Most nominated, never won this award
- 01BOBob Odenkirk5 noms
- 02LSLiev Schreiber5 noms
- 03BPBill Paxton3 noms
- 04BPBilly Porter3 noms
- 05JSJames Spader3 noms
- 06JBJason Bateman3 noms
A visual history · Golden Globes
The winners who defined TV Actor (Drama).
56 ceremonies, 1970–2025. 52 different winners. The longest run belongs to John Forsythe, with 2 straight wins.
- Who won most recently?
- Hiroyuki Sanada in 2025 for Shōgun.
- Who has won the most?
- Ed Asner, Hugh Laurie, John Forsythe, Jon Hamm and Telly Savalas, tied on 2 wins each.
- ShōgunHiroyuki Sanada
- SuccessionKieran Culkin
- YellowstoneKevin Costner03
- SuccessionJeremy Strong
- The CrownJosh O'Connor
- SuccessionBrian Cox
- Years explored
- 1970–2025
- Different winners
- 52
- Category leader
- Ed Asner · 2
About this record
Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama was first awarded in 1970, so it does not run the full 1944–2025 window.
2000–2025
26 ceremonies
19702025
01 / The reigns
Hugh Laurie set the longest run.
The timeline turns the 2000–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited network / distributor.
- 01Hugh Laurie2 wins
- 02Jon Hamm2 wins
James Gandolfini'00
Martin Sheen'01
Kiefer Sutherland'02
Michael Chiklis'03
Anthony LaPaglia'04
Ian McShane'05
Hugh Laurie'06–'07×2
Jon Hamm'08
Gabriel Byrne'09
Michael C. Hall'10
Steve Buscemi'11
Kelsey Grammer'12
Damian Lewis'13
Bryan Cranston'14
Kevin Spacey'15
Jon Hamm'16
Billy Bob Thornton'17
Sterling K. Brown'18
Richard Madden'19
Brian Cox'20
Josh O'Connor'21
Jeremy Strong'22
Kevin Costner'23
Kieran Culkin'24
Hiroyuki Sanada'25
02 / The power map
Who stood behind the winners?
HBO leads the recorded network / distributor credits with 7 wins, 2000–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.
HBO7 wins01
20th Century3 wins02
AMC3 wins03
Netflix3 wins04
FX2 wins05
NBC2 wins06
Wins by network / distributor
- HBO727%
- 20th Century312%
- AMC312%
- Netflix312%
- FX28%
- NBC28%
- Other623%
03 / The near misses
The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.
Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.
Most losses in this category
- 01BOBob Odenkirk5L · 0W
- 02LSLiev Schreiber5L · 0W
- 03HLHugh Laurie4L · 2W
- 04JHJon Hamm4L · 2W
- 05KSKiefer Sutherland4L · 1W
- 06MSMartin Sheen4L · 1W
04 / The archive
Every year.
Every winner.
The complete reference behind the story, showing 2000–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.
| Year | Winner | Network / Distributor |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hiroyuki Sanada (Shōgun)beat 5 others
| FX |
| 2024 | Kieran Culkin (Succession)beat 5 others
| HBO |
| 2023 | Kevin Costner (Yellowstone)beat 4 others
| Paramount Network |
| 2022 | Jeremy Strong (Succession)beat 4 others
| HBO |
| 2021 | Josh O'Connor (The Crown)beat 4 others
| Netflix |
| 2020 | Brian Cox (Succession)beat 4 others
| HBO |
| 2019 | Richard Madden (Bodyguard)beat 4 others
| Netflix |
| 2018 | Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)beat 4 others
| NBC |
| 2017 | Billy Bob Thornton (Goliath)beat 4 others
| Amazon Prime Video |
| 2016 | Jon Hamm (Mad Men)beat 4 others
| AMC |
| 2015 | Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)beat 4 others
| Netflix |
| 2014 | Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)beat 4 others
| AMC |
| 2013 | Damian Lewis (Homeland)beat 4 others
| Showtime |
| 2012 | Kelsey Grammer (Boss)beat 4 others
| Starz |
| 2011 | Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)beat 4 others
| HBO |
| 2010 | Michael C. Hall (Dexter)beat 4 others
| Showtime |
| 2009 | Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment)beat 4 others
| HBO |
| 2008 | Jon Hamm (Mad Men)beat 4 others
| AMC |
| 2007 | Hugh Laurie (House)repeatbeat 4 others
| Fox |
| 2006 | Hugh Laurie (House)beat 4 others
| Fox |
| 2005 | Ian McShane (Deadwood)beat 4 others
| HBO |
| 2004 | Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace)beat 4 others
| CBS |
| 2003 | Michael Chiklis (The Shield)beat 4 others
| FX |
| 2002 | Kiefer Sutherland (24)beat 4 others
| Fox |
| 2001 | Martin Sheen (The West Wing)beat 4 others
| NBC |
| 2000 | James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)beat 4 others
| HBO |
| 1999 | Dylan McDermott (The Practice)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1998 | Anthony Edwards (ER)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| NBC |
| 1997 | David Duchovny (The X-Files)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| Fox |
| 1996 | Jimmy Smits (NYPD Blue)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1995 | Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1994 | David Caruso (NYPD Blue)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1993 | Sam Waterston (I'll Fly Away)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| NBC |
| 1992 | Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap)unverifiedbeat 5 others
| NBC |
| 1991 | Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1990 | Ken Wahl (Wiseguy)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| CBS |
| 1989 | Ron Perlman (Beauty and the Beast)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| CBS |
| 1988 | Richard Kiley (A Year in the Life)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| NBC |
| 1987 | Edward Woodward (The Equalizer)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| CBS |
| 1986 | Don Johnson (Miami Vice)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| NBC |
| 1985 | Tom Selleck (Magnum, P.I.)unverifiedbeat 5 others
| CBS |
| 1984 | John Forsythe (Dynasty)repeatunverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1983 | John Forsythe (Dynasty)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1982 | Daniel J. Travanti (Hill Street Blues)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| NBC |
| 1981 | Richard Chamberlain (Shōgun)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| NBC |
| 1980 | Ed Asner (Lou Grant)unverifiedbeat 7 others
| CBS |
| 1979 | Michael Moriarty (Holocaust)unverifiedbeat 5 others
| NBC |
| 1978 | Ed Asner (Lou Grant)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| CBS |
| 1977 | Richard Jordan (Captains and the Kings)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| NBC |
| 1976 | Robert Blake (Baretta)tieTelly Savalas (Kojak)unverifiedbeat 3 others
| ABC |
| 1975 | Telly Savalas (Kojak)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| CBS |
| 1974 | James Stewart (Hawkins)unverifiedbeat 5 others
| NBC |
| 1973 | Peter Falk (Columbo)unverifiedbeat 5 others
| NBC |
| 1972 | Robert Young (Marcus Welby, M.D.)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| ABC |
| 1971 | Peter Graves (Mission: Impossible)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| CBS |
| 1970 | Mike Connors (Mannix)unverifiedbeat 4 others
| CBS |
