Image Award / Best Series Lead Actress - Drama

Image Award : Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series , until 1995 the category was entitled Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie .

1981-1990

year	Laureate	For	Nominations
1988	Cicely Tyson	Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story
1989	Alfre Woodard	Unnatural causes
1990	Alfre Woodard	Mandela

1991-2000

year	Laureate	For	Nominations
1992	Alfre Woodard	A mother's courage
1993	Lynn Whitfield	Josephine
1995	Regina Taylor	I'll fly away
1996	Della Reese	A touch of heaven	Victoria Rowell for Diagnosis: Murder Vanessa Bell Calloway for Under One Roof Cree Summer for Sweet Justice Cicely Tyson for Sweet Justice
1997	Della Reese	A touch of heaven	Vanessa A. Williams for Chicago Hope - Terminus Hope Gloria Reuben for Emergency Room - The Emergency Room S. Epatha Merkerson for Law & Order Lauren Vélez for New York Undercover
1998	Della Reese	A touch of heaven	S. Epatha Merkerson for Law & Order Shari Headley for 413 Hope St. Lauren Vélez for New York Undercover Vanessa Bell Calloway for Orleans
1999	Della Reese	A touch of heaven	Lorraine Toussaint for Any Day Now Victoria Rowell for Diagnosis: Mord S. Epatha Merkerson for Law & Order Rita Moreno for Oz - Hell Behind Bars
2000	Della Reese	A touch of heaven	Lorraine Toussaint for Any Day Now Victoria Rowell for Diagnosis: Murder Michael Michele for Homicide Rita Moreno for Oz - Hell Behind Bars

2001-2010

year	Laureate	For	Nominations
2001	Della Reese	A touch of heaven	Nicole Ari Parker for Soul Food Vanessa A. Williams for Soul Food Lorraine Toussaint for Any Day Now S. Epatha Merkerson for Law & Order
2002	Della Reese	A touch of heaven	Nicole Ari Parker for Soul Food Lorraine Toussaint for Any Day Now Loretta Devine for Boston Public Tangi Miller for Felicity
2003	Vanessa A. Williams	Soul food	Nicole Ari Parker for Soul Food Malinda Williams for Soul Food CCH Pounder for The Shield Lorraine Toussaint for Any Day Now
2004	Nia Long	Third watch - bet at the limit	CCH Pounder for The Shield Nicole Ari Parker for Soul Food Malinda Williams for Soul Food Vanessa A. Williams for Soul Food
2005	Nia Long	Third watch - bet at the limit	Vivica Fox for Missing - Desperately Wanted Nicole Ari Parker for Soul Food Malinda Williams for Soul Food Vanessa A. Williams for Soul Food
2006	Vivica A. Fox	Missing - Desperately wanted	Kimberly Elise for Close to Home CCH Pounder for The Shield - Law of Violence Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Without a Trace - Vanished without a trace Khandi Alexander for CSI: Miami
2007	Kimberly Elise	Close to home	Jennifer Beals for The L Word - When Women Love Women CCH Pounder for The Shield - Law of Violence Regina Taylor for The Unit - A Matter of Honor Roselyn Sánchez for Without a Trace - Vanished without a trace
2008	Regina Taylor	The Unit - A matter of honor	Wendy Davis for Army Wives Nicki Micheaux for Lincoln Heights CCH Pounder for The Shield - Law of Violence Jennifer Beals for The L Word - When Women Love Women
2009	Chandra Wilson	Grey's Anatomy	Wendy Davis for Army Wives Loretta Devine for Eli Stone Nicki Micheaux for Lincoln Heights CCH Pounder for The Shield
2010	Jada Pinkett Smith	Hawthorne	Chandra Wilson for Grey's Anatomy Jill Scott for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Regina King for Southland Sandra Oh for Grey's Anatomy