Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy

The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy is an accolade presented annually to an actress for best performance in a lead role of a musical or comedy television series. It is given during the Golden Globe Awards ceremony organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), an association that is formed of journalists and photographers covering the American entertainment industry for publications mainly in non-US media markets. The award marks as a token of honor recognizing finest and most entertaining performance of an actress in the genre that led her to become pick of the bunch in the category for that year.

The HFPA started honoring outstanding television works from the 13th Golden Globe Awards held in February 1956 and first presented this category under the title Best TV Star – Female during the March 5, 1962, held 19th Golden Globe Awards. American newspaper, radio and TV journalist Pauline Frederick won the award that year thus becoming its first recipient. Name of winners were only announced in that year and the next while starting from the 21st Golden Globe Awards (1964) names of nominees are announced for this category.

Performance of actresses in both drama and comedy genres were considered for the award category of Best TV Star – Female till 1969, however, from the 27th Golden Globe Awards (1970) the category was divided into Drama and Musical or Comedy genres by the HFPA to assess and honor acting prowess of performers in both genres. The two separate categories were first presented in 1970 under the titles Best TV Actress – Drama and Best TV Actress – Musical or Comedy. That year legendary American comedian, actress, and singer Carol Burnett received the Best TV Actress – Musical or Comedy award for her pioneering comedy-variety show The Carol Burnett Show tying with American actress Julie Sommars who bagged it for the role of Jennifer Jo Drinkwater in the series The Governor & J.J. The non-competitive honorary Golden Globe Award titled Carol Burnett Award, first presented by the HFPA in 2019 to recognize career achievement in television, is named after Burnett, its first recipient. The Best TV Actress – Musical or Comedy award was rechristened as Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1980. The two other instances when the award witnessed a tie were during the 31st Golden Globe Awards (1974) when it was received by American singer, actress and TV personality Cher and American on-screen and stage character actress Jean Stapleton; and during the 43rd Golden Globe Awards (1986) when it was presented to American actress and comedian Estelle Getty and American actress and former model Cybill Shepherd.

Burnett’s performances in The Carol Burnett Show led her to win 5 awards out of 12 nominations, marking the most wins and nominations in the category. She is followed by American actress and producer Sarah Jessica Parker with 4 wins; and Shepherd and American actress and director Helen Hunt with 3 wins each. American actress and comedienne Bea Arthur and American actress Debra Messing garnered 8 nominations each in the category however never won the award.

List of Winners - Golden Globes Best Actress in a Television Comedy Series