La 12.ª edición de los premios Primetime Emmy fue celebrada el 20 de junio de 1960 en el estudio de la NBC en Burbank (California) y presentada por Fred Astaire.

• The DuPont Show of the Month (CBS)
• The Moon and Sixpence (NBC)
• Playhouse 90 (CBS)
• Startime (NBC)
• The Untouchables (ABC)

• The Art Carney Special (NBC)
• Father Knows Best (CBS)
• The Jack Benny Program (CBS)
• Make Room for Daddy (CBS)
• The Red Skelton Show (CBS)

• CBS Television News (CBS)
• Chet Huntley Reporting (CBS)
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (NBC)
• The Fabulous Fifties (CBS)
• The Garry Moore Show (CBS)
• The Revlon Revue (CBS)
• Another Evening with Fred Astaire (NBC)

• Captain Kangaroo (CBS)
• The Huckleberry Hound Show (sindicado)
• Lassie (CBS)
• The Quick Draw McGraw Show (sindicado)
• Watch Mr. Wizard (NBC)

• CBS Reports (CBS)
• Meet the Press (NBC)
• The Twentieth Century (CBS)

• The Huntley-Brinkley Report (NBC)

• Richard Boone por Have Gun - Will Travel
• Raymond Burr por Perry Mason
• Robert Stack por The Untouchables

• Donna Reed por The Donna Reed Show
• Loretta Young por Letter to Loretta
• Jane Wyatt por Father Knows Best

• Lee J. Cobb por Playhouse 90
• Alec Guinness por The Wicked Scheme of Jebal Deeks
• Laurence Olivier por The Moon and Sixpence

• Ingrid Bergman por Startime
• Julie Harris por The DuPont Show of the Month