| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | |
|---|---|
| Current: 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |
| First awarded | February 11, 1954 |
| Currently held by | Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (2016) |
| Website | emmys.com |
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role on a television comedy series for the primetime network season.
The award was first presented at the 6th Primetime Emmy Awards on February 11, 1954 to Donald O'Connor for his performance on The Colgate Comedy Hour. Originally honoring actors in drama and comedy roles, the separate category for comedy was introduced in 1956 and became permanent in 1966. Following the introduction of separate categories for comedy and drama, the award's name was changed to Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series, before changing to Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the 26th Primetime Emmy Awards and later to its current title.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 35 actors. Jeffrey Tambor is the current recipient of the award for his portrayal of Maura Pfefferman on Transparent. Michael J. Fox, Kelsey Grammer, Carroll O'Connor and Jim Parsons have won the most awards in this category with four each. Alan Alda, Ted Danson and Grammer has been nominated for the award on eleven occasions, the most within the category.