The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) is awarded to one live television special each year. The award was presented as Outstanding Special Class Program until it was restructured for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards.
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.
Winners and nominations 1970s Year Program Nominees Network Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts American Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer PBS American Ballet Theatre (Dance in America: Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Emile Ardolino, series coordinating producer; Merrill Brockway, series producerPBS Arthur Rubenstein at 90 (Great Performances) Jac Venza, Klaus Hallig and Herbert G. Kloiber, executive producers; David Griffiths and Fritz Buttenstadt, producers; Arthur Rubenstein, performer Martha Graham Dance Company (Dance in America: Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Emile Ardolino, series coordinating producer; Merrill Brockway, series producer; Martha Graham, performer The Bolshoi Ballet: Romeo and Juliet Lothar Bock, executive producer; Alvin Cooperman, producer CBS Outstanding Achievement in Coverage of Special Events — ProgramsAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominee did not meet the benchmark and no award was given. The 19th Annual Grammy Awards Marty Pasetta, producer CBS The 28th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Norman Rosemont, producer ABC The 30th Annual Tony Awards Alexander H. Cohen, producer The 48th Annual Oscar Awards Howard W. Koch, producer The Good Old Days of Radio Loring d'Usseau, producer PBSOutstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts American Ballet Theatre's "Giselle" (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer PBS American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, executive producer; Emile Ardolino, producerPBS La Bohème (Live from the Met) Michael Bronson, executive producer; John Goberman, producer Dance in America: Choreography by Balanchine (Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Merrill Brockway and Emile Ardolino, producers The Nutcracker (Baryshnikov) Herman E. Krawitz, executive producer; Yanna Kroyt Brandt, producer CBS Balanchine IV (Dance in America: Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Merrill Brockway, series producer; Emile Ardolino, series coordinating producer; Judy Kinberg, producer PBS The American Ballet Theatre: The Sleeping Beauty (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producerPBS Balanchine III (Dance in America: Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Merrill Brockway, series producer; Emile Ardolino, series coordinating producer; Judy Kinberg, producer Giulini's Beethoven's 9th Live: A Gift from Los Angeles Jeanne Mulcahy, executive producer; John Goberman, producer Live from Lincoln Center John Goberman, producer
1980s Year Program Nominees Network Live from Studio 8H: A Tribute to Toscanini Alvin Cooperman and Judith de Paul, producers NBC Agnes deMille and the Joffrey Ballet in Conversations About the Dance Loring d'Usseau, producer; Agnes de Mille, starPBS Beverly Sills in Concert Thomas L. Merklinger, executive producer; Beverly Sills, star New York Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta and Luciano Pavarotti (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Luciano Pavarotti, performer Live from Studio 8H: An Evening of Jerome Robbins Alvin Cooperman and Judith de Paul, producers NBC Beverly! Her Farewell Performance (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Beverly Sills, performerPBS Isaac Stern's 60th Birthday Celebration (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Isaac Stern, performers Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne and Luciano Pavarotti in Recital (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne and Luciano Pavarotti, performers Nureyev and the Joffrey Ballet in Tribute to Nijinsky (Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Emile Ardolino and Judy Kinberg, producers; Rudolf Nureyev, performer La Bohème (Live from the Met)| Michael Bronson, executive producer; Clemente D'Alessio, producer| PBS|- | Bernstein/Beethoven | Horant H. Hohlfeld and Harry J. Kraut, executive producers; David Griffiths, producer; Leonard Bernstein, performer | rowspan=4|PBS |- | An Evening with Danny Kaye and the New York Philharmonic (Live from Lincoln Center) | Herbert Bonis, executive producer; John Goberman, producer; Danny Kaye, performer |- | An Evening with Itzhak Perlman and the New York Philharmonic (Live from Lincoln Center) | John Goberman, producer; Itzhak Perlman, performer |- | Horowitz in London: A Royal Concert | Peter Gelb and John Vernon, producers; Vladimir Horowitz, performer |- |rowspan="6"| |-style="background:#FAEB86;" | Paravotti in Philadelphia: La Bohème Margaret Anne Everitt, executive producer; Clemente D'Alessio, producer; Luciano Pavarotti, performer PBS Dance in America Jac Venza, executive producer; Judy Kinberg and Barbara Horgan, producersPBS In Concert at the Met: Price, Horne, Levine Michael Bronson, executive producer; Clemente D'Alessio, producer; Leontyne Price, Marilyn Horne and James Levine, stars Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Genius Has a Birthday! (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman and Barbara Horgan, producers Wagner's Ring: The Bayreuth Centennial Production Horant H. Hohlfeld, executive producer; David Griffiths, Dietrich von Watzforf and Peter Windgassen, producers Plácido Domingo Celebrates Seville (Great Performances)| Horant H. Hohlfeld, executive producer; David Griffiths and Thomas Buerger, producers; Plácido Domingo, host| PBS|- | Bernstein: Conductor, Soloist and Teacher (Great Performances) | Horant H. Hohlfeld and Harry J. Kraut, executive producer; Thomas Buerger, producer; Leonard Bernstein, host | rowspan=4|PBS |- | The Compleat Gilbert & Sullivan | George Walker, executive producer; Judith de Paul, producer |- | James Galway and Zubin Mehta with the New York Philharmonic (Live from Lincoln Center) | John Goberman, producer; James Galway and Zubin Mehta, hosts |- | New York City Ballet: A Tribute to George Balanchine (Live from Lincoln Center) | John Goberman and Barbara Horgan, producers |- |rowspan="6"| |-style="background:#FAEB86;" | Tosca (Live from the Met)| Michael Bronson, executive producer; Samuel Paul, producer| PBS|- | Aida (Live from the Met) | Michael Bronson, executive producer; Samuel Paul, producer | rowspan=4|PBS |- | Bernstein Conducts "West Side Story" (Great Performances) | Ian Squires and Harry J. Kraut, executive producers; Humphrey Burton and Thomas Skinner, producers; Leonard Bernstein, host |- | Dance in America: Baryshnikov by Tharp with American Ballet Theatre (Great Performances) | Rhoda Grauer, executive producer; Don Mischer, producer; Mikhail Baryshnikov, host |- | The Well-Tempered Bach with Peter Ustinov | Byron Knight, Thomas Doggett and Christian P. Stehr, co-executive producers; Hans Vetter, producer; Peter Ustinov, host |- |rowspan="6"| |-style="background:#FAEB86;" | Wolf Trap Presents The Kirov: Swan Lake Michael B. Styer, executive producer; Phillip Byrd, senior producer; John Potthast, producer PBS Aaron Copland's 85th Birthday with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Richard Baker, coordinating producer; Zubin Mehta, performerPBS Dance in America: Choreography by Jerome Robbins with the New York City Ballet (Great Performances) Jac Venza and Rhoda Grauer, executive producers; Judy Kinberg, producer Dance in America: Dance Theatre of Harlem in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producers; Judy Kinberg and Thomas Grimm, producers New York Philharmonic Celebration with Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman & Montserrat Cavalle (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Marc Bauman, coordinating producer; Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman and Montserrat Caballé, performers Vladimir Horowitz: The Last Romantic Peter Gelb, executive producer; Susan Froemke, producer; Vladimir Horowitz, performer PBS Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening Don Mischer, executive producer; Jan Cornell and David J. Goldberg, producersPBS Dance in America: In Memory of... A Ballet by Jerome Robbins (Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Judy Kinberg and Rhoda Grauer, producers An Evening with Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti (The Metropolitan Opera Presents) Samuel Paul, producer; Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti, performers Liberty Weekend: International Concert David L. Wolper, executive producer; David Griffiths, producer ABC Nixon in China (Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; David Horn, series producer; Michael Bronson, producer; John Walker, coordinating producer PBS All That Bach Niv Fichman and Louise Clark, producersPBS American Ballet Theatre's "Romeo and Juliet" Live (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Marc Bauman, coordinating producer Dance in America: Balanchine and Cunningham — An Evening at American Ballet Theatre (Great Performances) Jac Venza, executive producer; Judy Kinberg and Thomas Grimm, producers New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve Celebration with Zubin Mehta & Kathleen Battle (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Marc Bauman, coordinating producer; Zubin Mehta and Kathleen Battle, performers Bernstein at 70! (Great Performances) Harry J. Kraut and Klaus Hallig, executive producers; Michael Bronson and Thomas Skinner, producers PBS Dance in America: Baryshnikov Dances Balanchine (Great Performances)Jac Venza, executive producer; Judy Kinberg and Thomas Grimm, producersPBS Dance in America: A Night at the Joffrey (Great Performances) Horowitz Plays Mozart Peter Gelb, executive producer; Susan Froemke, producer Ray Charles in Concert with the New York City Ballet (Live from Lincoln Center) John Goberman, producer; Marc Bauman, coordinating producer
1990s Year Program Nominees Network Aida (The Metropolitan Opera Presents)| Peter Gelb, executive producer| PBS|- | Carmen on Ice | Thomas Buerger, executive producer | HBO |- | A Classical Jazz Christmas with Wynton Marsalis (Live from Lincoln Center) | John Goberman, producer; Marc Bauman, coordinating producer; Wynton Marsalis, performer | rowspan=3|PBS |- | Mostly Mozart (Live from Lincoln Center) | John Goberman, producer; Marc Bauman, coordinating producer; Itzhak Perlman, performer |- | Show Boat (Great Performances) | David Horn and Jac Venza, executive producers; John Walker, producer |- |rowspan="6"| |-style="background:#FAEB86;"