Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Award for lead actor in a television comedy series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series . The award is presented to the best performance by a lead actor in a television comedy series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards , leading actors in comedy have competed alone. However, these comedic performances included actors from miniseries, telefilms, and guest performers competing against main cast competitors. Such instances are marked below:
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards are the first Emmys where there is no representation from any of the big four broadcast networks.
Winners and nominations
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
Year
Actor
Role
Program
Episode Submissions
Network
1990 (42nd)
Ted Danson
Sam Malone
Cheers
"Cry Harder, Part II"
NBC
Craig T. Nelson
Hayden Fox
Coach
"If Keith Jackson Calls, I'll Be At My Therapist's"
ABC
John Goodman
Dan Conner
Roseanne
"Born to Be Wild"
Fred Savage
Kevin Arnold
The Wonder Years
"Good-bye"
Richard Mulligan
Dr. Harry Weston
Empty Nest
"Still Growing After All These Years"
NBC
1991 (43rd)
Burt Reynolds
Wood Newton
Evening Shade
"A Day in the Life of Wood Newton"
CBS
Ted Danson
Sam Malone
Cheers
"Bad Neighbor Sam"
NBC
John Goodman
Dan Conner
Roseanne
"Her Boyfriends Back"
ABC
Richard Mulligan
Dr. Harry Weston
Empty Nest
"The Mentor"
NBC
Craig T. Nelson
Hayden Fox
Coach
"The Break-Up"
ABC
1992 (44th)
Craig T. Nelson
Hayden Fox
Coach
"A Real Guy's Guy"
ABC
Ted Danson
Sam Malone
Cheers
"Go Make"
NBC
John Goodman
Dan Conner
Roseanne
"The Back Story"
ABC
Kelsey Grammer §
Frasier Crane
Wings
"Planes, Trains, and Visiting Cranes"
NBC
Burt Reynolds
Wood Newton
Evening Shade
"Callous Hearts of Rage"
CBS
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld
"The Boyfriend "
NBC
1993 (45th)
Ted Danson
Sam Malone
Cheers
"The Guy Can't Help It"
NBC
Tim Allen
Tim Taylor
Home Improvement
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way"
ABC
John Goodman
Dan Conner
Roseanne
"Terms of Estrangement, Part 2"
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld
"The Opera "
NBC
Garry Shandling
Larry Sanders
The Larry Sanders Show
"What Have You Done for Me Lately?"
HBO
1994 (46th)
Kelsey Grammer
Frasier Crane
Frasier
"The Good Son "
NBC
John Goodman
Dan Conner
Roseanne
"Guilt By Imagination"
ABC
John Larroquette
John Hemingway
The John Larroquette Show
"Pilot"
NBC
Paul Reiser
Paul Buchman
Mad About You
"Virtual Reality"
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld
"The Puffy Shirt "
1995 (47th)
Kelsey Grammer
Frasier Crane
Frasier
"Adventures in Paradise, Part 2"
NBC
John Goodman
Dan Conner
Roseanne
"The Blaming of the Shrew"
ABC
Paul Reiser
Paul Buchman
Mad About You
"Cake Fear"
NBC
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld
"The Diplomat's Club "
Garry Shandling
Larry Sanders
The Larry Sanders Show
"The Mr. Sharon Stone Show"
HBO
1996 (48th)
John Lithgow
Dick Solomon
3rd Rock from the Sun
"Dick, Smoker"
NBC
Kelsey Grammer
Frasier Crane
Frasier
"You Can Go Home Again"
NBC
Paul Reiser
Paul Buchman
Mad About You
"Dream Weaver"
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld
"The Gum "
Garry Shandling
Larry Sanders
The Larry Sanders Show
—
HBO
1997 (49th)
John Lithgow
Dick Solomon
3rd Rock from the Sun
"See Dick Continue to Run"
NBC
Michael J. Fox
Mike Flaherty
Spin City
"Prototype"
ABC
Kelsey Grammer
Frasier Crane
Frasier
"Ham Radio"
NBC
Paul Reiser
Paul Buchman
Mad About You
"The Birth"
Garry Shandling
Larry Sanders
The Larry Sanders Show
"Everybody Loves Larry"
HBO
1998 (50th)
Kelsey Grammer
Frasier Crane
Frasier
"Frasier's Imaginary Friend"
NBC
Michael J. Fox
Mike Flaherty
Spin City
"The Goodbye Girl"
ABC
John Lithgow
Dick Solomon
3rd Rock from the Sun
"Stuck with Dick"
NBC
Paul Reiser
Paul Buchman
Mad About You
"The Conversation"
Garry Shandling
Larry Sanders
The Larry Sanders Show
"Flip"
HBO
1999 (51st)
John Lithgow
Dick Solomon
3rd Rock from the Sun
"What's Love Got to Do, Got to Do with Dick?"
NBC
Michael J. Fox
Mike Flaherty
Spin City
"Gone with the Wind"
ABC
Kelsey Grammer
Frasier Crane
Frasier
"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz"
NBC
Paul Reiser
Paul Buchman
Mad About You
"The Final Frontier"
Ray Romano
Raymond Barone
Everybody Loves Raymond
"How They Met"
CBS
2000s
2010s
Year
Actor
Role
Program
Episode Submissions
Network
2010 (62nd) [ 1]
Jim Parsons
Sheldon Cooper
The Big Bang Theory
"The Pants Alternative"
CBS
Alec Baldwin
Jack Donaghy
30 Rock
"Don Geiss, America and Hope "
NBC
Steve Carell
Michael Scott
The Office
"The Cover-Up "
Larry David
Larry David
Curb Your Enthusiasm
"Seinfeld "
HBO
Matthew Morrison
Will Schuester
Glee
"Mash-Up "
Fox
Tony Shalhoub
Adrian Monk
Monk
"Mr. Monk and the End "
USA
2011 (63rd) [ 2]
Jim Parsons
Sheldon Cooper
The Big Bang Theory
"The Agreement Dissection"
CBS
Alec Baldwin
Jack Donaghy
30 Rock
"Respawn "
NBC
Louis C.K.
Louie
Louie
"Bully "
FX
Steve Carell
Michael Scott
The Office
"Goodbye, Michael "
NBC
Johnny Galecki
Leonard Hofstadter
The Big Bang Theory
"The Benefactor Factor"
CBS
Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc
Episodes
"Episode Seven"
Showtime
2012 (64th) [ 3]
Jon Cryer
Alan Harper
Two and a Half Men
"Frodo's Headshots"
CBS
Alec Baldwin
Jack Donaghy
30 Rock
"Live from Studio 6H "
NBC
Louis C.K.
Louie
Louie
"Duckling "
FX
Don Cheadle
Marty Kaan
House of Lies
"The Gods of Dangerous Financial Instruments"
Showtime
Larry David
Larry David
Curb Your Enthusiasm
"Palestinian Chicken"
HBO
Jim Parsons
Sheldon Cooper
The Big Bang Theory
"The Werewolf Transformation"
CBS
2013 (65th) [ 4]
Jim Parsons
Sheldon Cooper
The Big Bang Theory
"The Habitation Configuration"
CBS
Alec Baldwin
Jack Donaghy
30 Rock
"A Goon's Deed in a Weary World "
NBC
Jason Bateman
Michael Bluth
Arrested Development
"Flight of the Phoenix "
Netflix
Louis C.K.
Louie
Louie
"Daddy's Girlfriend, Part 1 "
FX
Don Cheadle
Marty Kaan
House of Lies
"Hostile Takeover"
Showtime
Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc
Episodes
"Episode Two"
2014 (66th) [ 5]
Jim Parsons
Sheldon Cooper
The Big Bang Theory
"The Relationship Diremption"
CBS
Louis C.K.
Louie
Louie
"Model "
FX
Don Cheadle
Marty Kaan
House of Lies
"Wreckage"
Showtime
Ricky Gervais
Derek Noakes
Derek
"Episode 6"
Netflix
Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc
Episodes
"Episode Six"
Showtime
William H. Macy
Frank Gallagher
Shameless
"Lazarus "
2015 (67th) [ 6]
Jeffrey Tambor
Maura Pfefferman
Transparent
"The Letting Go"
Amazon
Anthony Anderson
Andre Johnson
Black-ish
"Sex, Lies, and Vasectomies"
ABC
Louis C.K.
Louie
Louie
"Bobby's House "
FX
Don Cheadle
Marty Kaan
House of Lies
"It's a Box Inside a Box Inside a Box, Dipshit"
Showtime
Will Forte
Phil Miller
The Last Man on Earth
"Alive in Tucson"
Fox
Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc
Episodes
"Episode Five"
Showtime
William H. Macy
Frank Gallagher
Shameless
"A Night to Remem... Wait, What? "
2016 (68th) [ 7]
Jeffrey Tambor
Maura Pfefferman
Transparent
"Man on the Land"
Amazon
Anthony Anderson
Andre Johnson
Black-ish
"Hope"
ABC
Aziz Ansari
Dev Shah
Master of None
"Parents"
Netflix
Will Forte
Phil Miller
The Last Man on Earth
"30 Years of Science Down the Tubes"
Fox
William H. Macy
Frank Gallagher
Shameless
"I Only Miss Her When I'm Breathing "
Showtime
Thomas Middleditch
Richard Hendricks
Silicon Valley
"The Empty Chair"
HBO
2017 (69th) [ 8]
Donald Glover
Earn Marks
Atlanta
"The Big Bang "
FX
Anthony Anderson
Andre Johnson
Black-ish
"Lemons"
ABC
Aziz Ansari
Dev Shah
Master of None
"The Dinner Party"
Netflix
Zach Galifianakis
Chip and Dale Baskets
Baskets
"Freaks"
FX
William H. Macy
Frank Gallagher
Shameless
"You Sold Me the Laundromat, Remember? "
Showtime
Jeffrey Tambor
Maura Pfefferman
Transparent
"Elizah"
Amazon
2018 (70th)
Bill Hader
Barry Berkman / Barry Block
Barry
"Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast, and Keep Going "
HBO
Anthony Anderson
Andre Johnson
Black-ish
"Advance to Go (Collect $200)"
ABC
Ted Danson
Michael
The Good Place
"Dance Dance Resolution"
NBC
Larry David
Larry David
Curb Your Enthusiasm
"Fatwa!"
HBO
Donald Glover
Earn Marks
Atlanta
"Teddy Perkins "
FX
William H. Macy
Frank Gallagher
Shameless
"Sleepwalking "
Showtime
2019 (71st)
Bill Hader
Barry Berkman / Barry Block
Barry
"The Truth Has a Ring to It "
HBO
Anthony Anderson
Andre Johnson
Black-ish
"Purple Rain"
ABC
Don Cheadle
Maurice Monroe
Black Monday
"365"
Showtime
Ted Danson
Michael
The Good Place
"The Worst Possible Use of Free Will"
NBC
Michael Douglas
Sandy Kominsky
The Kominsky Method
"Chapter One: An Actor Avoids"
Netflix
Eugene Levy
Johnny Rose
Schitt's Creek
"Rock On!"
Pop TV
2020s
Programs with multiple awards
Programs with multiple nominations
11 nominations
10 nominations
8 nominations
7 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations
14 nominations
11 nominations
8 nominations
7 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations
(*) refers to those who have won in this category
Superlatives
Total awards by network
NBC – 26
CBS – 19
ABC – 11
HBO/HBO Max – 3
USA – 3
Amazon – 2
Apple TV+ – 2
FX – 1
Pop TV - 1
See also
Notes
^ a b c d e f g h i j Early Emmy ceremonies did not have genre specific acting categories.
References
1952–1975 1976–2000 2001–present
Programs Performance Directing Writing Animation Casting Choreography Cinematography Commercials Costume Design Hairstyling Lighting Main Title / Motion Design Makeup Music Picture Editing Production Design Sound Editing Sound Mixing Special Effects Stunts Technical Direction Engineering Retired