Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series
Awarded forOutstanding Performance in a Variety Series
CountryUnited States
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts & Sciences
First awarded1959
Websiteemmys.com

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program was an annual award given to performers in a variety/music series or specials. The award has been retired; it was last presented in 2008.

Winners and nominations

1950s

Year Performer Program Network
1959
(11th)
Actor
Perry Como The Perry Como Show NBC
Steve Allen The Steve Allen Show NBC
Jack Paar Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Actress
Dinah Shore The Dinah Shore Chevy Show NBC
Patti Page The Patti Page Show ABC

1960s

Year Performer Program Network
1960
(12th)
Harry Belafonte The Revlon Revue: Tonight with Belafonte CBS
Fred Astaire Another Evening with Fred Astaire NBC
Dinah Shore The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1961
(13th)
Fred Astaire Astaire Time NBC
Harry Belafonte Belafonte N.Y. CBS
Dinah Shore The Dinah Shore Chevy Show NBC
1962
(14th)
Carol Burnett The Garry Moore Show CBS
Edie Adams Here's Edie ABC
Perry Como The Kraft Music Hall NBC
Judy Garland The Judy Garland Show CBS
Yves Montand Yves Montand on Broadway ABC
1963
(15th)
Carol Burnett Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall
An Evening with Carol Burnett 		CBS
Edie Adams Here's Edie ABC
Merv Griffin The Merv Griffin Show NBC
Danny Kaye The Danny Kaye Show
Andy Williams The Andy Williams Show
1964
(16th)
Danny Kaye The Danny Kaye Show CBS
Judy Garland The Judy Garland Show CBS
Barbra Streisand
Burr Tillstrom That Was the Week That Was NBC
Andy Williams The Andy Williams Show
1967
(19th)
[note 1]
Art Carney The Jackie Gleason Show CBS
—
1968
(20th)
[note 2]
Art Carney The Jackie Gleason Show CBS
Pat Paulsen The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
—
1969
(21st)
[note 3]
Arte Johnson Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In NBC
Harvey Korman The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Ruth Buzzi Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In NBC
Goldie Hawn

1970s

Year Performer Program Network
1971
(23rd)
[note 4]
Harvey Korman The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Arte Johnson Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In NBC
Lily Tomlin
1972
(24th)
Harvey Korman The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Ruth Buzzi Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In NBC
Lily Tomlin
1973
(25th)
Tim Conway The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Harvey Korman The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Liza Minnelli A Royal Gala Variety Performance ABC
Lily Tomlin Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In NBC
1974
(26th)
Supporting Actor
Harvey Korman The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Foster Brooks The Dean Martin Show NBC
Tim Conway The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Supporting Actress
Brenda Vaccaro The Shape of Things NBC
Ruth Buzzi The Dean Martin Show NBC
Lee Grant The Shape of Things
Vicki Lawrence The Carol Burnett Show CBS
1975
(27th)
Supporting Actor
Jack Albertson Cher CBS
Tim Conway The Carol Burnett Show CBS
John Denver Doris Day Today
Supporting Actress
Cloris Leachman Cher CBS
Vicki Lawrence The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Rita Moreno Out to Lunch ABC
1976
(28th)
Supporting Actor
Chevy Chase NBC's Saturday Night NBC
Tim Conway The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Harvey Korman
Supporting Actress
Vicki Lawrence The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Cloris Leachman Telly... Who Loves Ya, Baby? CBS
1977
(29th)
Supporting Actor
Tim Conway The Carol Burnett Show CBS
John Belushi Saturday Night Live NBC
Chevy Chase
Harvey Korman The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Ben Vereen The Bell Telephone Jubilee NBC
Supporting Actress
Rita Moreno The Muppet Show Syndicated
Vicki Lawrence The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Gilda Radner Saturday Night Live NBC
Achievement in Coverage of Special Events — Individuals[1][note 5]
Helen O'Connell Miss Universe Beauty Pageant CBS
1978
(30th)
Supporting Actor
Tim Conway The Carol Burnett Show CBS
Dan Aykroyd Saturday Night Live NBC
John Belushi
Louis Gossett Jr. The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots ABC
Peter Sellers The Muppet Show Syndicated
Supporting Actress
Gilda Radner Saturday Night Live NBC
Beatrice Arthur Laugh-In NBC
Jane Curtin Saturday Night Live NBC
Dolly Parton Cher... Special ABC
Bernadette Peters The Muppet Show Syndicated
Special Classification of Outstanding Individual Achievement[2][note 6]
Mikhail Baryshnikov The Nutcracker CBS
1979
(31st)
Individual Achievement – Special Events[3][note 7]
Mikhail Baryshnikov Baryshnikov at the White House PBS

1980s

Year Performer Program Network
1980
(32nd)
Individual Achievement – Special Events[4][note 8]
Donald O'Connor The 52nd Annual Academy Awards ABC
1981
(33rd)
Individual Achievement – Special Class[5][note 9]
Sarah Vaughan Rhapsody and Song – A Tribute to George Gershwin (Great Performances) PBS
1982
(34th)
Individual Achievement – Special Class[note 10]
Nell Carter Ain't Misbehavin' NBC
André De Shields
Gregory Hines I Love Liberty ABC
1983
(35th)
Leontyne Price Leontyne Price, Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic (Live from Lincoln Center) PBS
Carol Burnett Texaco Star Theater... Opening Night NBC
Michael Jackson Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti and the New York Philharmonic (Live from Lincoln Center) PBS
Richard Pryor Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever NBC
1984
(36th)
Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Cloris Leachman Screen Actors Guild 50th Anniversary Celebration CBS
Debbie Allen Live... And in Person NBC
George Burns George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business
Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live
Joe Piscopo
Lily Tomlin Live... And in Person
Individual Achievement - Classical Music/Dance Programming[6][note 11]
James Levine Live from the Met Centennial Gala PBS
Leontyne Price In Performance at the White House: An Evening of Spirituals and Gospel Music
1985
(37th)
Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
George Hearn Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Great Performances) PBS
Billy Crystal Saturday Night Live NBC
Gregory Hines Motown Returns to the Apollo
Patti LaBelle
Angela Lansbury Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Great Performances) PBS
Individual Achievement - Classical Music/Dance Programming - Performing[7][note 12]
Luciano Pavarotti Rigoletto (Great Performances) PBS
1986
(38th)
Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Whitney Houston The 28th Annual Grammy Awards CBS
Debbie Allen An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. NBC
Patti LaBelle Sylvia Fine Kaye's Musical Comedy Tonight III (Great Performances) PBS
Jon Lovitz Saturday Night Live NBC
Sarah Vaughan The 28th Annual Grammy Awards CBS
Stevie Wonder An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. NBC
Individual Achievement - Classical Music/Dance Programming[8][note 13]
Plácido Domingo Cavalleria Rusticana (Great Performances) PBS
1987
(39th)
Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Robin Williams A Carol Burnett Special: Carol, Carl, Whoopi & Robin ABC
Billy Crystal The 29th Annual Grammy Awards CBS
Julie Kavner The Tracey Ullman Show Fox
Angela Lansbury The 1987 Tony Awards CBS
Jon Lovitz Saturday Night Live NBC
Individual Achievement - Classical Music/Dance Programming - Performing[9][note 14]
Leonard Bernstein Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening CBS
Isaac Stern
1988
(40th)
Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Robin Williams ABC Presents a Royal Gala ABC
Mikhail Baryshnikov Celebrating Gershwin (Great Performances) PBS
Ray Charles Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration CBS
Billy Crystal An All-Star Toast to the Improv HBO
Julie Kavner The Tracey Ullman Show Fox
Individual Achievement - Classical[10][note 15]
Mikhail Baryshnikov Dance in America: David Gordon's Made in U.S.A. (Great Performances) PBS
Plácido Domingo Aida: From the Houston Grand Opera (Great Performances)
Individual Achievement - Special Events[11][note 16]
Billy Crystal The 30th Annual Grammy Awards CBS
1989
(41st)
Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Linda Ronstadt Canciones de Mi Padre (Great Performances) PBS
Dana Carvey Saturday Night Live NBC
Julie Kavner The Tracey Ullman Show Fox
Thom Fountain, Sandey Grinn, Maurice LaMarche, John Lovelady, Steve Sherman, Van Snowden, Fred Spencer, Allan Trautman and Todd Walcott Sid and Marty Krofft's D.C. Follies (Episode 202) Syndicated
Thom Fountain, Sandey Grinn, John Lovelady, John Roarke, Steve Sherman, Van Snowden, Fred Spencer, Allan Trautman and Todd Walcott Sid and Marty Krofft's D.C. Follies (Episode 211)
Individual Performance in Classical Music/Dance Programming[12]
Mikhail Baryshnikov Dance in America: Baryshnikov Dances Balanchine (Great Performances) PBS
Performance in Special Events
Billy Crystal The 31st Annual Grammy Awards CBS

1990s

Year Performer Program Network
1990
(42nd)
Tracey Ullman The Best of the Tracey Ullman Show Fox
Dana Carvey Saturday Night Live NBC
Billy Crystal Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow HBO
Julie Kavner The Tracey Ullman Show Fox
Angela Lansbury The 43rd Annual Tony Awards CBS
1991
(43rd)
Billy Crystal The 63rd Annual Academy Awards ABC
Dana Carvey Saturday Night Live NBC
Harry Connick Jr. Swinging Out with Harry (Great Performances) PBS
Damon Wayans In Living Color Fox
Keenen Ivory Wayans
1992
(44th)
Bette Midler The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson NBC
George Carlin George Carlin Live at Paramount: Jammin' in New York HBO
Dana Carvey Saturday Night Live NBC
Natalie Cole Unforgettable, with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole (Great Performances) PBS
Billy Crystal The 64th Annual Academy Awards ABC
1993
(45th)
Dana Carvey Saturday Night Live NBC
Cirque du Soleil The Tonight Show with Jay Leno NBC
Billy Crystal The 65th Annual Academy Awards ABC
Liza Minnelli Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall PBS
Lily Tomlin The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Showtime
1994
(46th)
Tracey Ullman Tracey Ullman Takes On New York HBO
Whoopi Goldberg The 66th Annual Academy Awards ABC
Phil Hartman Saturday Night Live NBC
Mike Myers
Lily Tomlin Growing Up Funny Lifetime
1995
(47th)
Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand: The Concert HBO
Julie Andrews The Sound of Julie Andrews Disney
Carol Burnett Men, Movies and Carol CBS
Rosie O'Donnell[note 17][13] Rosie O'Donnell Comedy Special HBO
Tracey Ullman Women of the Night
1996
(48th)
Tony Bennett Tony Bennett Live by Request: A Valentine Special A&E
Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams Comic Relief VII HBO
Ellen DeGeneres The 38th Annual Grammy Awards CBS
Whoopi Goldberg The 68th Annual Academy Awards NBC
Tracey Ullman The Best of Tracey Takes On... HBO
1997
(49th)
Bette Midler Bette Midler: Diva Las Vegas HBO
George Carlin George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy HBO
Billy Crystal The 69th Annual Academy Awards ABC
Bill Maher Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher
Tracey Ullman Tracey Takes On... HBO
1998
(50th)
Billy Crystal The 70th Annual Academy Awards ABC
Garth Brooks Garth: Live from Central Park HBO
Michael Crawford Michael Crawford in Concert PBS
Jay Leno The Tonight Show with Jay Leno NBC
David Letterman Late Show with David Letterman CBS
Tracey Ullman Tracey Takes On... HBO
1999
(51st)
John Leguizamo John Leguizamo's Freak HBO
George Carlin George Carlin: You Are All Diseased HBO
Dennis Miller Dennis Miller Live
Chris Rock The Chris Rock Show
Tracey Ullman Tracey Takes On...

2000s

Year Performer Program Network
2000
(52nd)
Eddie Izzard Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill HBO
Cher Cher: Live in Concert — From the MGM Grand in Las Vegas HBO
Billy Crystal The 72nd Annual Academy Awards ABC
Chris Rock Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker HBO
Molly Shannon Saturday Night Live NBC
2001
(53rd)
Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand: Timeless Fox
Wayne Brady Whose Line Is It Anyway? ABC
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning HBO
Will Ferrell Saturday Night Live NBC
David Letterman Late Show with David Letterman CBS
Steve Martin The 73rd Annual Academy Awards ABC
2002
(54th)
Sting A&E in Concert: Sting In Tuscany... All This Time A&E
Wayne Brady Whose Line Is It Anyway? ABC
Billy Joel Billy Joel: In His Own Words A&E
Jon Stewart The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Comedy Central
Ryan Stiles Whose Line Is It Anyway? ABC
2003
(55th)
Wayne Brady Whose Line Is It Anyway? ABC
Dennis Miller Dennis Miller: The Raw Feed HBO
Martin Short Primetime Glick Comedy Central
Jon Stewart The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Robin Williams Robin Williams: Live on Broadway HBO
2004
(56th)
Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch: At Liberty HBO
Billy Crystal The 76th Annual Academy Awards ABC
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now HBO
Bill Maher Real Time with Bill Maher
Tracey Ullman Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales
2005
(57th)
Hugh Jackman 58th Tony Awards CBS
Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi: Back to Broadway — The 20th Anniversary HBO
Jay Leno The Tonight Show with Jay Leno NBC
Jon Stewart The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Comedy Central
Tracey Ullman Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed HBO
2006
(58th)
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow: Music and Passion PBS
Stephen Colbert The Colbert Report Comedy Central
Craig Ferguson The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson CBS
Hugh Jackman The 59th Annual Tony Awards
David Letterman Late Show with David Letterman
2007
(59th)
Tony Bennett Tony Bennett: An American Classic NBC
Stephen Colbert The Colbert Report Comedy Central
Ellen DeGeneres The 79th Annual Academy Awards ABC
David Letterman Late Show with David Letterman CBS
Jon Stewart The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Comedy Central
2008
(60th)
Don Rickles Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project HBO
Stephen Colbert The Colbert Report Comedy Central
Tina Fey Saturday Night Live NBC
David Letterman Late Show with David Letterman CBS
Jon Stewart The 80th Annual Academy Awards ABC

Total awards by network

Performers with multiple awards

Performers with multiple nominations

Notes

  1. ^ Awarded under the "Special Classification – Individuals" category
  2. ^ Awarded under the "Special Classification – Individuals" category
  3. ^ Awarded under the "Special Classification – Individuals" category
  4. ^ Awarded under the "Special Classification – Individuals" category
  5. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominee did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.
  6. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominee did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.
  7. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.
  8. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominee did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.
  9. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.
  10. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.
  11. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.
  12. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.
  13. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominee did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.
  14. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.
  15. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominees did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.
  16. ^ As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominee did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.
  17. ^ In 1995, Dennis Miller was nominated for his HBO talkshow Dennis Miller Live. His nomination was belatedly rescinded after the Academy said it discovered rules do not allow the host of a variety or music series to be nominated for the same program if the host's name is in the title. Sixth place finisher Rosie O'Donnell was named as the replacement nominee.

References

  1. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  3. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  4. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  5. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  6. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  7. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  8. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  9. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  10. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  11. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  12. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Television Academy. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  13. ^ "Miller's Emmy nomination disqualification". The News. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
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