This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Beginning with 1966, leading actresses in comedy have competed alone. However, these comedic performances included actresses from miniseries, telefilms, and guest performers competing against main cast competitors. Such instances are marked below:
# – Indicates a performance in a Miniseries or Television film, prior to the category's creation § – Indicates a performance as a guest performer, prior to the category's creation
Winners and nominations 1950s Year Actress Role Program NetworkBest Female Star of a Regular Series 1954(6th)Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Eve Arden Connie Brooks Our Miss Brooks CBS Lucille Ball Lucy Ricardo I Love Lucy CBS Imogene Coca Various characters Your Show of Shows NBC Dinah Shore Herself The Dinah Shore Show Loretta Young Various characters The Loretta Young ShowBest Actress Starring in a Regular Series 1955(7th) Loretta Young Various characters The Loretta Young Show NBC Gracie Allen Gracie Allen The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show CBS Eve Arden Connie Brooks Our Miss Brooks Lucille Ball Lucy Ricardo I Love Lucy Ann Sothern Susie McNamara Private Secretary Best Actress - Continuing Performance 1956(8th) Lucille Ball Lucy Ricardo I Love Lucy CBS Gracie Allen Gracie Allen The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show CBS Eve Arden Connie Brooks Our Miss Brooks Jean Hagen Margaret Williams Make Room for Daddy ABC Ann Sothern Susie McNamara Private Secretary CBSBest Continuing Performance by an Actress 1957(9th) Loretta Young Various characters The Loretta Young Show NBC Jan Clayton Ellen Miller Lassie CBS Ida Lupino Various characters Four Star Playhouse Peggy Wood Mama Mama Jane Wyman Various characters Jane Wyman Theatre NBCBest Continuing Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic or Comedy Series 1958(10th) Jane Wyatt Margaret Anderson Father Knows Best NBC Eve Arden Liza Hammond The Eve Arden Show CBS Spring Byington Lily Ruskin December Bride Jan Clayton Ellen Miller Lassie Ida Lupino Eve Drake Mr. Adams and EveBest Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series 1959(11th) Jane Wyatt Margaret Anderson Father Knows Best CBS & NBC Gracie Allen Gracie Allen The George Burns and Gracie Allen ShowCBS Spring Byington Lily Ruskin December Bride Ida Lupino Eve Adams Mr. Adams and Eve Donna Reed Donna Stone The Donna Reed Show ABC Ann Sothern Katy O'Connor The Ann Sothern Show CBS
1960s Year Actress Role Program NetworkOutstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead or Support) 1960(12th) Jane Wyatt Margaret Anderson Father Knows Best CBS Donna Reed Donna Stone The Donna Reed Show ABC Teresa Wright Margaret Bourke-White NBC Sunday Showcase NBC Loretta Young Various characters The Loretta Young Show Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) 1961(13th) Barbara Stanwyck Various characters The Barbara Stanwyck Show NBC Donna Reed Donna Stone The Donna Reed Show ABC Loretta Young Various characters The Loretta Young Show NBCOutstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) 1962(14th) Shirley Booth Hazel Burke Hazel NBC Gertrude Berg Sarah Green The Gertrude Berg Show CBS Donna Reed Donna Stone The Donna Reed Show ABC Mary Stuart Joanne Gardner Search for Tomorrow CBS Cara Williams Gladys Porter Pete and Gladys 1963(15th) Shirley Booth Hazel Burke Hazel NBC Lucille Ball Lucy Carmichael The Lucy Show CBS Shirl Conway Liz Thorpe The Nurses Mary Tyler Moore Laura Petrie The Dick Van Dyke Show Irene Ryan Granny The Beverly Hillbillies 1964(16th) Mary Tyler Moore Laura Petrie The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS Shirley Booth Hazel Burke Hazel NBC Patty Duke Cathy Lane The Patty Duke Show ABC Irene Ryan Granny The Beverly Hillbillies CBS Inger Stevens Katy Holstrum The Farmer's Daughter ABCOutstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Actors and Performers 1965Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre-specific acting categories Leonard Bernstein Conductor New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein CBS Lynn Fontanne Fanny Bowditch HolmesHallmark Hall of Fame: "The Magnificent Yankee"| rowspan="2"|NBC|-style="background:#FAEB86" | Alfred Lunt| Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.|-style="background:#FAEB86" | Barbra Streisand| Herself| My Name Is BarbraCBS Dick Van Dyke Rob Petrie The Dick Van Dyke Show Julie Andrews Herself The Andy Williams Show: "November 30, 1964"NBC Johnny Carson Host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Gladys Cooper Margaret St. ClairThe Rogues Robert Coote Timmy St. Clair Richard Crenna James Slattery Slattery's People CBS Julie Harris Florence Nightingale Hallmark Hall of Fame: "The Holy Terror"NBC Bob Hope Himself Chrysler Presents A Bob Hope Comedy Special Dean Jagger Principal Albert Vane Mr. Novak Danny Kaye Host The Danny Kaye Show CBS David McCallum Illya Kuryakin The Man from U.N.C.L.E. NBC Red Skelton Himself The Red Skelton Hour CBSOutstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series 1966(18th) Mary Tyler Moore Laura Petrie The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS Lucille Ball Lucy Carmichael The Lucy Show CBS Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens Bewitched ABC 1967(19th) Lucille Ball Lucy Carmichael The Lucy Show CBS Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha StephensBewitchedABC Agnes Moorehead Endora Marlo Thomas Ann Marie That Girl 1968(20th) Lucille Ball Lucy Carmichael The Lucy Show CBS Barbara Feldon Agent 99 Get Smart NBC Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens Bewitched ABC Paula Prentiss Paula Hollister He & She CBS Marlo Thomas Ann Marie That Girl ABC 1969(21st) Hope Lange Carolyn Muir The Ghost & Mrs. Muir NBC Diahann Carroll Julia Baker JuliaNBC Barbara Feldon Agent 99 Get Smart Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens Bewitched ABC
1970s Year Actress Role Program Network 1970(22nd) Hope Lange Carolyn Muir The Ghost & Mrs. Muir ABC Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens BewitchedABC Marlo Thomas Ann Marie That Girl 1971(23rd) Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family CBS Marlo Thomas Ann Marie That Girl ABC Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS 1972(24th) Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family CBS Sandy Duncan Sandy Stockton Funny FaceCBS Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1973(25th) Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the FamilyCBS Bea Arthur Maude Findlay Maude 1974(26th) Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS Bea Arthur Maude Findlay MaudeCBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family 1975(27th) Valerie Harper Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda CBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the FamilyCBS Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1976(28th) Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS Lee Grant Fay Stewart Fay NBC Bea Arthur Maude Findlay MaudeCBS Cloris Leachman Phyllis Lindstrom Phyllis Valerie Harper Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda 1977(29th) Bea Arthur Maude Findlay Maude CBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the FamilyCBS Valerie Harper Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda Suzanne Pleshette Emily Hartley The Bob Newhart Show Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1978(30th) Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family CBS Bea Arthur Maude Findlay MaudeCBS Valerie Harper Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda Cathryn Damon Mary CampbellSoapABC Katherine Helmond Jessica Tate Suzanne Pleshette Emily Hartley The Bob Newhart Show CBS 1979(31st) Ruth Gordon § Dee Wilcox Taxi ABC Linda Lavin Alice Hyatt AliceCBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family Katherine Helmond Jessica Tate Soap ABC Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons CBS
1980s Year Actress Role Program Episode Submissions Network 1980(32nd) Cathryn Damon Mary Campbell Soap ABC Polly Holliday Flo Castleberry Flo CBS Sheree North § Dotty Wertz Archie Bunker's Place Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons Katherine Helmond Jessica Tate Soap ABC 1981(33rd) Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons "And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds" CBS Eileen Brennan § Mrs. McKenzie Taxi "Thy Boss's Wife"ABC Cathryn Damon Mary CampbellSoap Katherine Helmond Jessica Tate Lynn Redgrave Ann Atkinson House Calls CBS 1982(34th) Carol Kane § Simka Dahblitz Taxi "Simka Returns" ABC Swoosie Kurtz Laurie Morgan Love, Sidney NBC Nell Carter Nellie Harper Gimme a Break! Charlotte Rae Edna Garrett The Facts of Life Bonnie Franklin Ann Romano One Day at a Time CBS Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons 1983(35th) Shelley Long Diane Chambers Cheers "Give Me a Ring Sometime" NBC Mariette Hartley Jennifer Barnes Goodnight, Beantown CBS Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons Nell Carter Nellie Harper Gimme a Break! NBC Swoosie Kurtz Laurie Morgan Love, Sidney Rita Moreno Violet Newstead 9 to 5 ABC 1984(36th) Jane Curtin Allie Lowell Kate & Allie CBS Joanna Cassidy Jo Jo White Buffalo Bill NBC Shelley Long Diane Chambers Cheers Susan Saint James Kate McArdle Kate & Allie CBS Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons 1985(37th) Jane Curtin Allie Lowell Kate & Allie CBS Shelley Long Diane Chambers Cheers NBC Phylicia Rashad Clair Huxtable The Cosby Show Susan Saint James Kate McArdle Kate & Allie CBS Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons 1986(38th) Betty White Rose Nylund The Golden Girls "In a Bed of Rose's" NBC Shelley Long Diane Chambers Cheers NBC Bea Arthur Dorothy ZbornakThe Golden Girls "The Triangle" Rue McClanahan Blanche Devereaux "The Way We Met" Phylicia Rashad Clair Huxtable The Cosby Show "Cliff in Love" 1987(39th) Rue McClanahan Blanche Devereaux The Golden Girls "End of the Curse" NBC Blair Brown Molly Bickford Dodd The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd NBC Bea Arthur Dorothy ZbornakThe Golden Girls "The Stan Who Came to Dinner" Betty White Rose Nylund "Isn't It Romantic?" Jane Curtin Allie Lowell Kate & Allie CBS 1988(40th) Bea Arthur Dorothy Zbornak The Golden Girls "My Brother, My Father" NBC Kirstie Alley Rebecca Howe Cheers "Backseat Becky, Upfront"NBC Blair Brown Molly Bickford Dodd The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Rue McClanahan Blanche DevereauxThe Golden Girls "Strange Bedfellows" Betty White Rose Nylund "Bringing Up Baby" 1989(41st) Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown "Respect" CBS Blair Brown Molly Bickford Dodd The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Lifetime Rue McClanahan Blanche DevereauxThe Golden Girls "Yes, We Have No Havanas"NBC Betty White Rose Nylund "High Anxiety" Bea Arthur Dorothy Zbornak "Love Me Tender"
1990s