50th Primetime Emmy Awards

The 50th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 13, 1998. It was broadcast on NBC. 27 awards were presented.
When Frasier was announced as the winner of Outstanding Comedy Series, Emmy history was made. The NBC sitcom became the first show to win one of the two main series prizes five consecutive years. This record has since been passed by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, whose winning streak was ten years, but for the main two genres, it was not matched until 2014, when the ABC sitcom Modern Family won its fifth consecutive award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Frasier tied for the most major wins overall with three, and most overall wins with five.
The Practice won Outstanding Drama Series. For the second straight year, medical drama ER came into the night as the most nominated program, but once again walked away empty handed, going 0/8 in major categories.
Ally McBeal became the first hour-long series to be nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series since Love, American Style in 1971.
This year saw the Emmys move to a new venue, the Shrine Auditorium, marking the return of the award ceremony to Los Angeles for the first time since the 1976 Emmy Awards, following a 20-year residency at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium outside L.A. in Pasadena. The Shrine had hosted the 70th Academy Awards the previous march; the Oscars tied with Frasier with five overall awards, including two major awards.
As of the 2023 Emmy Awards ceremony, this is the last year where all the nominees for Outstanding Drama Series were from the broadcast networks.

Winners and nominees

Programs

Frasier * 3rd Rock from the Sun * Ally McBeal * The Larry Sanders Show * Seinfeld	The Practice * ER * Law & Order * NYPD Blue * The X-Files
Late Show with David Letterman * Dennis Miller Live * Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher * The [Tonight Show with Jay Leno] * Tracey Takes On...	The 1997 Tony Awards * The 70th Annual Academy Awards * Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope * Cinderella * Garth: Live from Central Park
Don King: Only in America * 12 Angry Men * A Bright Shining Lie * Gia * What [the Deaf Man Heard]	From the Earth [to the Moon (miniseries)\|From the Earth to the Moon] * George Wallace * Merlin * Moby Dick * Tales of the City (1993 miniseries)#More [Tales of the City (1998)\|More Tales of the City]

Most major nominations

Program	Category	Network	No. of Nominations
ER	Drama	NBC	8
NYPD Blue	Drama	ABC	8
The Larry Sanders Show	Comedy	HBO	7
Merlin	Miniseries	NBC	6
12 Angry Men	Movie	Showtime	5
Ally McBeal	Comedy	Fox	5
Frasier	Comedy	NBC	5
George Wallace	Miniseries	TNT	5
The X-Files	Drama	Fox	5
3rd Rock from the Sun	Comedy	NBC	4
Don King: Only in America	Movie	HBO	4
The 70th Annual Academy Awards	Variety	ABC	3
Chicago Hope	Drama	CBS	3
From the Earth to the Moon	Miniseries	HBO	3
Garth: Live from Central Park	Variety	HBO	3
Gia	Movie	HBO	3
Late Show with David Letterman	Variety	CBS	3
Moby Dick	Miniseries	USA	3
More Tales of the City	Miniseries	Showtime	3
The Practice	Drama	ABC	3
Seinfeld	Comedy	NBC	3
Tracey Takes On...	Variety	HBO	3
Cinderella	Variety	ABC	2
Dennis Miller Live	Variety	HBO	2
Dharma & Greg	Comedy	ABC	2
Ellen	Comedy	ABC	2
Homicide: Life on the Street	Drama	NBC	2
Law & Order	Drama	NBC	2
Mad About You	Comedy	NBC	2
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno	Variety	NBC	2
Touched by an Angel	Drama	CBS	2
What the Deaf Man Heard	Movie	CBS	2

Most major awards

Program	Category	Network	No. of Awards
Frasier	Comedy	NBC	3
George Wallace	Miniseries	TNT	3
NYPD Blue	Drama	ABC	3
The 70th Annual Academy Awards	Variety	ABC	2
Don King: Only in America	Movie	HBO	2
The Larry Sanders Show	Comedy	HBO	2
The Practice	Drama	ABC	2

;Notes

In Memoriam

Patrick Stewart presented a clip tribute to the TV actors who had died: Red Skelton, Shari Lewis, Lloyd Bridges, Roy Rogers, singer John Denver, Robert Young, dancer Jerome Robbins, sports narrator Harry Caray, Frank Sinatra, singer Buffalo Bob, E. G. Marshall, J. T. Walsh, Sonny Bono, Phil Hartman, and Chris Farley. As an interesting note, Gary Sinise won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his portrayal of George Wallace on the day that the latter died.