12th Primetime Emmy Awards

Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor

• The Art Carney Special (NBC)‡
  • The Danny Thomas Show (CBS)
  • Father Knows Best (CBS)
  • The Jack Benny Show (CBS)
  • The Red Skelton Show (CBS)

Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama

• Playhouse 90 (CBS)‡
  • DuPont Show of the Month (CBS)
  • The Moon and Sixpence (NBC)
  • Startime (NBC)
  • The Untouchables (ABC)

Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Variety

• The Fabulous Fifties (CBS)‡
  • Another Evening with Fred Astaire (NBC)
  • The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (NBC)
  • The Garry Moore Show (CBS)
  • The Revlon Revue (CBS)

Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming

• The Huckleberry Hound Show (Syndicated)‡
  • Captain Kangaroo (CBS)
  • Lassie (CBS)
  • Mr. Wizard (NBC)
  • Quick Draw McGraw (Syndicated)

Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Public Affairs and Education

• The Twentieth Century (CBS)‡
  • CBS Reports (CBS)
  • Meet the Press (NBC)
  • Small World (CBS)
  • The VIII Olympic Winter Games (CBS)

Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of News

• The Huntley–Brinkley Report (NBC)‡
  • Chet Huntley Reporting (NBC)
  • Douglas Edwards with the News (CBS)
  • Journey to Understanding (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead or Support)

• Robert Stack – The UntouchablesasEliot Ness (ABC)‡
  • Richard Boone – Have Gun — Will Travel as Paladin (CBS)
  • Raymond Burr – Perry MasonasPerry Mason (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead or Support)

• Jane Wyatt – Father Knows Best as Margaret Anderson (CBS)‡
  • Donna Reed – The Donna Reed Show as Donna Stone (ABC)
  • Loretta Young – The Loretta Young Show as herself (NBC)

Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor (Lead or Support)

• Laurence Olivier – The Moon and Sixpence as Charles Strickland (NBC)‡
  • Lee J. Cobb – Playhouse 90: "Project Immortality" as Dr. Lawrence Doner (CBS)
  • Alec Guinness – Startime: "The Wicked Scheme of Jebal Deeks" as Jebal Deeks (NBC)

Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress (Lead or Support)

• Ingrid Bergman – Startime: "The Turn of the Screw" as the Governess (NBC)‡
  • Julie Harris – DuPont Show of the Month: "Ethan Frome" as Mattie Silver (CBS)
  • Teresa Wright – NBC Sunday Showcase: "The Margaret Bourke-White Story" as Margaret Bourke-White (NBC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy

• The Jack Benny Show – Ralph Levy and Bud Yorkin (CBS)‡
  • The Danny Thomas Show – Sheldon Leonard (CBS)
  • The Red Skelton Show – Seymour Berns (CBS)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama

• The Moon and Sixpence – Robert Mulligan (NBC)‡
  • Desilu Playhouse: "The Untouchables" – Phil Karlson (CBS)
  • Startime: "The Turn of the Screw" – John Frankenheimer (NBC)

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy

• The Jack Benny Show – George Balzer, Hal Goldman, Sam Perrin and Al Gordon (CBS)‡
  • The Ballad of Louie the Louse – Nat Hiken (CBS)
  • Father Knows Best – Dorothy Cooper and Roswell Rogers (CBS)

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama

• The Twilight Zone – Rod Serling (CBS)‡
  • Playhouse 90: "Project Immortality" – Loring Mandel (CBS)
  • Startime: "The Turn of the Screw" – James Costigan (NBC)

Outstanding Writing Achievement in the Documentary Field

• CBS Reports: "The Population Explosion" – Howard K. Smith and Av Westin (CBS)‡
  • Project XX: "Life in the Thirties" – Richard Hanser (NBC)
  • The Twentieth Century: "From Kaiser to Fuehrer" – James Benjamin (CBS)