The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series:
(Prior to 1995, this category was called "Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie.")
| Rank | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | Della Reese | CCH Pounder | Vanessa A. Williams Nicole Ari Parker Lorraine Toussaint |
S. Epatha Merkerson | Regina Taylor Malinda Williams Victoria Rowell Alfre Woodard Chandra Wilson Wendy Davis |
| Total Nominations | 7 nominations | 6 nominations | 5 nominations | 4 nominations | 3 nominations |
| Year | Actress | Television Series | Nominees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Cicely Tyson | Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story | |
| 1989 | Alfre Woodard | Unnatural Causes | |
| 1990 | Alfre Woodard | Mandela | |
| 1991 | ? | ? | |
| 1992 | Alfre Woodard | A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story | |
| 1993 | Lynn Whitfield | The Josephine Baker Story | |
| 1994 | |||
| 1995 | Regina Taylor | I'll Fly Away | |
| 1996 | Della Reese | Touched by an Angel | Vanessa Bell Calloway-"Under One Roof" Victoria Rowell-"Diagnosis Murder" Cicely Tyson-"Sweet Justice" Cree Summer-"Sweet Justice" |
| 1997 | Della Reese | Touched by an Angel | Lauren Velez-"New York Undercover" S. Epatha Merkerson-"Law & Order" Gloria Reuben-"E.R." Vanessa A. Williams-"Chicago Hope" |
| 1998 | Della Reese | Touched by an Angel | Shari Headley-"413 Hope St." S. Epatha Merkerson-"Law & Order" Vanessa Bell Calloway-"Orleans" Lauren Velez-"New York Undercover" |
| 1999 | Della Reese | Touched by an Angel | Victoria Rowell-"Diagnosis Murder" Rita Moreno-"Oz" Lorraine Toussaint-"Any Day Now" S. Epatha Merkerson-"Law & Order" |
| 2000 | Della Reese | Touched by an Angel | Victoria Rowell-"Diagnosis Murder" Michael Michele-"Homicide: Life on the Streets" Rita Moreno-"Oz" Lorraine Toussaint-"Any Day Now" |
| 2001 | Della Reese | Touched by an Angel | Nicole Ari Parker-"Soul Food" S. Epatha Merkerson-"Law & Order" Lorraine Toussain-"Any Day Now" Vanessa A. Williams-"Soul Food" |
| 2002 | Della Reese | Touched by an Angel | Nicole Ari Parker-"Soul Food" Loretta Devine-"Boston Public" Tangi Miller-"Felicity" Loretta Devine-"Boston Public" |
| 2003 | Vanessa A. Williams | Soul Food | CCH Pounder-"The Shield" Malinda Williams-"Soul Food" Lorraine Toussaint-"Any Day Now" Nicole Ari Parker-"Soul Food" |
| 2004 | Nia Long | Third Watch | Vanessa A. Williams-"Soul Food" Nicole Ari Parker-"Soul Food" Malinda Williams-"Soul Food" CCH Pounder-"The Shield" |
| 2005 | Nia Long | Third Watch | Vanessa A. Williams-"Soul Food" Nicole Ari Parker-"Soul Food" Malinda Williams-"Soul Food" Vivica A. Fox-"1-800 Missing" |
| 2006 | Vivica A. Fox | Missing | Kimberly Elise-"Close to Home" Marianne Jean-Baptiste-"Without a Trace" Khandi Alexander-"CSI: Miami" CCH Pounder-"The Shield" |
| 2007 | Kimberly Elise | Close to Home | CCH Pounder-"The Shield" Regina Taylor-"The Unit" Jennifer Beals-"The L Word" Roselyn Sanchez-"Without a Trace" |
| 2008 | Regina Taylor | The Unit | Jennifer Beals-"The L Word" CCH Pounder-"The Shield" Nicki Micheaux-"Lincoln Heights" Wendy Davis-"Army Wives" |
| 2009 | Chandra Wilson | Grey's Anatomy | CCH Pounder-"The Shield" Nicki Micheaux-"Lincoln Heights" Wendy Davis-"Army Wives" Loretta Devine-"Eli Stone" |
| 2010 | Jada Pinkett Smith | HawthoRNe | Sandra Oh-"Grey's Anatomy" Regina King-"Southland" Jill Scott-"The Ladies No. Detective Agency" Chandra Wilson-"Grey's Anatomy" |
| 2011 | Regina King | Southland | Gugu Mbatha-Raw-"Undercovers" Jada Pinkett Smith-"HawthoRNe" Chandra Wilson-"Grey's Anatomy" Wendy Davis-"Army Wives" |