The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role on a musical or comedy television series for the calendar year.
It was first awarded at the 19th Golden Globe Awards on March 5, 1962, under the title Best TV Star – Female, grouping all genres of television series, to Pauline Fredericks. The nominees for the award announced annually starting in 1963. The award initially honored actresses in both comedy and drama genres until 1969, when the award was split into categories that honored comedic and dramatic performances separately. It was presented under the new title Best TV Actress – Musical or Comedy and in 1980 under its current title.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 43 actresses. Jean Smart is the current recipient of the award for her role as Deborah Vance on Hacks. Carol Burnett has won the most awards in this category with five wins and received the most nominations at 12.
Winners and nominees Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees. Key Meaning Indicates the winning actor.
1960s + Year Actor Role Program Network RefBest TV Star – Female 1961 (19th) Pauline Fredericks 1962 (20th) Donna Reed Donna Stone The Donna Reed Show ABC 1963 (21st) Inger Stevens Katrin "Katy" Holstrum The Farmer's Daughter ABC Shirley Booth Hazel Burke Hazel NBC Dorothy Loudon Various Characters The Garry Moore Show CBS Carolyn Jones Betsy / Meredith / Jane / OliviaBurke's LawABC Gloria Swanson Venus Walsh 1964 (22nd) Mary Tyler Moore Laura Petrie The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS Dorothy Malone Constance Carson Peyton Place ABC Yvette Mimieux Pat Holmes Dr. Kildare NBC Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens Bewitched ABC Julie Newmar Rhoda Miller My Living Doll CBS 1965 (23rd) Anne Francis Honey West Honey West ABC Patty Duke Patty Lane / Cathy Lane The Patty Duke ShowABC Mia Farrow Allison MacKenzie Peyton Place Dorothy Malone Constance Carson Barbara Stanwyck Victoria Barkley The Big Valley 1966 (24th) Marlo Thomas Ann Marie That Girl ABC Phyllis Diller Phyllis Pruitt The Pruitts of Southampton ABC Barbara Eden Jeannie I Dream of Jeannie NBC Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens BewitchedABC Barbara Stanwyck Victoria Barkley The Big Valley 1967 (25th) Carol Burnett Various Characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Barbara Bain Cinnamon Carter Mission: ImpossibleCBS Lucille Ball Lucy Carmichael The Lucy Show Nancy Sinatra Various characters Movin' with Nancy NBC Barbara Stanwyck Victoria Barkley The Big Valley ABC 1968 (26th) Diahann Carroll Julia Baker Julia NBC Doris Day Doris Martin The Doris Day Show CBS Hope Lange Carolyn Muir The Ghost & Mrs. Muir NBC Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens Bewitched ABC Nancy Sinatra Various characters The Nancy Sinatra Show NBC Best TV Actress – Musical or Comedy 1969 (27th) Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Julie Sommars Jennifer Jo Drinkwater The Governor & J.J. Lucille Ball Lucy Carter Here's Lucy CBS Diahann Carroll Julia Baker Julia NBC Barbara Eden Jeannie I Dream of Jeannie Debbie Reynolds Debbie Thompson The Debbie Reynolds Show
1970s + Year Actor Role Program Network Ref 1970 (28th) Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Shirley Jones Shirley Partridge The Partridge Family ABC Juliet Mills Nanny Phoebe Figgalily Nanny and the Professor Elizabeth Montgomery Samantha Stephens Bewitched 1971 (29th) Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Lucille Ball Lucy Carter Here's Lucy CBS Shirley Jones Shirley Partridge The Partridge Family ABC Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family 1972 (30th) Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family CBS Julie Andrews Various characters The Julie Andrews Hour ABC Bea Arthur Maude Findlay Maude CBS Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1973 (31st) Cher Various characters The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour CBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family Bea Arthur Maude Findlay Maude CBS Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1974 (32nd) Valerie Harper Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda CBS Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show Esther Rolle Florida Evans Good Times Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family 1975 (33rd) Cloris Leachman Phyllis Lindstrom Phyllis CBS Bea Arthur Maude Findlay Maude CBS Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show Valerie Harper Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1976 (34th) Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Bernadette Peters Charlotte "Charley" Drake All's Fair CBS Mary Tyler Moore Mary Richards The Mary Tyler Moore Show Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons Dinah Shore Dinah Dinah! NBC 1977 (35th) Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Bea Arthur Maude Findlay Maude CBS Penny Marshall Laverne DeFazio Laverne & Shirley ABC Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons CBS Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family Cindy Williams Shirley Feeney Laverne & Shirley ABC 1978 (36th) Linda Lavin Alice Hyatt Alice CBS Carol Burnett Various characters The Carol Burnett Show CBS Penny Marshall Laverne DeFazio Laverne & Shirley ABC Suzanne Somers Chrissy Snow Three's Company Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family CBS 1979 (37th) Linda Lavin Alice Hyatt Alice CBS Penny Marshall Laverne DeFazio Laverne & Shirley ABC Donna Pescow Angie Falco Angie Jean Stapleton Edith Bunker All in the Family CBS Loretta Swit Maj. Margaret Houlihan M*A*S*H
Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy 1980s + Year Actor Role Program Network Ref 1980 (38th) Katherine Helmond Jessica Tate Soap ABC Loni Anderson Jennifer Marlowe WKRP in Cincinnati CBS Polly Holliday Florence Jean Castleberry Flo Linda Lavin Alice Hyatt Alice Lynn Redgrave Ann Atkinson House Calls 1981 (39th) Eileen Brennan Capt. Doreen Lewis Private Benjamin CBS Loni Anderson Jennifer Marlowe WKRP in Cincinnati CBS Bonnie Franklin Ann Romano One Day at a Time Barbara Mandrell Herself Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters NBC Loretta Swit Maj. Margaret Houlihan M*A*S*H CBS 1982 (40th) Debbie Allen Lydia Grant Fame NBC Eileen Brennan Capt. Doreen Lewis Private Benjamin CBS Nell Carter Nell Harper Gimme a Break! NBC Bonnie Franklin Ann Romano One Day at a Time CBS Rita Moreno Violet Newstead 9 to 5 ABC Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons CBS 1983 (41st) Joanna Cassidy Jojo White Buffalo Bill NBC Debbie Allen Lydia Grant Fame NBC Madeline Kahn Madeline Wayne Oh Madeline ABC Shelley Long Diane Chambers Cheers NBC Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons CBS 1984 (42nd) Shelley Long Diane Chambers Cheers NBC Debbie Allen Lydia Grant Fame NBC Nell Carter Nell Harper Gimme a Break! Susan Clark Katherine Papadopalis Webster ABC Jane Curtin Allie Lowell Kate & Allie CBS Isabel Sanford Louise Jefferson The Jeffersons 1985 (43rd) Estelle Getty Sophia Petrillo The Golden Girls NBC Cybill Shepherd Maddie Hayes Moonlighting ABC Bea Arthur Dorothy Zbornak The Golden Girls NBC Rue McClanahan Blanche Devereaux Betty White Rose Nylund 1986 (44th) Cybill Shepherd Maddie Hayes Moonlighting ABC Bea Arthur Dorothy ZbornakThe Golden Girls NBC Estelle Getty Sophia Petrillo Rue McClanahan Blanche Devereaux Betty White Rose Nylund 1987 (45th) Tracey Ullman Various characters The Tracey Ullman Show Fox Bea Arthur Dorothy ZbornakThe Golden Girls NBC Rue McClanahan Blanche Devereaux Cybill Shepherd Maddie Hayes Moonlighting ABC Betty White Rose Nylund The Golden Girls NBC 1988 (46th) Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Bea Arthur Dorothy Zbornak The Golden Girls NBC Roseanne Barr Roseanne Conner Roseanne ABC Tracey Ullman Various characters The Tracey Ullman Show Fox Betty White Rose Nylund The Golden Girls NBC 1989 (47th) Jamie Lee Curtis Hannah Miller Anything but Love ABC Kirstie Alley Rebecca Howe Cheers NBC Stephanie Beacham Sister Kate Lambert Sister Kate Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Tracey Ullman Various characters The Tracey Ullman Show Fox
1990s + Year Actor Role Program Network Ref 1990 (48th) Kirstie Alley Rebecca Howe Cheers NBC Roseanne Barr Roseanne Conner Roseanne ABC Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Carol Burnett Various characters Carol & Company NBC Katey Sagal Peggy Bundy Married... with Children Fox 1991 (49th) Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Kirstie Alley Rebecca Howe Cheers NBC Roseanne Barr Roseanne Conner Roseanne ABC Jamie Lee Curtis Hannah Miller Anything but Love Katey Sagal Peggy Bundy Married... with Children Fox 1992 (50th) Roseanne Barr Roseanne Conner Roseanne ABC Kirstie Alley Rebecca Howe Cheers NBC Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Helen Hunt Jamie Buchman Mad About You NBC Katey Sagal Peggy Bundy Married... with Children Fox 1993 (51st) Helen Hunt Jamie Buchman Mad About You NBC Roseanne Barr Roseanne Conner Roseanne ABC Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Patricia Richardson Jill Taylor Home Improvement ABC Katey Sagal Peggy Bundy Married... with Children Fox 1994 (52nd) Helen Hunt Jamie Buchman Mad About You NBC Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Brett Butler Grace Kelly Grace Under Fire ABC Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Morgan Ellen Patricia Richardson Jill Taylor Home Improvement 1995 (53rd) Cybill Shepherd Cybill Sheridan Cybill CBS Candice Bergen Murphy Brown Murphy Brown CBS Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Morgan Ellen ABC Fran Drescher Fran Fine The Nanny CBS Helen Hunt Jamie Buchman Mad About You NBC 1996 (54th) Helen Hunt Jamie Buchman Mad About You NBC Brett Butler Grace Kelly Grace Under Fire ABC Fran Drescher Fran Fine The Nanny CBS Cybill Shepherd Cybill Sheridan Cybill Brooke Shields Susan Keane Suddenly Susan NBC Tracey Ullman Various Characters Tracey Takes On... HBO 1997 (55th) Calista Flockhart Ally McBeal Ally McBeal Fox Kirstie Alley Veronica Chase Veronica's Closet NBC Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Morgan Ellen ABC Jenna Elfman Dharma Montgomery Dharma & Greg Helen Hunt Jamie Buchman Mad About You NBC Brooke Shields Susan Keane Suddenly Susan 1998 (56th) Jenna Elfman Dharma Montgomery Dharma & Greg ABC Christina Applegate Jesse Warner Jesse NBC Calista Flockhart Ally McBeal Ally McBeal Fox Laura San Giacomo Maya Gallo Just Shoot Me! NBC Sarah Jessica Parker Carrie Bradshaw Sex and the City HBO 1999 (57th) Sarah Jessica Parker Carrie Bradshaw Sex and the City HBO Jenna Elfman Dharma Montgomery Dharma & Greg ABC Calista Flockhart Ally McBeal Ally McBeal Fox Felicity Huffman Dana Whitaker Sports Night ABC Heather Locklear Caitlin Moore Spin City Debra Messing Grace Adler Will & Grace NBC
2000s