Awards for the Teen Dramas

The teen dramas aren’t known for winning Emmys, but with the 74th annual Emmy Awards taking place tonight, I wanted to highlight some of the honors our favorite shows have won.

Sure, Teen Choice awards aren’t the most prestigious trophy (or surfboard, as the case may be), but you may be surprised to learn some of the notable recognition the core teen dramas have received.

This list isn’t by any means exhaustive, but it makes clear where these series have received attention... and where they haven’t. 

Beverly Hills, 90210

Notable Wins

• People’s Choice Awards: Favorite TV Series Among Young People, 1992

• Young Artist Awards: Outstanding / Favorite Young Ensemble Cast in a Television Series, 1992 & 1993

  • Some cast members also won over the years!

• Kids’ Choice Awards: Favorite TV Show, 1993

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Top TV Series, 1995 & 1996

• BMI Film & TV Awards: BMI TV Music Award, 1996

• Online Film & Television Association: OFTA TV Hall of Fame, 2018

Notable Nominations

• Golden Globe Awards: Best TV Series Drama, 1992 & 1993

• Golden Globe Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series Drama (Jason Priestley), 1993 & 1995

• Emmy Awards: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Milton Berle), 1995

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Actress (Jennie Garth), 1999

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Throwback TV Show, 2019

---

Dawson’s Creek

Notable Wins

• GLAAD Media Awards: Outstanding TV Drama Series, 2000

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Show Drama, 1999 & 2000

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Actor (Joshua Jackson), 1999 / 2000 / 2001

Notable Nominations

• Television Critics Association Awards: Outstanding New Program, 1998

• Online Film & Television Association: Best New Drama Series, 1998

• Online Film & Television Association: Best New Theme Song in a Series, 1998

• YoungStar Awards: Best Young Actress in a Drama TV Series (Michelle Williams), 1998 & 1999

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Breakout Show, 1999

• TV Guide Awards: Favorite Teen Show, 2000

• ALMA Awards: Outstanding Director of a Drama Series (Gregory Prange), 2001

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Throwback TV Show, 2018

---

The O.C.

Notable Wins

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Breakout TV Show, 2004

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Show — Drama / Action Adventure, 2004 / 2005 / 2006

  • Some cast members also won over the years!

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Top TV Series, 2007 

Notable Nominations

• Television Critics Association Awards: Outstanding New Program, 2004

• Writers Guild of America Awards: Episodic Drama (Josh Schwartz), 2004

• People’s Choice Awards: Favorite TV Dramatic Series, 2005

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Throwback TV Show, 2017

---

One Tree Hill

Notable Wins

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Breakout TV Star — Male (Chad Michael Murray), 2004

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Actor — Drama (Chad Michael Murray), 2008

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Top TV Series, 2009

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Throwback TV Show, 2017

Notable Nominations

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Show — Drama / Action Adventure, 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2008

• NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series (Janice Cooke), 2006

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Throwback TV Show, 2018

---

Gossip Girl

Notable Wins

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Breakout Show, 2008

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Show Drama, 2008 / 2009 / 2010 / 2011

  • Some cast members also won over the years!

• Young Hollywood Awards: Breakthrough Performance Male (Ed Westwick), 2009

Notable Nominations

• People’s Choice Awards: Favorite New TV Drama, 2008

• Young Artist Awards: Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) — Leading Young Actress (Taylor Momsen), 2009

• Costume Designers Guild: Outstanding Costume Design for Television Series — Contemporary (Eric Daman), 2009

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Top TV Series, 2009

• Guild of Music Supervisors Awards: GMS Award (Alexandra Patsavas), 2011

• People’s Choice Awards: Favorite Network TV Drama, 2013

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Throwback TV Show (2018)

---

90210

Notable Wins

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Top TV Series, 2009 & 2010

• Young Hollywood Awards: Young Hollywood Sparkling Performance (Jessica Stroup), 2010

Notable Nominations

• People’s Choice Awards: Favorite New TV Drama, 2009

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Breakout Show, 2009

• Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Show Drama, 2009 & 2010

• ALMA Awards: Favorite TV Actor — Supporting Role (Tristan Wilds), 2011

---

I’ve written in past about the core teen dramas’ lone Emmy nomination for Milton Berle’s guest role on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” and about why the teen dramas aren’t taken seriously. While it’s great to see “Euphoria” getting recognition (it’s up for three Emmy nominations tonight, not including many noms for the Creative Arts Emmys, and won three in 2020), it’s a very different (read: adult) teen drama and on a prestige network.

Our traditional teen dramas have taken home or been nominated for some other honors, like the Environmental Media Association Awards, Imagen Awards, Satellite Awards, and a ton of PRISM Awards, and I have no doubt they were and are meaningful. But for the awards that the television industry, and Hollywood at large, holds in particularly high regard, the teen dramas have always been conspicuously absent.

It’s a shame, and no one knows that better than us — the TeenDramaWhores who have watched every single episode again and again and know how the performances and storylines compare to the many shows that have received awards attention. If only the core teen dramas really got their due.