NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Awarded forOutstanding Actress in a Drama Series
CountryUnited States
Presented byNAACP
First awarded1970
Currently held byAngela Bassett
9-1-1 (2023)
Websitenaacpimageawards.net

This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. Not to be confused with the Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Currently, Della Reese holds the record for most wins in the category with seven.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

1970s

Year Actress Series Ref
1970
Judy Pace The Young Lawyers [citation needed]
1971
Elena Verdugo Marcus Welby, M.D. [1]
1972 – 79 —

1980s

Year Actress Series Ref
1980
Joan Pringle The White Shadow [citation needed]
1981 —
1982
Cicely Tyson The Marva Collins Story [citation needed]
1983
Madge Sinclair Trapper John, M.D. [citation needed]
1984 – 87 —
1988
Cicely Tyson Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story [citation needed]
1989
Alfre Woodard Unnatural Causes [2]
Anne-Marie Johnson In the Heat of the Night
Beah Richards Frank's Place
Holly Robinson 21 Jump Street
Lynn Whitfield Heartbeat

1990s

Year Actress Series Ref
1990
Alfre Woodard Mandela [3]
1991 —
1992
Alfre Woodard A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story [citation needed]
1993
Lynn Whitfield The Josephine Baker Story [citation needed]
1994
Regina Taylor I'll Fly Away [4][5]
Della Reese Picket Fences
Denise Nicholas In the Heat of the Night
Hattie Winston Homefront
Victoria Dillard TriBeCa
1995 —
1996
Della Reese Touched by an Angel [6]
Vanessa Bell Calloway Under One Roof
Victoria Rowell Diagnosis: Murder
Cree Summer Sweet Justice
Cicely Tyson
1997
Della Reese Touched by an Angel [7]
S. Epatha Merkerson Law & Order
Gloria Reuben ER
Lauren Velez New York Undercover
Vanessa Estelle Williams Chicago Hope
1998
Della Reese Touched by an Angel [citation needed]
Vanessa Bell Calloway Orleans
Shari Headley 413 Hope St.
S. Epatha Merkerson Law & Order
Lauren Velez New York Undercover
1999
Della Reese Touched by an Angel [8]
Victoria Rowell Diagnosis: Murder
Rita Moreno Oz
Lorraine Toussaint Any Day Now
S. Epatha Merkerson Law & Order

2000s

Year Actress Series Ref
2000
Della Reese Touched by an Angel [citation needed]
Michael Michele Homicide: Life on the Street
Rita Moreno Oz
Victoria Rowell Diagnosis: Murder
Lorraine Toussaint Any Day Now
2001
Lorraine Toussaint Any Day Now [citation needed]
Nicole Ari Parker Soul Food
S. Epatha Merkerson Law & Order
Della Reese Touched by an Angel
Vanessa Estelle Williams Soul Food
2002
Della Reese Touched by an Angel [citation needed]
Nicole Ari Parker Soul Food
Loretta Devine Boston Public
Tangi Miller Felicity
Lorraine Toussaint Any Day Now
2003
Vanessa Estelle Williams Soul Food [citation needed]
Nicole Ari Parker Soul Food
C. C. H. Pounder The Shield
Lorraine Toussaint Any Day Now
Malinda Williams Soul Food
2004
Nia Long Third Watch [9]
Nicole Ari Parker Soul Food
C. C. H. Pounder The Shield
Malinda Williams Soul Food
Vanessa Estelle Williams
2005
Nia Long Third Watch [citation needed]
Nicole Ari Parker Soul Food
Vivica A. Fox 1-800-Missing
Malinda Williams Soul Food
Vanessa Estelle Williams
2006
Vivica A. Fox 1-800-Missing [citation needed]
Khandi Alexander CSI: Miami
Kimberly Elise Close to Home
Marianne Jean-Baptiste Without a Trace
C. C. H. Pounder The Shield
2007
Kimberly Elise Close to Home [citation needed]
Jennifer Beals The L Word
C. C. H. Pounder The Shield
Roselyn Sanchez Without a Trace
Regina Taylor The Unit
2008
Regina Taylor The Unit [citation needed]
Jennifer Beals The L Word
Wendy Davis Army Wives
Nicki Micheaux Lincoln Heights
C. C. H. Pounder The Shield
2009
Chandra Wilson Grey's Anatomy [citation needed]
Wendy Davis Army Wives
Loretta Devine Eli Stone
Nicki Micheaux Lincoln Heights
C. C. H. Pounder The Shield

2010s

Year Actress Series Ref
2010
Jada Pinkett Smith HawthoRNe [citation needed]
Regina King Southland
Sandra Oh Grey's Anatomy
Jill Scott The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Chandra Wilson Grey's Anatomy
2011
Regina King Southland [citation needed]
Wendy Davis Army Wives
Gugu Mbatha-Raw Undercovers
Jada Pinkett Smith HawthoRNe
Chandra Wilson Grey's Anatomy
2012
Regina King Southland [citation needed]
Khandi Alexander Treme
Taraji P. Henson Person of Interest
Sandra Oh Grey's Anatomy
Chandra Wilson
2013
Kerry Washington Scandal [10]
Khandi Alexander Treme
Regina King Southland
Sandra Oh Grey's Anatomy
Chandra Wilson
2014
Kerry Washington Scandal [11]
Khandi Alexander Treme
Nicole Beharie Sleepy Hollow
Regina King Southland
Chandra Wilson Grey's Anatomy
2015
Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder [12]
Nicole Beharie Sleepy Hollow
Octavia Spencer Red Band Society
Gabrielle Union Being Mary Jane
Kerry Washington Scandal
2016
Taraji P. Henson Empire [13]
Nicole Beharie Sleepy Hollow
Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder
Gabrielle Union Being Mary Jane
Kerry Washington Scandal
2017
Taraji P. Henson Empire [14]
Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder
Jurnee Smollett-Bell Underground
Kerry Washington Scandal
Rutina Wesley Queen Sugar
2018
Taraji P. Henson Empire [15]
Jurnee Smollett-Bell Underground
Kerry Washington Scandal
Rutina Wesley Queen Sugar
Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder
2019
Taraji P. Henson Empire [16]
Alfre Woodard Luke Cage
Naturi Naughton Power
Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder
Rutina Wesley Queen Sugar

2020s

Year Actress Series Ref
2020
Angela Bassett 9-1-1 [17]
Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder
Regina King Watchmen
Simone Missick All Rise
Rutina Wesley Queen Sugar
2021
Viola Davis How to Get Away with Murder [18]
Angela Bassett 9-1-1
Simone Missick All Rise
Jurnee Smollett Lovecraft Country
Brandee Evans P-Valley
2022
Angela Bassett 9-1-1 [19]
Dawn-Lyen Gardner Queen Sugar
Octavia Spencer Truth Be Told
Queen Latifah The Equalizer (2021 TV series)
Rutina Wesley Queen Sugar

2023 [20]

Angela Bassett 9-1-1
Brandee Evans P-Valley
Queen Latifah The Equalizer (2021 TV series)
Rutina Wesley Queen Sugar
Zendaya Euphoria

Multiple wins and nominations

Wins

Nominations

References

  1. ^ "1971 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  2. ^ Snow, Shauna (11 November 1988). "Nominees for 21st Image Awards Announced". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  3. ^ "1990 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  4. ^ "1994 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  5. ^ "Indianapolis Recorder 1 January 1994 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program".
  6. ^ Snow, Shauna (22 February 1996). "5 Films Head Nominations for NAACP Image Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  7. ^ "1997 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  8. ^ "The Crisis". The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. 1 April 1999. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  9. ^ "2004 Image Award Winners". IMDb. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  10. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 1, 2013). "2013 Image Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  11. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 22, 2014). "2014 Image Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  12. ^ Washington, Arlene (February 6, 2015). "2015 Image Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  13. ^ "2016 Image Winners". Variety. 6 February 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  14. ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 13, 2016). "Ruth Negga, Angela Bassett and Taraji P. Henson nominated". Deadline. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  15. ^ Gettell, Oliver (January 15, 2018). "NAACP Image Awards 2018: Ava DuVernay, black-ish among winners". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  16. ^ Lewis, Hilary (February 13, 2019). "NAACP Image Awards: 'Black Panther' Tops Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter.
  17. ^ "NAACP Winners 2020: The Complete List". Variety. February 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "2021 NAACP Image Awards: The Complete Winners List". Entertainment Tonight. March 29, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "Jennifer Hudson, Will Smith, And Issa Rae Win Big At NAACP Image Awards 2022". Vibe.com. Feb 28, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  20. ^ "NAACP Image Awards Nominations: 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' & 'Abbott Elementary' Lead Field; All-Female Entertainer Of Year Race". Deadline Hollywood. January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
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