The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards brought together some of television’s most familiar faces, but the night’s results delivered several noteworthy moments across the daytime entertainment industry. From long-running soap opera victories to major recognition for newer productions, the 53rd annual ceremony celebrated performers and programmes representing different generations of television.
Held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on October 30, the ceremony also highlighted the changing landscape of daytime programming. While one established ABC drama continued an extraordinary awards streak, a relatively new CBS soap opera made an impressive first appearance among the winners. Several other familiar television names, including Sherri Shepherd, Ina Garten and Tracee Ellis Ross, also took home major honours.
General Hospital wins Outstanding Daytime Drama Series for the sixth consecutive year
The biggest drama-series victory of the evening went to General Hospital, which won Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, defeating Beyond the Gates, Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless.
The victory marked the ABC soap opera’s 19th overall win in the category and its sixth consecutive year receiving the honour. The achievement further extended the programme’s remarkable presence at the Daytime Emmys.
General Hospital also collected awards for Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series and Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program. Its acting recognition continued through Jeff Kober, who won Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series for portraying Cyrus Renault.
The results made General Hospital one of the ceremony’s central success stories, particularly as the programme continued its winning run against other established daytime dramas.
The wider 2026 Emmy season
The Daytime Emmys were one part of a larger 2026 awards season that also produced major television wins. See how Linda Cardellini’s DTF St. Louis Emmy win fits into the wider Emmy picture.
Tamara Tunie wins Outstanding Lead Actress for Beyond the Gates
One of the evening’s most significant acting victories belonged to Tamara Tunie, who received Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress for playing Anita Williams Dupree on CBS’s Beyond the Gates.
Tunie defeated Stacy Haiduk, Karla Mosley, Michelle Stafford and Heather Tom to secure the award.
Her victory was especially notable because Beyond the Gates was appearing at the Daytime Emmys during its first year of eligibility. The series debuted in 2025 and became the first new network soap opera since 1999, according to the Associated Press. It was also described by AP as the first network soap since Generations in the 1990s to feature a primarily Black cast.
Tunie’s win represented a return to daytime television after more than two decades away from regular work in the genre. She began her daytime career on As the World Turns in 1987 and left the CBS series in 2009, one year before the programme concluded its run.
Accepting the award, Tunie expressed her excitement and appreciation for returning to daytime television.
“My heart is so full right now. This is the best welcome back to daytime ever.”
She also acknowledged the Black actresses who helped create opportunities for performers who followed them.
“There is a host of Black actresses who paved the way for me, and I feel them as I stand here.”
Beyond the Gates ultimately secured four awards, with Tunie’s victory among its headline achievements.
Scott Clifton takes home lead actor award for The Bold and the Beautiful
The Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor award went to Scott Clifton for his portrayal of Liam Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Clifton defeated Eric Braeden, Steve Burton, Thorsten Kaye and Christian Jules LeBlanc.
The victory marked his second lead actor Daytime Emmy, following his 2017 win. He had also previously received awards in the younger actor and supporting actor categories.
According to the Associated Press, those earlier victories made Clifton the first male performer to win across all three Daytime Emmy acting classifications.
Reflecting on the recognition, Clifton said:
“I’m speechless. This means so much to me.”
He also explained that receiving recognition from fellow performers made the achievement particularly meaningful.
The Young and the Restless sweeps supporting acting categories
The Young and the Restless claimed both supporting drama acting awards, with Beth Maitland and Roger Howarth recognised for their performances.
Maitland won Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress for playing Traci Abbott. She originated the character in 1982 and has portrayed her on and off for decades. Her 2026 victory came many years after her first Daytime Emmy win.
Roger Howarth received the corresponding actor award for his portrayal of Matt Clark.
His latest recognition added another chapter to a daytime television career that previously earned him a 1994 Daytime Emmy in the younger actor category for playing Todd Manning on One Life to Live.
During her acceptance speech, Maitland reflected on the importance of daytime television and the opportunities it provides audiences to experience different emotions.
Addressing her fellow nominees and performers, she said:
“Every one of you a winner”
She also described daytime programming as a place where audiences can laugh, cry and celebrate.
Ambyr Michelle and Jeff Kober add more acting honours
Beyond the Gates received another acting award when Ambyr Michelle won Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series for playing Eva Thomas.
Michelle defeated Braedyn Bruner, Al Calderon, Alice Halsey, Giovanni Mazza and Arielle Prepetit.
The victory represented another early milestone for the CBS series during its first year of Emmy eligibility.
Meanwhile, Jeff Kober secured Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series for playing Cyrus Renault on General Hospital. He defeated Jasmine Burke, Eva LaRue, Christopher Sean and Ray Wise.
Together, the victories helped reinforce the presence of both General Hospital and Beyond the Gates across the drama acting categories.
Genie Francis receives the 2026 Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award
Another emotional highlight came when Genie Francis received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her long career in daytime television.
Francis began playing Laura on General Hospital in 1977, when she was just 14 years old. Over the decades, the character became one of the most recognisable in soap opera history.
The award was presented by her husband, actor and director Jonathan Frakes. Francis became emotional while watching a video presentation celebrating her career before taking the stage.
Her two children supported her during the ceremony as she continued recovering from a broken right ankle.
Looking back on her decades in the industry, Francis said:
“I know 50 years sounds like an awfully long time, but it doesn’t feel like it to me.”
She later added:
“I have had the most amazing ride and I am so grateful. I would do it all over again if I could.”
Her recognition connected the current generation of daytime television with the genre’s long-standing history.
Beyond the Gates makes an impressive first-year Emmy showing
Beyond the Gates emerged as one of the major stories of the 53rd Daytime Emmy Awards.
The CBS drama entered its first year of eligibility with 15 nominations and finished the ceremony with four wins, according to CBS.
Its victories included:
- Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress — Tamara Tunie.
- Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series — Ambyr Michelle.
- Outstanding Lighting Direction for a Daytime Program.
- Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program, shared in a tie with The Kelly Clarkson Show.
The results gave the relatively new soap recognition across both acting and technical production categories.
The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri Shepherd win major talk television awards
The Kelly Clarkson Show won Outstanding Daytime Talk Series, defeating 3rd Hour of TODAY, The Drew Barrymore Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna & Friends and The View.
The award arrived after the programme concluded its seven-season NBC run in August 2026, according to the Associated Press.
It also collected several production honours, including Outstanding Directing for a Daytime Studio Non-Fiction Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Daytime Program, Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design and one half of the tie for Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup.
Sherri Shepherd received Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host for Sherri. Her competitors included the hosting teams from The View and individual nominees Kelly Clarkson, Tamron Hall and Jennifer Hudson.
The victory followed Sherri’s conclusion after four seasons on Fox in May 2026.
AP reported that neither Shepherd nor Clarkson was present to accept the awards for their respective programmes.
Entertainment Tonight, Tracee Ellis Ross and Ina Garten among other winners
Entertainment Tonight won Outstanding Entertainment News Series, defeating Access Hollywood and Extra.
The victory contributed to CBS and CBS Media Ventures’ combined total of 10 Daytime Emmy wins. According to CBS, the tally included four awards for Beyond the Gates, three for The Young and the Restless, one for The Bold and the Beautiful, one for Entertainment Tonight and one for The Drew Barrymore Show.
In travel programming, Tracee Ellis Ross won Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program for Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross. The Roku programme defeated Expedition Unknown, Long Way Home, The Lovely Lemurs of Madagascar and Superskilled with Eva zu Beck.
Ross also thanked the countries featured in the programme, including Morocco, Mexico and Spain, during her acceptance remarks.
Ina Garten secured two culinary honours. She won Outstanding Culinary Host for Be My Guest with Ina Garten, which also received Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series. Her hosting competitors were Kardea Brown, Danielle Chang, Pati Jinich and Andrew Zimmern.
Giada De Laurentiis won Outstanding Daytime Personality — Non-Daily for Giada in My Kitchen, defeating Eva zu Beck, Joy Behar, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro, Derrick Campana, Keke Palmer and Joseph Rosendo.
The daily personality award went to Star Jones and Corey Jovan for Divorce Court, ahead of the presenting teams from Extra, Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood.
A Different Breed defeats With Love, Meghan in lifestyle category
A Different Breed won Outstanding Lifestyle Program, defeating George to the Rescue, With Love, Meghan, The Motherhood and The Wizard of Paws.
The programme also secured Outstanding Directing for a Daytime Non-Studio Non-Fiction Series and Outstanding Editing for a Daytime Non-Studio Program, both for its episode “The Season Begins”.
The result also meant that With Love, Meghan, the Netflix series associated with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, did not win the lifestyle category. The Associated Press reported that A Different Breed took the award.
Days of Our Lives also received an important production honour, winning Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series against General Hospital and The Young and the Restless.
Complete 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards winners list
The 53rd ceremony recognised achievements across numerous additional programming, writing and technical categories. The following results follow the official National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences winners report, including both ties and the regional-content category.
| Category | 2026 winner |
| Outstanding Daytime Drama Series | General Hospital — ABC |
| Lead Drama Actress | Tamara Tunie as Anita Williams Dupree — Beyond the Gates |
| Lead Drama Actor | Scott Clifton as Liam Spencer — The Bold and the Beautiful |
| Supporting Drama Actress | Beth Maitland as Traci Abbott — The Young and the Restless |
| Supporting Drama Actor | Roger Howarth as Matt Clark — The Young and the Restless |
| Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series | Ambyr Michelle as Eva Thomas — Beyond the Gates |
| Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series | Jeff Kober as Cyrus Renault — General Hospital |
| Outstanding Daytime Talk Series | The Kelly Clarkson Show |
| Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host | Sherri Shepherd — Sherri |
| Outstanding Entertainment News Series | Entertainment Tonight |
| Outstanding Lifestyle Program | A Different Breed |
| Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program | Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter |
| Outstanding Daytime Special | Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism |
| Outstanding Daytime Short Form Program | Glam Through The Ages |
| Culinary Instructional Series | Be My Guest with Ina Garten |
| Culinary Cultural Series | Lucky Chow |
| Legal/Courtroom Series | Justice For The People with Judge Milian |
| Travel and Adventure Program | Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross |
| Instructional/How-To Program | Home Town Takeover |
| Outstanding Culinary Host | Ina Garten — Be My Guest with Ina Garten |
| Daytime Personality — Daily | Star Jones and Corey Jovan — Divorce Court |
| Daytime Personality — Non-Daily | Giada De Laurentiis — Giada in My Kitchen |
| Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series | General Hospital |
| Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series — Tie | Expedition Unknown, “Searching for World War II’s Lost Hero”; This Old House, “Asheville Rebuilds” |
| Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series | Days of Our Lives |
| Directing for a Daytime Non-Studio Non-Fiction Series | A Different Breed, “The Season Begins” |
| Directing for a Daytime Studio Non-Fiction Series | The Kelly Clarkson Show, Episode 5033 |
| Music Direction and Composition | Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade |
| Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Studio Program | Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade |
| Cinematography or Camerawork | Long Way Home, “Lost in Lapland” |
| Editing for a Daytime Non-Studio Program | A Different Breed, “The Season Begins” |
| Editing for a Daytime Studio Program | Craft Roundtables, “Editors” |
| Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Prerecorded Daytime Program | Long Way Home, “Lost in Lapland” |
| Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Daytime Program | The Kelly Clarkson Show, Episode 5007 |
| Lighting Direction | Beyond the Gates, Episode 104 |
| Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design | The Kelly Clarkson Show, Episode 5033 |
| Costume Design/Styling | The Young and the Restless, Episode 13273 |
| Hairstyling and Makeup — Tie | Beyond the Gates, Episode 103; The Kelly Clarkson Show, Episode 5033 |
| Casting for a Daytime Program | General Hospital |
| Main Title and Graphic Design | The Drew Barrymore Show |
| Regional Content in a Daytime Genre | Requiem for Colour: A Journey through Lament and Joy |
The two ties were officially recognised in Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series and Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program.
Other notable programme victories included Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which won both Music Direction and Composition and Technical Direction and Video. Long Way Home, “Lost in Lapland,” received awards for Cinematography or Camerawork and Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Prerecorded Daytime Program.
Another major Emmy winners roundup
The Creative Arts Emmys also delivered notable victories for television and streaming productions before the wider awards season continued. Catch up with the Creative Arts Emmys night two winners roundup for another set of 2026 results.
What the 2026 Daytime Emmy results mean for daytime television
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards took place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The ceremony was streamed live for the second consecutive year after previously airing on CBS for five years.
Its results reflected the variety of television productions now recognised by the awards, covering daytime drama, talk shows, entertainment news, culinary programmes, travel, lifestyle, instructional content and specialised production disciplines.
For the drama category, General Hospital extended its winning streak to six consecutive years, while Beyond the Gates established itself as an early awards contender with four victories during its first year of eligibility.
The acting results also brought together performers at different stages of their daytime careers. Tamara Tunie’s return to the genre was rewarded, Scott Clifton added another major acting honour to his record, and Beth Maitland and Roger Howarth received recognition for performances connected to their decades-long daytime careers.
Meanwhile, The Kelly Clarkson Show and Sherri demonstrated that programmes can continue receiving major awards after their television runs have ended.
Ultimately, the 2026 Daytime Emmys celebrated both the established history of daytime television and the arrival of newer productions. General Hospital’s continuing dominance, Beyond the Gates’ successful debut awards season, and Lifetime Achievement recognition for Genie Francis made the ceremony a significant occasion for the genre.
Source and research disclaimer: This article has been prepared following research of the sources provided, including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ official 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards winners report, Associated Press coverage, CBS/Paramount Press Express announcements, the official nominees information, TV Insider and Entertainment Weekly. The article reflects the information and award results available from these sources as of October 31, 2026, and does not imply independent verification beyond the material provided.
Sources
- National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: Official 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards winners report
- National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
- Associated Press: Scott Clifton and Tamara Tunie earn lead acting Daytime Emmys; General Hospital wins again
- CBS/Paramount Press Express: CBS leads with 10 wins at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
- National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards nominees
- TV Insider: Daytime Emmys 2026: The Complete Winners List
- Entertainment Weekly: 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards: Complete list of winners
Featured Image Credit: ABC / General Hospital
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