From ‘SNL’ to ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Frasier,’ these shows have won the most Emmys in history
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The most awarded shows in Emmys history have won accolades for the cast and crew’s work both in front of and behind the camera.
Since the first Emmy Awards in 1949, hundreds of shows have been honored across 300 categories, spanning everything from acting and directing to production, cinematography, costumes, hair and sound design.
Though shows like The Bear, The Pitt and Hacks have swept the Emmys in recent years, the most awarded shows of all time have had a lot more longevity.
The list includes the comedy staple Saturday Night Live, nostalgic icons like Frasier, Cheers and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and contemporary hits like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Game of Thrones.
In honor of the 78th Emmys, hosted by Mariska Hargitay on Sept. 14, here are the most awarded TV shows in Emmys history.
01 of 10
Saturday Night Live, 94 wins
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Saturday Night Live has won the most Emmys of any TV show in history, earning a total of 94 wins and 349 nominations in its more than 50-year run.
After its debut in 1975, the late-night sketch variety show snagged its first Emmy in 1978, when cast member Gilda Radner won for Supporting Actress in a Variety or Music Production.
SNL has consistently picked up awards throughout the following decades — including a run from 2007 to 2026, where the show won at least one award every year.
The program has won for Variety Sketch Series multiple times, and individual cast members have picked up awards, including Kate McKinnon, Alec Baldwin, Maya Rudolph and various hosts, from Justin Timberlake to Jimmy Fallon and Eddie Murphy.
The original cast was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2017.
02 of 10
Game of Thrones, 59 wins
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Game of Thrones, the hit drama series based on the fantasy novel series by George R. R. Martin, has won the second-most Emmys of any TV show, with 59 wins and 159 nominations.
In the show’s debut season in 2011, it won two Emmys, including Peter Dinklage’s award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series. The show’s awards only grew from there.
In 2015, Game of Thrones set a record for most Emmy wins in a single year with 12 wins, including Drama Series, Special Visual Effects and Directing and Writing for a Drama Series. In 2019, for its final season, the show met the record again — securing another 12 wins.
Part of the cast took the stage as they were honored for the show’s eight seasons.
“As much as we wish the show could have gone on forever, our time had come,” actress Maisie Williams said. “And tonight, is a chance to, once again, thank all of those who watched.”
03 of 10
Frasier, 38 wins
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Cheers spinoff series Frasier went on to win more awards than its original counterpart — with 38 total Emmy wins and 111 nominations.
During its 11-year run from 1993 to 2004, the NBC comedy about eponymous character Frasier Crane won at least one Emmy every year — and often many more — including five consecutive Comedy Series awards and Kelsey Grammer’s four wins for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Even the show’s recent Frasier revival on Paramount+ received three nominations and one win for picture editing. Grammar told The New York Times in September 2024 that reviving the show was “as simple as falling off a log,” and that the series always had substance that connected with people.
“Frasier was always a substantive show about things that mattered, things of the heart,” he told the outlet.
04 of 10
The Simpsons, 37 wins
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The Simpsons, one of the longest-running series in American TV history, has received 37 Emmys and 106 nominations, and counting.
The animated comedy show has been nominated for Animated Program several times since 1990.
Other awards include Voice-over Performance for various cast members and guest stars over the years, including Nancy Cartwright (voice of Bart Simpson) and Hank Azaria (the voice of multiple characters, including Moe Szyslak and Chief Wiggum).
05 of 10
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, 32 wins
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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has won 32 Emmy Awards out of 76 nominations since its premiere in 2014.
The television show took home one Emmy in its first year for Outstanding Interactive Program. The series has since won Outstanding Variety Talk Series several times, along with several writing, editing and directing wins and nominations.
06 of 10
RuPaul’s Drag Race, 30 wins
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RuPaul’s Drag Race, the drag competition reality show with eponymous host and contestant mentor RuPaul, has won 30 Emmys and has been nominated for an additional 88 — including nine nominations in 2026.
Not only does the series have a staggering number of awards for a TV show, but RuPaul holds the record for the most Emmy wins by a Black performer — a title he earned in 2021 after winning his sixth consecutive win for Host of a Reality or Competition Series.
RuPaul has won a total of 14 Emmys for hosting and producing RuPaul’s Drag Race, and the show won back-to-back Reality/Competition Program awards from 2018 to 2023.
07 of 10
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 29 wins
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The Mary Tyler Moore Show won 29 Emmys and earned an additional 67 nominations during its 7-season run from 1970 to 1977.
The acclaimed sitcom starring Mary Tyler Moore and Ed Asner won its first awards in 1971, which included Writing Achievement in Comedy and Directorial Achievement in Comedy.
Moore, Asner and Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman and Betty White all won multiple Emmys for their performances in the series over the years.
In addition, The Mary Tyler Moore Show won two awards in the 1974 “Super Emmy” categories — an experiment that put drama and comedy category winners in competition with each other — for Actress of the Year and Writer of the Year.
When Moore herself was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1986, she shared the success with other industry peers and the show’s longtime audience.
“If I have achieved any degree of success in television it is in great part because I have been fortunate enough to have been surrounded by the finest artists and craftspeople,” she said.
08 of 10
Cheers, 28 wins
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Boston barroom comedy sitcom Cheers took home 28 Emmy Awards and earned 117 nominations during its 11 years on the air.
The beloved comedy took home multiple awards in its first year, including Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as Writing and Directing in a Comedy Series.
It went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series three more times (in 1984, 1989 and 1991) — and the cast earned nods — including Rhea Perlman’s four wins for Supporting Actress and Woody Harrelson’s Supporting Actor win in 1989.
Members of the Cheers cast reunited at the 75th Emmy Awards show in 2024 as a tribute to television history.
“Think of it as a long-overdue class reunion,” John Ratzenberger said. “Being together brings back some great memories from a show we’re all very proud of,” Grammer added, who appeared on stage alongside Pearlman, Ted Danson and George Wendt.
09 of 10
Hill Street Blues, 26 wins
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Hill Street Blues, a groundbreaking police drama that dominated awards in the 1980s, received 26 Emmys and 98 nominations.
In its debut year in 1981, Hill Street Blues swept the Emmys, earning 21 nominations and taking home eight awards, including Drama Series as well as Writing, Editing and Cinematography awards, and performance awards for Barbara Babcock, Daniel J. Travanti and Michael Conrad.
The following year, Hill Street Blues swept again with another 21 nominations and six wins, then 17 nominations and another six wins in 1983.
10 of 10
The West Wing, 26 wins
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Widely regarded as one of TV’s most iconic dramas, The West Wing has the Emmy Awards to match. During its nearly seven-year tenure on TV, the show earned 26 Emmys and 95 nominations.
In its first year at the Emmys in 2000, The West Wing was nominated for 18 awards, and took home nine, including Drama Series, Directing, Writing and Cinematography. Notably, The West Wing beat The Sopranos for Outstanding Drama — an upset that shocked the cast and crew.
“We couldn’t believe we got invited to the party. Honestly we were happy to just be there,” creator Aaron Sorkin told Golden Derby in September 2025. “Then we were called. We all leapt out of our seats. We couldn’t believe it. I think it was the first time we realized that anyone had watched the show.”
In the following years, Allison Janney took home two lead actress wins and the show went on to win Outstanding Drama three additional times.
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