Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Winners

2026	The Pitt	★★★★★★★★	Noah Wyle		HBO Max
2025	The Pitt	★★★★★★★★	Noah Wyle		HBO Max
2024	Shōgun	★★★★★★★★	Hiroyuki Sanada		FX
2023	Succession	★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★	Kieran Culkin		Sky Atlantic
2022	Squid Game	★	Lee Jung-jae		Netflix
2021	The Crown	★★★★★★★★★★★	Josh O'Connor		Netflix
2020	Succession	★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★	Jeremy Strong		Sky Atlantic
2019	Pose	★★	Billy Porter		FX
2018	The Americans	★★★★	Matthew Rhys		FX
2017	This Is Us	★★	Sterling K. Brown		NBC
2016	Mr. Robot	★★	Rami Malek		USA
2015	Mad Men	★★★★★★★★★★★★★	Jon Hamm		BBC Four
2014	Breaking Bad	★★★★★★★★★★★	Bryan Cranston		Netflix
2013	The Newsroom	★	Jeff Daniels		HBO
2012	Homeland	★★★★★★★★★★	Damian Lewis		Channel 4
2011	Friday Night Lights	★	Kyle Chandler		DirecTV
2010	Breaking Bad	★★★★★★★★★★★	Bryan Cranston		Netflix
2009	Breaking Bad	★★★★★★★★★★★	Bryan Cranston		Netflix
2008	Breaking Bad	★★★★★★★★★★★	Bryan Cranston		Netflix
2007	Boston Legal	★★	James Spader		ABC
2006	24	★★★★	Kiefer Sutherland		Fox
2005	Boston Legal	★★	James Spader		ABC
2004	The Practice	★★★★★	James Spader		ABC
2003	The Sopranos	★★★★★★★★★★★★	James Gandolfini		HBO
2002	The Shield	★★★	Michael Chiklis		FX
2001	The Sopranos	★★★★★★★★★★★★	James Gandolfini		HBO
2000	The Sopranos	★★★★★★★★★★★★	James Gandolfini		HBO
1999	NYPD Blue	★★★★★★★★★	Dennis Franz		ABC
1998	Homicide: Life on the Street	★	Andre Braugher		NBC
1997	NYPD Blue	★★★★★★★★★	Dennis Franz		ABC
1996	NYPD Blue	★★★★★★★★★	Dennis Franz		ABC
1995	Chicago Hope	★★★	Mandy Patinkin		CBS
1994	NYPD Blue	★★★★★★★★★	Dennis Franz		ABC
1993	Picket Fences	★★★★★★★	Tom Skerritt		CBS
1992	Road to Avonlea	★	Christopher Lloyd		Disney Channel
1991	Gabriel's Fire	★	James Earl Jones		ABC
1990	Columbo	★★★	Peter Falk		NBC
1989	In the Heat of the Night	★	Carroll O'Connor		NBC
1988	A Year in the Life	★★	Richard Kiley		NBC
1987	Moonlighting	★	Bruce Willis		ABC
1986	St. Elsewhere	★★★	William Daniels		NBC
1985	St. Elsewhere	★★★	William Daniels		NBC
1984	Magnum, P.I.	★★	Tom Selleck		CBS
1983	St. Elsewhere	★★★	Ed Flanders		NBC
1982	Hill Street Blues	★★★★★★★★★★	Daniel J. Travanti		NBC
1981	Hill Street Blues	★★★★★★★★★★	Daniel J. Travanti		NBC
1980	Lou Grant	★★★★★	Ed Asner		CBS