The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series is an annual award that honors drama series for excellence in the depiction of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) characters and themes. It is one of several categories of the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which are presented by GLAAD—an American non-governmental media monitoring organization founded in 1985, formerly called the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation—at ceremonies in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco between March and June.

The award is one of the few to date back to the 1st GLAAD Media Awards in 1990, where the ABC series HeartBeat and NBC series L.A. Law won—one of only two instances in the award's history where there was a tie. It was not given in 1992, but has been awarded every year since 1993. That year also saw a tie, with Fox's Melrose Place and ABC's One Life to Live winning; the only instance when a soap opera won the award. For the 7th GLAAD Media Awards in 1996, the category was merged with Outstanding Comedy Series to create Outstanding Television Series, but this was reverted the following year.

For a drama series to be eligible, it must include at least one LGBT character in a leading, supporting, or recurring capacity. The award may be accepted by the show's producers, writers, and/or actors. Drama series selected by GLAAD are evaluated based on four criteria: "Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representations" of the LGBT community, "Boldness and Originality" of the project, significant "Impact" on mainstream culture, and "Overall Quality" of the project. GLAAD monitors mainstream media to identify which drama series will be nominated, while also issuing a Call for Entries that encourages media outlets to submit programs for consideration. Dramatic programs created by and for an LGBT audience must be submitted in order to be considered for nomination, as GLAAD does not monitor such works for defamation. Winners are determined by a plurality vote of GLAAD staff and board, Shareholders Circle members, as well as volunteers and affiliated individuals.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 27 drama series. With four consecutive wins out of five nominations, Brothers & Sisters has received the award more than any other program. Pose and Six Feet Under have won the award three times, while Chicago Hope, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue have each won twice. With six nominations, Degrassi: The Next Generation is the series that has been nominated the most often without a win. The most recent recipient is Netflix's Stranger Things, which was honored at the 37th GLAAD Media Awards in 2026.

Winners and nominees + Table key Indicates the winner

1990s + Award year Series Network 1990(1st) HeartBeat ABC L.A. Law NBC 1991(2nd) L.A. Law NBC 1993(4th) Melrose Place Fox One Life to Live ABC 1994(5th) Sisters NBC 1995(6th) My So-Called Life ABC 1996(7th) NYPD Blue ABC Courthouse CBS Friends NBC Party of Five Fox Sisters NBC 1997(8th) Chicago Hope CBS Bedtime Showtime Relativity ABC 1998(9th) NYPD Blue ABC ER NBC 413 Hope St. Fox 1999(10th) Chicago Hope CBS Homicide: Life on the Street NBC Linc's Showtime

2000s + Award year Series Network 2000(11th) Dawson's Creek Felicity Oz HBO Undressed MTV 2001(12th) Queer as Folk Showtime Buffy the Vampire Slayer UPN Dawson's Creek Felicity Undressed MTV 2002(13th) Six Feet Under HBO Buffy the Vampire Slayer UPN CBS ER NBC Queer as Folk Showtime 2003(14th) Six Feet Under HBO Once and Again ABC Queer as Folk Showtime FX HBO 2004(15th) Playmakers ESPN Degrassi: The Next Generation Nip/Tuck FX Queer as Folk Showtime Six Feet Under HBO 2005(16th) Six Feet Under HBO Kevin Hill UPN Showtime Queer as Folk HBO 2006(17th) Showtime Commander in Chief ABC Queer as Folk Showtime Six Feet Under HBO South of Nowhere 2007(18th) Brothers & Sisters ABC Hex BBC America Showtime HBO South of Nowhere 2008(19th) Brothers & Sisters ABC Degrassi: The Next Generation Dirty Sexy Money ABC Greek ABC Family Showtime 2009(20th) Brothers & Sisters ABC Showtime South of Nowhere Torchwood BBC America True Blood HBO

2010s + Award year Series Network 2010(21st) Brothers & Sisters ABC Grey's Anatomy ABC Mad Men AMC Skins BBC America True Blood HBO 2011(22nd) True Blood HBO Brothers & Sisters ABC Degrassi TeenNick Grey's Anatomy ABC Pretty Little Liars ABC Family 2012(23rd) Grey's Anatomy ABC Degrassi TeenNick Pretty Little Liars ABC Family Shameless Showtime Torchwood: Miracle Day Starz 2013(24th) Smash NBC Degrassi TeenNick Grey's Anatomy ABC The CW True Blood HBO 2014(25th) ABC Family Grey's Anatomy ABC Orphan Black BBC America Pretty Little Liars ABC Family Shameless Showtime 2015(26th) How to Get Away with Murder ABC Degrassi TeenNick ABC Family Game of Thrones HBO Grey's Anatomy ABC Last Tango in Halifax PBS Masters of Sex Showtime Orphan Black BBC America Pretty Little Liars ABC Family Shameless Showtime 2016(27th) Sense8 Netflix Arrow Black Sails Starz Empire Fox ABC Family Grey's AnatomyABC How to Get Away with Murder Nashville Orphan Black BBC America Shameless Showtime 2017(28th) Shadowhunters Freeform Freeform Grey's Anatomy ABC Hap and Leonard SundanceTV How to Get Away with Murder ABC Netflix Orphan Black BBC America Shameless Showtime Supergirl Wynonna Earp Syfy 2018(29th) This Is Us NBC Billions Showtime Doubt CBS Hulu Nashville CMT Sense8 Netflix Shadowhunters Freeform Star Fox Star Trek: Discovery CBS All Access Wynonna Earp Syfy 2019(30th) Pose FX Billions Showtime Black Lightning Grey's Anatomy ABC Hulu Instinct CBS Shadowhunters Freeform Star Fox Supergirl Wynonna Earp Syfy

2020s Award year Series Network 2020(31st) Pose FX Batwoman Billions Showtime Euphoria HBO Killing Eve BBC America Showtime Netflix Shadowhunters Freeform Star Trek: Discovery CBS All Access Supergirl 2021(32nd) Star Trek: Discovery CBS All Access 9-1-1: Lone Star Fox Killing Eve BBC America P-Valley Starz Ratched Netflix Supergirl Netflix Vida Starz Amazon Wynonna Earp Syfy 2022(33rd) Pose FX 9-1-1: Lone Star Fox Batwoman Showtime Doom Patrol HBO Max Good Trouble Freeform Grey's Anatomy ABC Showtime Star Trek: Discovery Paramount+ Supergirl 2023(34th) 9-1-1: Lone Star Fox Chucky Syfy Good Trouble Freeform Gossip Girl HBO Max Grey's Anatomy ABC Showtime P-Valley Starz September Mornings Prime Video Star Trek: Discovery Paramount+ The Umbrella Academy Netflix 2024(35th) Yellowjackets Showtime 9-1-1: Lone Star Fox Showtime Chucky Syfy / USA Network Doctor Who Disney+ Good Trouble Freeform Grey's Anatomy ABC Quantum Leap NBC Riverdale The CW Station 19 ABC 2025(36th) 9-1-1: Lone Star Fox Arcane Netflix Showtime Doctor Who Disney+ Found NBC Heartbreak High Netflix Interview with the Vampire AMC Star Trek: Discovery Paramount+ The Umbrella Academy Netflix Wicked City ALLBLK 2026(37th) Stranger Things Netflix Brilliant Minds NBC Apple TV Doctor Who Disney+ HBO HBO Power Book III: Raising Kanan Starz Netflix Severance Apple TV Yellowjackets Showtime

Multiple wins and nominations Programs

The following programs received two or more Outstanding Drama Series awards:

Wins Program 4 Brothers & Sisters 3 Pose Six Feet Under 2 9-1-1: Lone Star Chicago Hope L.A. Law NYPD Blue

The following programs received four or more Outstanding Drama Series nominations:

Nominations Program 12 Grey's Anatomy 6 Degrassi: The Next Generation Queer as Folk Star Trek: Discovery 5 9-1-1: Lone Star Brothers & Sisters Shameless Six Feet Under Supergirl 4 Orphan Black Pretty Little Liars Shadowhunters True Blood Wynonna Earp

Networks

The following networks received two or more Outstanding Drama Series awards:

Wins Network 11 ABC 5 NBC 4 HBO 3 Showtime Fox FX 2 ABC Family / Freeform CBS Netflix

The following networks received four or more Outstanding Drama Series nominations: Nominations Network 29 ABC Showtime 17 HBO 16 ABC Family / Freeform 13 NBC 12 Netflix 11 Fox 9 BBC America / TeenNick 6 CBS CBS All Access / Paramount+ Starz Syfy 5 FX 4

Notes

References

External links GLAAD Media Awards