It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role on a television drama series for the primetime network season.

While Eve Arden was the first winner in the female acting category, Loretta Young was the first actress to win for a lead performance in a drama series.

By 1966, the acting awards were split into drama and comedy categories, undergoing several name changes until settling with the current title.

In 2015, Viola Davis became the first African-American woman to win, for her performance as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder.

As of 2024, Anna Sawai is the most recent winner, receiving the award for her work on Shogun.