The girls with their Emmys
The Primetime Emmy Awards are given out annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming.
The Golden Girls is one of only four sitcoms where every performer in the main cast won at least one Emmy (the others are All in the Family, Will & Grace & Schitt’s Creek). The series was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series for its first six seasons, and won for its first two seasons.
In total, the show received 68 Emmy nominations over the course of its run, and won 11.
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Paul Bogart (supervising producer); Terry Grossman (producer); Kathy Speer (producer); Tony Thomas (executive producer); Marsha Posner Williams (co-producer); Paul Junger Witt (executive producer) |
Won |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Bea Arthur | Nominated | |
| Rue McClanahan | Nominated | ||
| Betty White (for the episode "In a Bed of Rose's") | Won | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Estelle Getty | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Terry Hughes (for the episode "A Little Romance") | Nominated | |
| Jim Drake (for the episode "The Heart Attack") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Art Direction | Edward Stephenson | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Costume Design | Judy Evans | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Editing | Harold McKenzie | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lightning Direction | Allan Keath Walker | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing | Ken Quale; Allen Patapoff; Craig Porter | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Series | Randy Baer (cameraperson); Victor Bagdadi (senior video control); Gerry Bucci (technical director); Dale Carlson (cameraperson); Steve Jones (cameraperson); Donna J. Quante (cameraperson) (for the pilot episode "The Engagement") |
Won | |
| Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan (for the episode "A Little Romance") | Won | |
| Susan Harris (for the pilot episode "The Engagement") | Nominated | ||
| 1987 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Barry Fanaro (co-producer); Terry Grossman (producer); Susan Harris (executive producer); Winifred Hervey (co-producer); Mort Nathan (co-producer); Marsha Posner Williams (co-producer); Kathy Speer (producer); Tony Thomas (producer); Paul Junger Witt (executive producer) | Won |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Bea Arthur | Nominated | |
| Rue McClanahan (for the episode "End of the Curse") | Won | ||
| Betty White | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Estelle Getty | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Terry Hughes (for the episode "Isn't It Romantic" | Won | |
| Outstanding Editing for a Comedy Series | Harold McKenzie | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series | Herb Edelman (for the episode "The Stan Who Came To Dinner") | Nominated | |
| Lois Nettleton (for the episode "Isn't It Romantic") | Nominated | ||
| Nancy Walker (for the episode "Long Days Journey Into Marinara") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing | Richard Burns; Ed Epstein; Allen Patapoff; Craig Porter | Nominated | |
| Edward L. Moskowitz; John S. Orr; Allen Patapoff; Craig Porter | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Jeffrey Duteil (for the episode "Isn't It Romantic") | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Bea Arthur (for the episode "My Brother, My Father") | Won | |
| Rue McClanahan | Nominated | ||
| Betty White | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Estelle Getty (for the episode "Old Friends") | Won | |
| Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | Terry Hughes (for the episode "Old Friends") | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Editing for a Comedy Series | Jim McElroy | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series | Herb Edelman (for the episode "The Audit") | Nominated | |
| Geraldine Fitzgerald (for the episode "Mother's Day") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lightning Direction | Alan Keath Walker | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video | Jack Chisolm (cameraperson); Stephen A. Jones (cameraperson); Robert G. Kaufman (senior video control); Ritch Kenney (cameraperson); O. Tamburri (technical director); Ken Tamburri (cameraperson) (for the episode "Old Friends") |
Won | |
| 1989 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Bea Arthur | Nominated | |
| Rue McClanahan | Nominated | ||
| Betty White | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Estelle Getty | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Terry Hughes (for the episode "Brother Can You Spare That Jacket") | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Jack Gilford (for the episode "Sophia's Wedding") | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lightning Direction | Alan Keath Walker | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video | Nominated | ||
| 1990 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Betty White | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Estelle Getty | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Terry Hughes (for the episode "Triple Play") | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Jerry Orbach (for the episode "Cheaters") | Nominated | |
| Dick Van Dyke (for the episode "Love Under The Big Top") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lightning Direction | Alan Keath Walker | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video | Nominated | ||
| 1991 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Betty White | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Estelle Getty | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Brenda Vaccaro (for the episode "Ebbtide's Revenge") | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lightning Direction | Alan Keath Walker | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Technical Direction | Nominated | ||
| 1992 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Betty White | Nominated |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Estellle Getty | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video | Dave Heckman (camera operator); Chester Jackson (camera operator); Randy Johnson (video control); Stephen A. Jones (camera operator); Ritch Kenney (camera operator); Bob Keys (camera operator); John O'Brien (video control); Richard Steiner (video control); Ken Tamburri (technical director) (for the episodes "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest" parts 1 & 2) | Won |
Emmy Videos[]
★ Rue McClanahan ★ Receiving An Emmy Award For The Golden Girls ★ 1987 ★
★ Estelle Getty ★ Receiving An Emmy Award For The Golden Girls ★ 1988 ★
★ Beatrice Arthur ★ Receiving An Emmy Award For The Golden Girls ★ 1988 ★
★ Betty White ★ Receiving An Emmy Award For The Golden Girls ★ 1986 ★
★ The Golden Girls Present An Award At The Emmy Awards ★ 1991 ★