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Every Emmys Writing for a Drama Series winner

26 ceremonies, 2000–2025. 26 different winners.

One band per year, because no winner here has ever gone back-to-back. Colored by network; scroll sideways for the full run.
Aaron Sorkin & Rick Cleveland (The West Wing) — "In Excelsis Deo"'00
Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos) — "Employee of the Month"'01
Robert Cochran & Joel Surnow (24) — "12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m."'02
Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess & David Chase (The Sopranos) — "Whitecaps"'03
Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "Long Term Parking"'04
David Shore (House) — "Three Stories"'05
Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "Members Only"'06
David Chase (The Sopranos) — "Made in America"'07
Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"'08
Matthew Weiner & Kater Gordon (Mad Men) — "Meditations in an Emergency"'09
Matthew Weiner & Erin Levy (Mad Men) — "Shut the Door. Have a Seat."'10
Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) — "Always"'11
Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon & Gideon Raff (Homeland) — "Pilot"'12
Henry Bromell (Homeland) — "Q&A"'13
Moira Walley-Beckett (Breaking Bad) — "Ozymandias"'14
David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "Mother's Mercy"'15
David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "Battle of the Bastards"'16
Bruce Miller (The Handmaid's Tale) — "Offred"'17
Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg (The Americans) — "START"'18
Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "Nobody Is Ever Missing"'19
Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "This Is Not for Tears"'20
Peter Morgan (The Crown) — "War"'21
Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "All the Bells Say"'22
Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "Connor's Wedding"'23
Will Smith (Slow Horses) — "Negotiating with Tigers"'24
Dan Gilroy (Andor) — "Welcome to the Rebellion"'25
Wins by network
HBO11AMC420th Century2Showtime2Apple TV+1DirecTV1Other5

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most losses

  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen"1L · 0W
  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "Pilot"1L · 0W
  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "Posse Comitatus"1L · 0W
  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "Twenty Five"1L · 0W
  • Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) — "Everyone's Waiting"1L · 0W
  • Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton (Mad Men) — "Blowing Smoke"1L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerNetwork
2025Dan Gilroy (Andor) — "Welcome to the Rebellion"
beat 5 others
  • Joe Sachs (The Pitt) — "2:00 P.M."
  • R. Scott Gemmill (The Pitt) — "7:00 A.M."
  • Dan Erickson (Severance) — "Cold Harbor"
  • Will Smith (Slow Horses) — "Hello Goodbye"
  • Mike White (The White Lotus) — "Full-Moon Party"
Disney+
2024Will Smith (Slow Horses) — "Negotiating with Tigers"
beat 5 others
  • Peter Morgan & Meriel Sheibani-Clare (The Crown) — "Ritz"
  • Geneva Robertson-Dworet & Graham Wagner (Fallout) — "The End"
  • Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) — "First Date"
  • Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks (Shōgun) — "Anjin"
  • Rachel Kondo & Caillin Puente (Shōgun) — "Crimson Sky"
Apple TV+
2023Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "Connor's Wedding"repeat
beat 6 others
  • Beau Willimon (Andor) — "One Way Out"
  • Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel & Brett Baer (Bad Sisters) — "The Prick"
  • Gordon Smith (Better Call Saul) — "Point and Shoot"
  • Peter Gould (Better Call Saul) — "Saul Gone"
  • Craig Mazin (The Last of Us) — "Long, Long Time"
  • Mike White (The White Lotus) — "Arrivederci"
HBO
2022Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "All the Bells Say"
beat 6 others
  • Thomas Schnauz (Better Call Saul) — "Plan and Execution"
  • Chris Mundy (Ozark) — "A Hard Way to Go"
  • Dan Erickson (Severance) — "The We We Are"
  • Hwang Dong-hyuk (Squid Game) — "One Lucky Day"
  • Jonathan Lisco, Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson (Yellowjackets) — "F Sharp"
  • Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson (Yellowjackets) — "Pilot"
HBO
2021Peter Morgan (The Crown) — "War"
beat 6 others
  • Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys) — "What I Know"
  • Yahlin Chang (The Handmaid's Tale) — "Home"
  • Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) — "Sundown"
  • Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian) — "Chapter 13: The Jedi"
  • Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian) — "Chapter 16: The Rescue"
  • Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals, Janet Mock & Our Lady J (Pose) — "Series Finale"
Netflix
2020Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "This Is Not for Tears"repeat
beat 6 others
  • Thomas Schnauz (Better Call Saul) — "Bad Choice Road"
  • Gordon Smith (Better Call Saul) — "Bagman"
  • Peter Morgan (The Crown) — "Aberfan"
  • Chris Mundy (Ozark) — "All In"
  • John Shiban (Ozark) — "Boss Fight"
  • Miki Johnson (Ozark) — "Fire Pink"
HBO
2019Jesse Armstrong (Succession) — "Nobody Is Ever Missing"
beat 5 others
  • Peter Gould & Thomas Schnauz (Better Call Saul) — "Winner"
  • Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard) — "Episode 1"
  • David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "The Iron Throne"
  • Bruce Miller & Kira Snyder (The Handmaid's Tale) — "Holly"
  • Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) — "Nice and Neat"
HBO
2018Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg (The Americans) — "START"
beat 5 others
  • Peter Morgan (The Crown) — "Mystery Man"
  • David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "The Dragon and the Wolf"
  • Bruce Miller (The Handmaid's Tale) — "June"
  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Killing Eve) — "Nice Face"
  • The Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) — "Chapter Nine: The Gate"
FX
2017Bruce Miller (The Handmaid's Tale) — "Offred"
beat 5 others
  • Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg (The Americans) — "The Soviet Division"
  • Gordon Smith (Better Call Saul) — "Chicanery"
  • Peter Morgan (The Crown) — "Assassins"
  • The Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) — "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers"
  • Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan (Westworld) — "The Bicameral Mind"
Hulu
2016David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "Battle of the Bastards"repeat
beat 5 others
  • Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg (The Americans) — "Persona Non Grata"
  • Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) — "Episode Eight"
  • Robert King & Michelle King (The Good Wife) — "End"
  • Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) — "eps1.0 hellofriend.mov"
  • Marti Noxon & Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (UnREAL) — "Return"
HBO
2015David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "Mother's Mercy"
beat 4 others
  • Joshua Brand (The Americans) — "Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?"
  • Gordon Smith (Better Call Saul) — "Five-O"
  • Semi Chellas & Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "Lost Horizon"
  • Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "Person to Person"
HBO
2014Moira Walley-Beckett (Breaking Bad) — "Ozymandias"
beat 4 others
  • Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad) — "Felina"
  • David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "The Children"
  • Beau Willimon (House of Cards) — "Chapter 14"
  • Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective) — "The Secret Fate of All Life"
AMC
2013Henry Bromell (Homeland) — "Q&A"
beat 4 others
  • George Mastras (Breaking Bad) — "Dead Freight"
  • Thomas Schnauz (Breaking Bad) — "Say My Name"
  • Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) — "Episode Four"
  • David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "The Rains of Castamere"
Showtime
2012Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon & Gideon Raff (Homeland) — "Pilot"
beat 4 others
  • Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) — "Episode Seven"
  • Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton (Mad Men) — "Commissions and Fees"
  • Semi Chellas & Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "Far Away Places"
  • Semi Chellas & Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "The Other Woman"
Showtime
2011Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) — "Always"
beat 4 others
  • David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) — "Baelor"
  • Veena Sud (The Killing) — "Pilot"
  • Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton (Mad Men) — "Blowing Smoke"
  • Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "The Suitcase"
DirecTV
2010Matthew Weiner & Erin Levy (Mad Men) — "Shut the Door. Have a Seat."repeat
beat 4 others
  • Rolin Jones (Friday Night Lights) — "The Son"
  • Robert King & Michelle King (The Good Wife) — "Pilot"
  • Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse (Lost) — "The End"
  • Robin Veith & Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency"
AMC
2009Matthew Weiner & Kater Gordon (Mad Men) — "Meditations in an Emergency"repeat
beat 4 others
  • Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof (Lost) — "The Incident"
  • Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "The Jet Set"
  • Robin Veith & Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "A Night to Remember"
  • Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton & Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "Six Month Leave"
AMC
2008Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) — "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
beat 4 others
  • Michael Angeli (Battlestar Galactica) — "Six of One"
  • Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler & Daniel Zelman (Damages) — "Get Me a Lawyer"
  • Matthew Weiner & Robin Veith (Mad Men) — "The Wheel"
  • David Simon & Ed Burns (The Wire) — "–30–"
AMC
2007David Chase (The Sopranos) — "Made in America"
beat 4 others
  • Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) — "Occupation" & "Precipice"
  • Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof (Lost) — "Through the Looking Glass"
  • Matthew Weiner & David Chase (The Sopranos) — "Kennedy and Heidi"
  • Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "The Second Coming"
HBO
2006Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "Members Only"
beat 4 others
  • Krista Vernoff (Grey's Anatomy) — "Into You Like a Train"
  • Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy) — "It's the End of the World" & "As We Know It"
  • Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof (Lost) — "The 23rd Psalm"
  • Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) — "Everyone's Waiting"
HBO
2005David Shore (House) — "Three Stories"
beat 4 others
  • Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof (Lost) — "Pilot"
  • David Fury (Lost) — "Walkabout"
  • Denis Leary & Peter Tolan (Rescue Me) — "Guts"
  • David Simon & George Pelecanos (The Wire) — "Middle Ground"
Fox
2004Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "Long Term Parking"
beat 4 others
  • David Milch (Deadwood) — "Deadwood"
  • Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos) — "Irregular Around the Margins"
  • Matthew Weiner & Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "Unidentified Black Males"
  • Michael Caleo (The Sopranos) — "Where's Johnny?"
HBO
2003Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess & David Chase (The Sopranos) — "Whitecaps"
beat 4 others
  • Craig Wright (Six Feet Under) — "Twilight"
  • Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "Eloise"
  • Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos) — "Whoever Did This"
  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "Twenty Five"
HBO
2002Robert Cochran & Joel Surnow (24) — "12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m."
beat 4 others
  • J. J. Abrams (Alias) — "Truth Be Told"
  • John Wells (ER) — "On the Beach"
  • Shawn Ryan (The Shield) — "Pilot"
  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "Posse Comitatus"
Fox
2001Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos) — "Employee of the Month"
beat 4 others
  • David Chase & Frank Renzulli (The Sopranos) — "Amour Fou"
  • Tim Van Patten & Terence Winter (The Sopranos) — "Pine Barrens"
  • Lawrence Konner (The Sopranos) — "Second Opinion"
  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen"
HBO
2000Aaron Sorkin & Rick Cleveland (The West Wing) — "In Excelsis Deo"
beat 4 others
  • Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) — "Hush"
  • David Chase & Todd A. Kessler (The Sopranos) — "Funhouse"
  • Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos) — "The Knight in White Satin Armor"
  • Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) — "Pilot"
NBC

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