Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1955 and it is given in honor of a writer or writers who produced an outstanding story or screenplay for an episode of a television drama series during the primetime network season. Undergoing several name changes, the award received its current title at the 48th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1996.
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | |
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Awarded for | Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series |
Country | United States |
Presented by | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
First awarded | 1955 |
Currently held by | Jesse Armstrong, Succession (2020) |
Website | emmys |
Since its inception, the award has been presented to 75 writers. Jesse Armstrong is the current recipient of the award for his work on the episode of HBO's Succession titled "Nobody Is Ever Missing". Rod Serling holds the record for most wins for this category at six. The Sopranos also hold the record for most wins and nominations for this category at six and 21, respectively.
Winners and nominations
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
Indicates the winner |
1950s
Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
---|---|---|---|---|
1955 (7th) | ||||
Best Written Dramatic Material[1] | ||||
Studio One | "Twelve Angry Men" | Reginald Rose | CBS | |
Climax! | "An Error in Chemistry" | David Dortort | CBS | |
Four Star Playhouse | "The Answer" | Leonard Freeman | ||
Medic | "White is the Color" | James Moser | NBC | |
The Philco Television Playhouse | Paddy Chayefsky | |||
1956 (8th) | ||||
Best Original Teleplay Writing[2] | ||||
Kraft Television Theatre | "Patterns" | Rod Serling | NBC | |
Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse | "A Catered Affair" | Paddy Chayefsky | NBC | |
"Thunder Over Washington" | David Davidson | |||
The Philco Television Playhouse | "A Man Is Ten Feet Tall" | Robert Alan Aurthur | ||
The United States Steel Hour | "Fearful Decision" | Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum | CBS | |
Best Television Adaptation[3] | ||||
Ford Star Jubilee | "The Cain Mutiny Court-Martial" | Paul Gregory and Franklin Schaffner | CBS | |
The 20th Century Fox Hour | "Miracle on 34th Street" | John Monks | CBS | |
"The Ox-Bow Incident" | David Dortort | |||
Climax! | "The Champion" | Rod Serling | ||
Producers' Showcase | "Our Town" | David Shaw | NBC | |
1957 (9th) | ||||
Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less[4] | ||||
Alfred Hitchcock Presents | "Fog Closing In" | James P. Cavanaugh | CBS | |
Frontier | "Patrol" | Morton Fine and David Friedkin | NBC | |
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | "The Buntime" | Dan Ullman | ABC | |
The Loretta Young Show | "The Pearl" | Richard Morris | NBC | |
Telephone Time | "Man With the Beard" | John Nesbitt | ABC | |
Best Teleplay Writing – One Hour or More[5] | ||||
Playhouse 90 | "Requiem for a Heavyweight" | Rod Serling | CBS | |
Alcoa-Goodyear Playhouse | "Joey" | Louis Peterson | NBC | |
"Tragedy in a Temporary Town" | Reginald Rose | |||
Kraft Television Theatre | "A Night to Remember" | George Roy Hill and John Whedon | ||
Playhouse 90 | "Sizeman and Son" | Elick Moll | CBS | |
1958 (10th) | ||||
Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less[6] | ||||
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | "The Lonely Wizard" | Paul Monash | CBS | |
Father Knows Best | "Margaret Hires a Gardener" | Roswell Rogers | NBC | |
Frontiers of Faith | "A Chassidic Tale" | Morton Wishengrad | ||
Gunsmoke | "Born to Hang" | John Meston | CBS | |
Leave It to Beaver | "Beaver Gets Spelled" | Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher | ||
Best Teleplay Writing – One Hour or More[7] | ||||
Playhouse 90 | "The Comedian" | Rod Serling | CBS | |
Hallmark Hall of Fame | "The Green Pastures" | Marc Connelly | NBC | |
Omnibus | "The Life of Samuel Johnson" | James Lee | ||
Playhouse 90 | "Miracle Worker" | William Gibson | CBS | |
Studio One | "No Deadly Medicine" | Arthur Hailey | ||
1959 (11th) | ||||
Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series Less Than One Hour[8] | ||||
Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre | "Eddie" | Alfred Brenner and Ken Hughes | NBC | |
Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre | "The Loudmouth" | Christopher Knopf | NBC | |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents | "Lamb to the Slaughter" | Roald Dahl | CBS | |
General Electric Theater | "One is a Wanderer" | Samuel A. Taylor | ||
Peter Gunn | "The Kill" | Blake Edwards | NBC | |
Best Writing of a Single Dramatic Program One Hour or Longer[9] | ||||
Hallmark Hall of Fame | "Little Moon of Alban" | James Costigan | NBC | |
Playhouse 90 | "Child of Our Time" | Irving G. Neiman | CBS | |
"Days of Wine and Roses" | JP Miller | |||
"The Old Man" | Horton Foote | |||
"A Town has Turned to Dust" | Rod Serling |
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Year | Program | Episode | Nominee(s) | Network |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 (72nd) [71] | ||||
Succession | "This Is Not for Tears" | Jesse Armstrong | HBO | |
Better Call Saul | "Bad Choice Road" | Thomas Schnauz | AMC | |
"Bagman" | Gordon Smith | |||
The Crown | "Aberfan" | Peter Morgan | Netflix | |
Ozark | "All In" | Chris Mundy | ||
"Boss Fight" | John Shiban | |||
"Fire Pink" | Miki Johnson |
Total awards by network
Individuals with multiple awards
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Individuals with multiple nominations
Programs with multiple awards
Programs with multiple nominations
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References
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