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Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Annual acting award From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
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For the Primetime Emmy Awards, see Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given to honor an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the daytime drama industry.

Quick Facts for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Awarded for ...
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The 1st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was held in 1974, with Elizabeth Hubbard receiving the award for her role as Althea Davis on The Doctors.[1] The award has undergone several name changes, originally honoring actresses in leading and supporting roles. Following the introduction of a new category in 1979, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, the award's name was altered to Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, before changing once again, to its current title, years later.[1][2] The awards ceremony was not aired on television in 1983 and 1984, having been criticized for voting integrity.[3][4] In 1985, another category was introduced: Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series; one criterion for this category was altered, requiring all actresses to be aged 26 or above.[5]

Since its inception, the award has been given to 28 actresses. One Life to Live is the show with the most awarded actresses, with a total of eleven, including Erika Slezak and her record six wins. Susan Flannery and Kim Zimmer have since received four wins each. Susan Lucci has one win from 21 nominations – the most nominations of any actress in the category. For her portrayal of Amanda Sinclair on The Young and the Restless, Mishael Morgan made Daytime Emmy history by winning the award in 2022, making her the first Black actress to receive this honor. This milestone follows Debbi Morgan's nomination in 2009, where she became the first Black woman nominated in the category. As of the 2024 ceremony, Michelle Stafford is the most recent winner in this category, for her portrayal of Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless.

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Winners and nominees

Table key
‡ Indicates the winner
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Elizabeth Hubbard was the first winner, for her role as Althea Davis on The Doctors. She was then later nominated eight times for her role as Lucinda Walsh on As the World Turns.
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Susan Flannery won in 1975 for her role as Laura Horton on Days of Our Lives. She later received three wins, from nine nominations, for her role as Stephanie Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful.
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Susan Seaforth Hayes has been nominated four times for her role as Julie Olson Williams on Days of Our Lives.
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Helen Gallagher was nominated five times, and won three times, for her role as Maeve Ryan on Ryan's Hope.
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Judith Light won in 1980 and 1981 for her role as Karen Wolek on One Life to Live.
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Leslie Charleson has been nominated four times for her role as Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital.
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Robin Strasser was nominated four times, and won in 1982, for her role as Dorian Cramer on One Life to Live.
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Erika Slezak (left) has received the most wins, for her role as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.
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Peggy McCay has been nominated three times for her role as Caroline Brady on Days of Our Lives.
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Genie Francis received two nominations (1997 and 2021) for her role as Laura Spencer on General Hospital.
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Finola Hughes has been nominated four times, and won in 1991, for her work on General Hospital. She was later nominated twice again, for her work on All My Children.
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Julia Barr has been nominated six times for her role as Brooke English on All My Children.
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Cynthia Watros won in 1998, for her role as Annie Dutton on Guiding Light.
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Nancy Lee Grahn has been nominated six times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2017, 2018, and 2021) for her role as Alexis Davis on General Hospital.
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Michelle Stafford was nominated eight times, and won in 2004, for her role as Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless.
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Crystal Chappell was nominated three times for her role as Olivia Spencer on Guiding Light. She was later nominated once again for her role as Carly Manning in 2012 on Days of Our Lives.
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Jeanne Cooper has been nominated nine times, and won in 2008, for her role as Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless.
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Susan Haskell won in 2009 for her role as Marty Saybrooke on One Life to Live.
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Maura West (left) won twice, from five nominations, for her role as Carly Tenney on As the World Turns. She was nominated five times, and won in 2015, for her role as Ava Jerome on General Hospital
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Laura Wright won once in 2011, and has been nominated a total of six times, for her role as Carly Corinthos Jacks on General Hospital.
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Heather Tom won three (2012, 2013, and 2020) out of her five nominations for her role as Katie Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful.
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Eileen Davidson was nominated in 1998, and won in 2014, for her role on Days of Our Lives. She was also nominated in 2003, and won in 2018, for her role on The Young and the Restless.
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Jacqueline MacInnes Wood won in 2019, 2021 and 2023 for her role as Steffy Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful.
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Mishael Morgan won in 2022 for her role as Amanda Sinclair on The Young and the Restless, becoming the first Black Woman to win in the category.

1970s

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2020s

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Multiple wins and nominations

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Series with most awards

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References

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