The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program debuted in 1957, and has been annually awarded most years since 1964. It has had many slight name changes, mostly involving the addition or subtraction of the word comedy. Generally, the category has recognized the writers of variety and sketch comedy shows. However, in 1957, 1964 and 1979, it was the main category for writers of situation comedies, which have otherwise been recognized in a wholly separate category. For most of the 1970s, the category was effectively split into two branches. From 1971 to 1978, one-off specials were awarded separately from ongoing series. Since then, the writers of one-off variety specials have competed against series writers, and have very occasionally won, as in 1991 and 2000. This has led to some anomalies, such as when a special edition of Late Night with David Letterman beat out regular editions of The Tracey Ullman Show and Saturday Night Live in 1987 — despite the fact that typical episodes of Late Night were not nominated that year. The category eventually found greater stability with its name in 1982, when it settled on Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program for almost two decades. In 2000, it added the word comedy, thus allowing for the current form of the name. Of all the writing Emmy categories, it has recently become the one most dominated by cable networks. Since 1996 it has been won by a major terrestrial broadcaster only twice, with the overwhelming majority of winners coming from HBO and Comedy Central. [edit] List of Winners The following list of winners in this category is organized both by year and the name being used by the category in that year. [edit] Best Comedy Writing -Variety or Situation Comedy [edit] Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy or Variety [edit] Outstanding Writing Achievement in Variety [edit] Outstanding Writing Achievement in Music or Variety [edit] Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety - 1969 The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour - Allan Blye, Bob Einstein, Carl Gottlieb, Cy Howard, Steve Martin, Jerry Music, Murray Roman, Cecil Tuck, Paul Wayne, Mason Williams
- 1970 Annie, The Women in the Life of a Man - Gary Belkin, Peter Bellwood, Thomas Meehan, Herb Sargent, Judith Viorst
[edit] Specials and series awarded separately | Outstanding Writing Achievement in Variety or Music
- 1971 The Flip Wilson Show - Herbert Baker, Hal Goodman, Larry Klein, Bob Schiller, Norman Steinberg, Bob Weiskopf, Flip Wilson
- 1972 The Carol Burnett Show - Art Baer, Roger Beatty, Stan Burns, Stan Hart, Don Hinkley, Ben Joelson, Woody Kling, Mike Marmer, Arnie Rosen, Larry Siegel
- 1973 The Carol Burnett Show - Bill Angelos, Roger Beatty, Stan Hart, Robert Hilliard, Woody Kling, Arnie Kogen, Buz Kohan, Gail Parent, Tom Patchett, Larry Siegel, Jay Tarses
| Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music Special | | Best Writing in Variety or Music
- 1974 The Carol Burnett Show - Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Harman, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond, Ed Simmons
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music Series
- 1975 The Carol Burnett Show - Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond, Ed Simmons
- 1976 NBC's Saturday Night - Anne Beatts, Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster, Alan Zweibel
- 1977 NBC's Saturday Night - Dan Aykroyd, Anne Beatts, John Belushi, Tom Davis, James Downey, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Bill Murray, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster, Alan Zweibel
- 1978 The Carol Burnett Show - Roger Beatty, Dick Clair, Tim Conway, Rick Hawkins, Robert Illes, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond, Liz Sage, Larry Siegel, Franelle Silver, Ed Simmons, James Stein
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music Special
- 1974 Lily - Rosalyn Drexler, Ann Elder, Karyl Geld Miller, Robert Illes, Lorne Michaels, Richard Pryor, Jim Rusk, Herb Sargent, James R. Stein, Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, Rod Warren, George Yanok
- 1975 Shirley MacLaine: If They Could See Me Now - John Bradford, Cy Coleman, Bob Wells
- 1976 Lily Tomlin - Ann Elder, Christopher Guest, Lorne Michaels, Earl Pomerantz, Jim Rusk, Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, Rod Warren, George Yanok
- 1977 America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His - Buz Kohan, Ted Strauss
- 1978 The Paul Simon Special - Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Charles Grodin, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, Lily Tomlin, Alan Zweibel
| [edit] Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series [edit] Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program [edit] Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program [edit] Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program - 1982 SCTV Network - Jeffrey Barron, Dick Blasucci, John Candy, Chris Cluess, Bob Dolman, Joe Flaherty, Paul Flaherty, Stuart Kreisman, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, John McAndrew, Brian McConnachie, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Mert Rich, Michael Short, Doug Steckler, Dave Thomas
- 1983 SCTV Network - Dick Blasucci, John Candy, Bob Dolman, Joe Flaherty, Paul Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, John McAndrew, Martin Short, Michael Short, Doug Steckler, Mary Charlotte Wilcox
- 1984 Late Night with David Letterman - Christopher Elliott, Sanford Frank, Ted Greenberg, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Joseph E. Toplyn, Matt Wickline, David Yazbek
- 1985 Late Night with David Letterman - Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Eddie Gorodetsky, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Joe Toplyn, Matt Wickline
- 1986 Late Night with David Letterman (Fourth Anniversary Special) - Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Joe Toplyn, Matt Wickline
- 1987 Late Night with David Letterman (Fifth Anniversary) - Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Adam Resnick, Joe Toplyn, Matt Wickline
- 1988 Jackie Mason on Broadway - Jackie Mason
- 1989 Saturday Night Live - John Bowman, A. Whitney Brown, Greg Daniels, Tom Davis, James Downey, Al Franken, Shannon Gaughan, Jack Handey, Phil Hartman, George Meyer, Lorne Michaels, Mike Myers, Conan O'Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Robert Smigel, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Christine Zander
- 1990 Billy Crystal: Midnight Train To Moscow - Billy Crystal (tie)
- 1990 The Tracey Ullman Show - Jerry Belson, James L. Brooks, Marc Flanagan, Dinah Kirgo, Jay Kogen, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Heide Perlman, Ian Praiser, Sam Simon, Tracey Ullman, Wallace Wolodarsky
- 1991 The 63rd Annual Academy Awards - Billy Crystal, Hal Kanter, Buz Kohan, David Steinberg, Bruce Vilanch, Robert Wuhl
- 1992 no award
- 1993 The Ben Stiller Show - Judd Apatow, Robert Cohen, David Cross, Brent Forrester, Jeff Kahn, Bruce Kirschbaum, Bob Odenkirk, Sultan Pepper, Dino Stamatopoulos, Ben Stiller
- 1994 no award
- 1995 no award
- 1996 - Dennis Miller Live - David Feldman, Eddie Feldmann, Mike Gandolfi, Tom Hertz, Leah Krinsky, Dennis Miller, Rick Overton
- 1997 Chris Rock: Bring the Pain - Chris Rock
- 1998 Dennis Miller Live - Jose Arroyo, David Feldman, Eddie Feldmann, Jim Hanna, Leah Krinsky, Dennis Miller, David Weiss
- 1999 The Chris Rock Show - Tom Agna, Vernon Chatman, Louis CK, Lance Crouther, Gregory Greenberg, Ali LeRoi, Steve O'Donnell, Chris Rock, Frank Sebastiano, Chuck Sklar, Jeff Stilson, Wanda Sykes-Hall, Mike Upchurch
[edit] Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program - 2000 Dress to Kill - Eddie Izzard
- 2001 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Eric Drysdale, Jim Earl, Dan Goor, Charlie Grandy, JR Havlan, Tom Johnson, Kent Jones, Paul Mercurio, Chris Regan, Allison Silverman, Jon Stewart
- 2002 Saturday Night Live - Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Max Brooks, James Downey, Tina Fey, Hugh Fink, Charlie Grandy, Jack Handey, Steve Higgins, Erik Kenward, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Matt Murray, Paula Pell, Matt Piedmont, Ken Scarborough, Michael Schur, Frank Sebastiano, T. Sean Shannon, Robert Smigel, Emily Spivey, Andrew Steele, Scott Wainio
- 2003 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Tom Johnson, Ben Karlin, Rob Kutner, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart
- 2004 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Stephen Colbert, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart
- 2005 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Tim Carvell, Stephen Colbert, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Rob Kutner, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart
- 2006 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - Rich Blomquist, Steve Bodow, Rachel Axler, Kevin Bleyer, Tim Carvell, Stephen Colbert, Eric Drysdale, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Rob Kutner, Sam Means, Chris Regan, Jason Reich, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart
- 2007 Late Night With Conan O'Brien - Mike Sweeney, Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Dan Cronin, Kevin Dorff, Daniel J. Goor, Michael Gordon, Berkley Johnson, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Tim Harrod, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg
- 2008 The Colbert Report - Tom Purcell, Stephen Colbert, Allison Silverman, Richard Dahm, Michael Brumm, Rob Dubbin, Eric Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft, Frank Lesser, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Bryan Adams, Barry Julien, Meredith Scardino
- 2009 The Daily Show - Steve Bodow, Jon Stewart, David Javerbaum, Josh Lieb, Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Jason Ross, Tim Carvell, John Oliver, Sam Means, Rob Kutner, J.R. Havlan, Rich Blomquist, Wyatt Cenac, Elliott Kalan, Rachel Axler
[edit] References General:
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program | | | 1957-1974 | | | | | | | Specials | | | | Series | | | | 1979-2000 | | | | 2001-Present | | | | | | |
