NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

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	Template:Citation needed
1971
	Elena Verdugo	Marcus Welby, M.D.	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1972 – 79	colspan="3" Template:N/a

1980s

Year	Actress	Series	Ref
1980
	Joan Pringle	The White Shadow	Template:Citation needed
1981	colspan="3" Template:N/a
1982
	Cicely Tyson	The Marva Collins Story	Template:Citation needed
1983
	Madge Sinclair	Trapper John, M.D.	Template:Citation needed
1984 – 87	colspan="3" Template:N/a
1988
	Cicely Tyson	Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story	Template:Citation needed
1989
	Alfre Woodard	Unnatural Causes	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	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	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1991	colspan="3" Template:N/a
1992
	Alfre Woodard	A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story	Template:Citation needed
1993
	Lynn Whitfield	The Josephine Baker Story	Template:Citation needed
1994
	Regina Taylor	I'll Fly Away	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Della Reese	Picket Fences
	Denise Nicholas	In the Heat of the Night
	Hattie Winston	Homefront
	Victoria Dillard	TriBeCa
1995	colspan="3" Template:N/a
1996
	Della Reese	Touched by an Angel	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Vanessa Bell Calloway	Under One Roof
	Victoria Rowell	Diagnosis: Murder
	Cree Summer	Sweet Justice
	Cicely Tyson
1997
	Della Reese	Touched by an Angel	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	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	Template: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	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	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	Template:Citation needed
	Michael Michele	Homicide: Life on the Street
	Rita Moreno	Oz
	Victoria Rowell	Diagnosis: Murder
	Lorraine Toussaint	Any Day Now
2001
	Della Reese	Touched by an Angel	Template:Citation needed
	Lorraine Toussaint	Any Day Now
	Nicole Ari Parker	Soul Food
	S. Epatha Merkerson	Law & Order
	Vanessa Estelle Williams	Soul Food
2002
	Della Reese	Touched by an Angel	Template: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	Template: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	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Nicole Ari Parker	Soul Food
	C. C. H. Pounder	The Shield
	Malinda Williams	Soul Food
	Vanessa Estelle Williams
2005
	Nia Long	Third Watch	Template: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	Template: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	Template: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	Template: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	Template: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	Template: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	Template:Citation needed
	Wendy Davis	Army Wives
	Gugu Mbatha-Raw	Undercovers
	Jada Pinkett Smith	HawthoRNe
	Chandra Wilson	Grey's Anatomy
2012
	Regina King	Southland	Template:Citation needed
	Khandi Alexander	Treme
	Taraji P. Henson	Person of Interest
	Sandra Oh	Grey's Anatomy
	Chandra Wilson
2013
	Kerry Washington	Scandal	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Khandi Alexander	Treme
	Regina King	Southland
	Sandra Oh	Grey's Anatomy
	Chandra Wilson
2014
	Kerry Washington	Scandal	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Khandi Alexander	Treme
	Nicole Beharie	Sleepy Hollow
	Regina King	Southland
	Chandra Wilson	Grey's Anatomy
2015
	Viola Davis	How to Get Away with Murder	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Nicole Beharie	Sleepy Hollow
	Octavia Spencer	Red Band Society
	Gabrielle Union	Being Mary Jane
	Kerry Washington	Scandal
2016
	Taraji P. Henson	Empire	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	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	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Viola Davis	How to Get Away with Murder
	Jurnee Smollett-Bell	Underground
	Kerry Washington	Scandal
	Rutina Wesley	Queen Sugar
2018
	Taraji P. Henson	Empire	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Jurnee Smollett-Bell	Underground
	Kerry Washington	Scandal
	Rutina Wesley	Queen Sugar
	Viola Davis	How to Get Away with Murder
2019
	Taraji P. Henson	Empire	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	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	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	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	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Angela Bassett	9-1-1
	Simone Missick	All Rise
	Jurnee Smollett	Lovecraft Country
	Brandee Evans	P-Valley
2022
	Angela Bassett	9-1-1	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Dawn-Lyen Gardner	Queen Sugar
	Octavia Spencer	Truth Be Told
	Queen Latifah	The Equalizer (2021 TV series)
	Rutina Wesley	Queen Sugar
2023
	Angela Bassett	9-1-1	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Brandee Evans	P-Valley
	Queen Latifah	The Equalizer (2021 TV series)
	Rutina Wesley	Queen Sugar
	Zendaya	Euphoria
2024
	India Amarteifio	Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Angela Bassett	9-1-1
	Octavia Spencer	Truth Be Told
	Queen Latifah	The Equalizer
	Zoe Saldaña	Special Ops: Lioness

Multiple wins and nominations

Wins

7 wins

• Della Reese

4 wins

• Taraji P. Henson

3 wins

• Angela Bassett
• Alfre Woodard

2 wins

• Viola Davis
• Regina King
• Nia Long
• Regina Taylor
• Cicely Tyson
• Kerry Washington
• Lynn Whitfield

Nominations

7 nominations

• Viola Davis
• Della Reese

6 nominations

• Regina King
• C. C. H. Pounder
• Chandra Wilson
• Kerry Washington

5 nominations

• Taraji P. Henson
• Nicole Ari Parker
• Lorraine Toussaint
• Vanessa A. Williams
• Rutina Wesley

4 nominations

• Khandi Alexander
• S. Epatha Merkerson

3 nominations

• Nicole Beharie
• Wendy Davis
• Sandra Oh

• Victoria Rowell
• Jurnee Smollett
• Regina Taylor
• Malinda Williams
• Cicely Tyson
• Alfre Woodard
• Angela Bassett

2 nominations

• Jennifer Beals
• Vanessa Bell Calloway
• Loretta Devine
• Kimberly Elise
• Vivica A. Fox
• Nia Long
• Simone Missick
• Nicki Micheaux
• Rita Moreno
• Jada Pinkett Smith
• Gabrielle Union
• Lynn Whitfield
• Lauren Velez
• Octavia Spencer