Academy Awards "100 Years at the Movies" (segment) Chuck Workman ABC Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow Paul Flaherty HBO The Jim Henson Hour "The Song of the Cloud Forest" Jim Henson NBC Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration Jeff Margolis ABC1991 Late Night with David Letterman "1425" Hal Gurnee NBC The 63rd Annual Academy Awards Jeff Margolis ABC The Kennedy Center Honors Dwight Hemion CBS1992 Unforgettable... with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole (Great Performances) Patricia Birch PBS The 64th Annual Academy Awards Jeff Margolis ABC Late Night with David Letterman "10th Anniversary Special" Hal Gurnee NBC The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Bobby Quinn The 45th Annual Tony Awards Walter C. Miller CBS1993 The 1992 Tony Awards Walter C. Miller CBS The 65th Annual Academy Awards Jeff Margolis ABC Black and Blue (Great Performances) Robert Altman PBS Late Night with David Letterman "1723" Hal Gurnee NBC1994 The Tony Awards Walter C. Miller CBS The 66th Annual Academy Awards Jeff Margolis ABC Late Show with David Letterman "160" Hal Gurnee CBS Saturday Night Live Dave Wilson NBC The Tonight Show with Jay Leno "463" Ellen Brown Tracey Ullman Takes On New York Don Scardino HBO1995 The 67th Annual Academy Awards Jeff Margolis ABC Barbra Streisand: The Concert Barbra Streisand and Dwight Hemion HBO The Kennedy Center Honors Louis J. HorvitzCBS Late Show with David Letterman "384" Hal Gurnee The Tonight Show with Jay Leno "541" Ellen Brown NBC1996 The Kennedy Center Honors Louis J. Horvitz CBS The 68th Annual Academy Awards Jeff Margolis ABC Late Show with David Letterman "503" Jerry Foley CBS Marsalis on Music "Sousa to Satchmo" Michael Lindsay-Hogg PBS The Tonight Show with Jay Leno "914" Ellen Brown NBC1997 Centennial Olympic Games: Opening CeremoniesDon MischerNBC The 69th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABC Bette Midler: Diva Las VegasMarty CallnerHBO The Tonight Show with Jay Leno "1062" Ellen Brown NBC Tracey Takes On... "1976" Thomas Schlamme HBO1998 The 70th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABC Fleetwood Mac: The DanceBruce GowersMTV Garth: Live from Central ParkMarty CallnerHBO Rodgers & Hammerstein's CinderellaRobert IscoveABC Stomp Out LoudLuke Cresswell and Steve McNicholasHBOTracey Takes On... "Smoking"Don Scardino1999 The 1998 Tony AwardsPaul MillerCBS The 41st Annual Grammy AwardsWalter C. MillerCBS The Kennedy Center HonorsLouis J. Horvitz Saturday Night Live "Host: Jennifer Love Hewitt"Beth McCarthy-MillerNBC The Tonight Show with Jay Leno "1613" Ellen Brown
2000s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network2000 The 72nd Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABC Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker Keith Truesdell HBO The Gershwins' "Crazy for You" (Great Performances) Matthew Diamond PBS Late Show with David Letterman "1294" Jerry Foley CBS Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary SpecialBeth McCarthy-MillerNBC The Tonight Show with Jay Leno "1770" Ellen Brown2001 Cirque Du Soleil's DralionDavid MalletBravo The 73rd Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABC Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York CityChris HilsonHBO Late Show with David Letterman "1527" Jerry FoleyCBS The 54th Annual Tony AwardsPaul Miller2002 Opening Ceremony Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter GamesBucky Gunts, Ron de Moraes and Kenny OrtegaNBC The 74th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABC America: A Tribute to Heroes Joel Gallen and Beth McCarthy-Miller America: A Tribute to Heroes was simulcast live on 35 network and cable outlets. The Emmys listed no individual network with this nomination. From Broadway: Fosse (Great Performances) Matthew Diamond PBS Late Show with David Letterman Jerry Foley CBS2003 The 56th Annual Tony AwardsGlenn WeissCBS The 75th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABC Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in BarcelonaChris HilsonCBSLate Show with David Letterman "1876"Jerry FoleySaturday Night Live "Host: Christopher Walken"Beth McCarthy-MillerNBC2004 The 76th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABC Bill Maher: Victory Begins at HomeJohn MoffittHBOChappelle's Show "204"Neal Brennan, Andre Allen and Scott VincentComedy CentralThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart "8086"Chuck O'Neil Elaine Stritch: At LibertyAndy Picheta, Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus and D.A. PennebakerHBOLate Show with David Letterman "2170"Jerry FoleyCBS2005 The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad - Opening CeremonyBucky GuntsNBC The 77th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABCDa Ali G Show "Rekognize"James BobinHBOThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart "9010"Chuck O'NeilComedy CentralLate Show with David Letterman "2269"Jerry FoleyCBS2006 The 78th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABCAmerican Idol "Finale"Bruce GowersFoxThe Colbert Report "110"Jim HoskinsonComedy CentralThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart "10140"Chuck O'NeilSaturday Night Live "Host: Steve Martin"Beth McCarthy-MillerNBC2007 Tony Bennett: An American ClassicRob MarshallNBCAmerican Idol "The Final Two"Bruce GowersFoxThe Colbert Report "2161"Jim HoskinsonComedy CentralThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart "12061"Chuck O'NeilSaturday Night Live "Host: Alec Baldwin"Don Roy KingNBC2008 The 80th Annual Academy AwardsLouis J. HorvitzABCThe Colbert Report "4051"Jim HoskinsonComedy Central Company (Great Performances)Lonny PricePBSThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart "13050"Chuck O'NeilComedy CentralSaturday Night Live "Host: Tina Fey"Don Roy KingNBC2009 Outstanding Directing for a Variety SeriesAmerican Idol "833 (The Final Three)"Bruce GowersFoxThe Colbert Report "4159"Jim HoskinsonComedy CentralThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart "13107"Chuck O'NeilLate Show with David Letterman "2932"Jerry FoleyCBSReal Time with Bill Maher "705"Hal GrantHBOSaturday Night Live "Host: Justin Timberlake"Don Roy KingNBC
2010s