Satellite Awards / Television / Best Actress in a Series - Drama

With the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series - Drama are actresses honored as leading lady outstanding performance in a drama series have shown. In addition to drama series, genre series have also been taken into account since 2016.

statistics
Most frequently honored leading actress	Claire Danes for Homeland (three awards)
Most frequently nominated leading actress	Julianna Margulies for Emergency Room and Good Wife (seven nominations)
Most frequently nominated leading actress without a win	Julianna Margulies for Emergency Room and Good Wife (seven nominations)

The actresses from the previous year are always honored.

Nominations and winners

Late 1990s

year	Award winners	for the series	Nominations
1996	Christine Lahti	Chicago Hope - end of the line hope	Gillian Anderson for The X-Files - The FBI's Creepy Cases Kim Delaney for New York Cops - NYPD Blue Julianna Margulies for Emergency Room - The Emergency Room Kimberly Williams-Paisley for Respectively
1997	Kate Mulgrew	Star Trek: Spaceship Voyager	Gillian Anderson for The X-Files - The FBI's Creepy Cases Kim Delaney for New York Cops - NYPD Blue Julianna Margulies for Emergency Room - The Emergency Room Ally Walker for Profiler
1998	Jeri Ryan	Star Trek: Spaceship Voyager	Gillian Anderson for The X Files - The FBI Scary Cases Sharon Lawrence for New York Cops - NYPD Blue Rita Moreno for Oz - Hell Behind Bars Andrea Parker for Pretender
1999	Camryn Manheim	Practice - The lawyers	Lorraine Bracco for Die Sopranos Edie Falco for Die Sopranos Mariska Hargitay for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Kelli Williams for Practice - The Lawyers

2000-2009

year	Award winners	for the series	Nominations
2000	Allison Janney	The West Wing - At the center of power	Gillian Anderson for The X-Files - The X Files Tyne Daly of Judging Amy Edie Falco for The Sopranos Sela Ward for Once and Again
2001	Edie Falco	The Sopranos	Amy Brenneman for Just in Case Amy Kim Delaney for Philly Marg Helgenberger for CSI: On the trail of the perpetrators Sela Ward for Once again with feeling
2002	CCH pounder	The Shield - Law of Violence	Jennifer Garner for Alias - The Agent Sarah Michelle Gellar for Buffy - The Vampire Slayer Allison Janney for The West Wing - In the Center of Power Maura Tierney for Emergency Room - The Emergency Room
2003	CCH pounder	The Shield - Law of Violence	Jennifer Garner for Alias - The agent Amy Madigan for Carnivàle Ellen Muth for Dead Like Me - As good as dead Joely Richardson for Nip / Tuck - Beauty has its price Amber Tamblyn for The Heavenly Joan
2004	Laurel Holloman	The L Word - When women love women	Jennifer Garner for Alias - The Agent Evangeline Lilly for Lost Joely Richardson for Nip / Tuck - Beauty Has Her Prize Amber Tamblyn for The Heavenly Joan
2005	Kyra Sedgwick	The Closer	Patricia Arquette for Medium - Nothing Goes Hidden Jennifer Beals for The L Word - When Women Love Women Kristen Bell for Veronica Mars Geena Davis for Commander in Chief Joely Richardson for Nip / Tuck - Beauty has its price
2006	Marcia Cross	Desperate Housewives	America Ferrera for Everything Betty! Laura Kightlinger for The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman Lisa Kudrow for Comeback Julia Louis-Dreyfus for The New Adventures of Old Christine Mary-Louise Parker for Weeds - Small Deals Among Neighbors
2007	Ellen Pompeo	Grey's Anatomy	Glenn Close for Damages Minnie Driver for The Riches Sally Field for Brothers & Sisters Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer Jeanne Tripplehorn for Big Love
2008	Anna Paquin	True Blood	Glenn Close for Damages - In the Net of Power Kathryn Erbe for Law and Order: Criminal Intent Sally Field for Brothers & Sisters Holly Hunter for Saving Grace Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer
2009	Glenn Close	Damages - In the web of power	Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie Stana Katić for Castle Julianna Margulies for Good Wife Elisabeth Moss for Mad Men

Since 2010

year	Award winners	for the series	Nominations
2010	Connie Britton	Friday Night Lights	January Jones for Mad Men Julianna Margulies for Good Wife Anna Paquin for True Blood Katey Sagal for Sons of Anarchy
2011	Claire Danes	Homeland	Connie Britton for Friday Night Lights Mireille Enos for The Killing Julianna Margulies for Good Wife Eve Myles for Torchwood Katey Sagal for Sons of Anarchy
2012	Claire Danes	Homeland	Connie Britton for Nashville Michelle Dockery for Downton Abbey Julianna Margulies for Good Wife Hayden Panettiere for Nashville Chloë Sevigny for Hit & Miss
2013	Robin Wright	House of Cards	Lizzy Caplan for Masters of Sex Olivia Colman for Broadchurch Vera Farmiga for Bates Motel Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black Anne Reid for Last Tango in Halifax Keri Russell for The Americans Abigail Spencer for Rectify
2014	Keri Russell	The Americans	Gillian Anderson for The Fall Lizzy Caplan for Masters of Sex Eva Green for Penny Dreadful Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black Julianna Margulies for Good Wife Ruth Wilson for The Affair Robin Wright for House of Cards
2015	Claire Danes	Homeland	Kirsten Dunst for Fargo Lady Gaga for American Horror Story (Season 5: Hotel) Taraji P. Henson for Empire Felicity Huffman for American Crime Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black Robin Wright for House of Cards
2016	Evan Rachel Wood	Westworld	Felicity Huffman for American Crime Sarah Lancashire for Happy Valley - In a Small Town Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black Winona Ryder for Stranger Things Ruth Wilson for The Affair