Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role on a television limited series or television movie for the primetime network season.
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | |
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![]() The 2023 recipient: Ali Wong | |
Awarded for | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie |
Country | United States |
Presented by | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
First awarded | 1955 |
Currently held by | Ali Wong, Beef (2023) |
Website | emmys |
The award was first presented at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards on March 7, 1955, to Judith Anderson, for her performance as Lady Macbeth on the Hallmark Hall of Fame episode "Macbeth". It has undergone several name changes, with the category split into two categories at the 25th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy; and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series. By the 31st Primetime Emmy Awards, the categories were merged into one, and it has since undergone several name changes, leading to its current title.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 54 actresses. Ali Wong is the current recipient of the award, for her portrayal of Amy Lau on Beef. Helen Mirren has won the most awards in this category, with four, and has received the most nominations for the award, on two occasions.
Winners and nominations
Indicates the winner |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Judith_Anderson_1934-09-11.jpg/128px-Judith_Anderson_1934-09-11.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Claire_Trevor-still.jpg/128px-Claire_Trevor-still.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Julie_Harris_-_1963.jpg/128px-Julie_Harris_-_1963.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Kim_Stanley.jpg/128px-Kim_Stanley.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Studio_publicity_Shelley_Winters.jpg/128px-Studio_publicity_Shelley_Winters.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Geraldine_Page%2C1953.png/128px-Geraldine_Page%2C1953.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Cloris_Leachman_-_1975.jpg/128px-Cloris_Leachman_-_1975.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Katharine_Hepburn_publicity_photograph.jpg/128px-Katharine_Hepburn_publicity_photograph.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Joanne_Woodward_in_Rachel%2C_Rachel_3.jpg/128px-Joanne_Woodward_in_Rachel%2C_Rachel_3.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Bette_Davis_-_portrait.jpg/128px-Bette_Davis_-_portrait.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Dame_Maggie_Smith-cropped.jpg/128px-Dame_Maggie_Smith-cropped.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Meryl_Streep_by_Jack_Mitchell.jpg/128px-Meryl_Streep_by_Jack_Mitchell.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Helen_Mirren_2014.jpg/128px-Helen_Mirren_2014.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Claire_Danes.jpg/128px-Claire_Danes.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Laura_Linney_2016_%28cropped%29.jpg/128px-Laura_Linney_2016_%28cropped%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Sarah_Paulson_in_2015.jpg/128px-Sarah_Paulson_in_2015.jpg)
1950s
Year | Actress | Role | Program | Episode | Network |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Actress in a Single Performance | |||||
1955 (7th) [1] | |||||
Judith Anderson | Lady Macbeth | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Macbeth" | NBC | |
Ethel Barrymore | Mme. Rosalie La Grange | Climax! | "The Thirteenth Chair" | CBS | |
Beverly Garland | Estelle Collins | Medic | "White Is the Color" | NBC | |
Ruth Hussey | Harriet Craig | Lux Video Theater | "Craig's Wife" | CBS | |
Dorothy McGuire | Janet Spence | Climax! | "The Gioconda Smile" | ||
Eva Marie Saint | Betty | The Philco Television Playhouse | "Middle of the Night" | NBC | |
Claire Trevor | Ellen Creed | Lux Video Theater | "Ladies in Retirement" | CBS | |
1956 (8th) [2] | |||||
Mary Martin | Peter Pan | Producers' Showcase | "Peter Pan" | NBC | |
Julie Harris | Shevawn | The United States Steel Hour | "A Wind from the South" | CBS | |
Eva Marie Saint | Emily | Producers' Showcase | "Our Town" | NBC | |
Jessica Tandy | The Wife | "The Fourposter" | |||
Loretta Young | Sadie | The Loretta Young Show | "Christmas Stopover" | ||
1957 (9th) [3] | |||||
Claire Trevor | Fran Dodsworth | Producers' Showcase | "Dodsworth" | NBC | |
Edna Best | Ethel Gibbons | Ford Star Jubilee | "This Happy Breed" | CBS | |
Gracie Fields | Sarah Dowey | The United States Steel Hour | "The Old Lady Shows Her Medals" | ||
Nancy Kelly | Sister M. Aquinas | Studio One | "The Pilot" | ||
Evelyn Rudie | Eloise | Playhouse 90 | "Eloise" | ||
Best Single Performance by an Actress – Lead or Support | |||||
1958 (10th) [4] | |||||
Polly Bergen | Helen Morgan | Playhouse 90 | "The Helen Morgan Story" | CBS | |
Julie Andrews | Cinderella | Cinderella | CBS | ||
Helen Hayes | Mrs. Gilling | The Alcoa Hour | "Mrs. Gilling and the Skyscraper" | NBC | |
Piper Laurie | Ruth Cornelius | Studio One | "The Deaf Heart" | CBS | |
Teresa Wright | Annie Sullivan | Playhouse 90 | "The Miracle Worker" | ||
Best Single Performance by an Actress | |||||
1959 (11th) [5] | |||||
Julie Harris | Bridgid Mary | Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Little Moon of Alban" | CBS | |
Judith Anderson | Marquesa de Montemayor | The DuPont Show of the Month | "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" | CBS | |
Helen Hayes | Mother Seraphim | The United States Steel Hour | "One Red Rose for Christmas" | ||
Piper Laurie | Kirsten Clay | Playhouse 90 | "Days of Wine and Roses" | ||
Geraldine Page | The Young Woman | "The Old Man" | |||
Maureen Stapleton | Sadie Burke | Kraft Television Theatre | "All the Kings Men" | NBC |
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Superlatives
Superlative | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | |
---|---|---|
Actress with most awards | Helen Mirren (4) | |
Actress with most nominations | Helen Mirren (10) | |
Actress with most nominations without ever winning | Helen Hayes (5), Lee Remick (5) |
Programs with multiple wins
Performers with multiple wins
Programs with multiple nominations
Performers with multiple nominations
See also
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
- TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
- Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie