The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series is awarded to one television series each year. Prior to 2016, specials and series competed together. Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special now separately recognizes specials.
In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place.
Winners and nominations
1970s
Outstanding Art Direction for a Single Episode of a Comedy-Variety or Music Series or a Comedy-Variety or Music Special
Outstanding Art Direction for a Comedy-Variety or Music Series
1980s
Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program
1990s
2000s
Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety, Music Program or Special
Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Programming
2010s
Outstanding Production Design For Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Programming
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Series
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Reality-Competition Series
2020s
Programs with multiple wins
6 wins
Saturday Night Live
2 wins
Cher
Portlandia
Programs with multiple nominations
Totals include nominations for Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series.
18 nominations
Saturday Night Live
9 nominations
MADtv
8 nominations
The Carol Burnett Show
The Voice
5 nominations
American Idol
Hell's Kitchen
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Tracey Takes On...