Winners and nominees
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
| ‡ | Indicates the winner |
| Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | |
| First awarded | 1974 |
| Currently held by | Thorsten Kaye, The Bold and the Beautiful (2023) |
| Most awards | Anthony Geary, (8) |
| Most nominations | Peter Bergman, (23) |
| Website | theemmys.tv/daytime/ |
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor 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 in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the daytime drama industry.
The 1st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was held in 1974 with Macdonald Carey receiving the award for his portrayal of Tom Horton on Days of Our Lives . [1] The award has undergone several name changes, originally honoring actors in leading and supporting roles. Following the introduction of a new category in 1979, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, the award's name was altered to Outstanding Actor 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 lack of integrity. [3] [4] In 1985, another category was introduced, Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series, one criterion for this category was altered, requiring all actors to be age 26 or younger. [5]
Since its inception, the award has been given to 26 actors. General Hospital has the most awarded actors in this category with a total of twelve wins. In 1979, Al Freeman, Jr. became the first African-American to have garnered the award, winning for his role as Ed Hall on One Life to Live . In 2008, Anthony Geary became the actor with the most wins in the category when he won for a sixth time, surpassing David Canary's previous record. Geary went on to win again in 2012 and 2015, thus far winning on eight occasions. Peter Bergman has been nominated on 23 occasions, more than any other actor. As of the 2023 ceremony, Thorsten Kaye is the most recent winner in this category for his portrayal of Ridge Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful .
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
| ‡ | Indicates the winner |
The following individuals received two or more wins in this category:
|  The following individuals received two or more nominations in this category:
|
| Wins | Program |
|---|---|
12 | General Hospital |
10 | The Young and the Restless |
6 | All My Children |
4 | As the World Turns |
| 3 | Another World |
| Days of our Lives | |
| Guiding Light | |
| The Bold and the Beautiful | |
| 2 | One Life to Live |
| Search for Tomorrow | |
| 1 | The Doctors |
| Santa Barbara |
Laura Wright is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Ally Rescott on Loving (1991–1995) and The City (1995–1997), Cassie Layne Winslow on Guiding Light (1997–2005) and Carly Corinthos (Spencer) on General Hospital (2005–present); the latter garnered her the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2011.
Peter Michael Bergman is an American actor best known for his portrayals on soap operas: as Cliff Warner on All My Children (1979–89) on ABC and as Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless (1989–present) on CBS.
Maura West DeFreitas is an American actress. She began her career in 1995 when she was cast Carly Tenney on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns; she remained with the soap until its series finale on September 17, 2010. West later went on to portray Diane Jenkins on The Young and the Restless from September 2010 to August 2011. In 2013, she was cast in the role of art dealer Ava Jerome on General Hospital. She has been nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning three of them for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Gregory Andrew Rikaart is an American actor. He is best known for playing Kevin Fisher on the television soap opera The Young and the Restless since 2003, and also playing Leo Stark on Days Of Our Lives.
Lisa de Cazotte was an American soap opera producer.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding 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 was first awarded at the 24th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1972, when the award was originally called Outstanding Achievement in a Daytime Drama for two years.
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.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting 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 supporting role while working within the daytime drama industry.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series was an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was given annually from 1985 to 2019 to honor a young actress below the age of 25, who had delivered an outstanding performance in a role while working within the daytime drama industry.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series was an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was given annually from 1985 to 2019 to honor a young actor below the age of 25, who had delivered an outstanding performance in a role while working within the daytime drama industry.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor 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 actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while working within the daytime drama industry.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 1st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1974, and it is given to honor the performances of the entire writing team participating in a form of a daytime drama.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host was an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was given to honor the outstanding work of a game show host who has appeared in at least 19% of total episodes for the calendar year.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS).
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show was an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was given in honor of a game show that features "contestants, either alone or as part of a team, who play a game involving answering questions or solving problems for money and/or prizes". Programs that have aired at least 15 original episodes for the calendar year are eligible to enter. In 2020, a category requirement has changed, lowering the number of required original episodes from fifteen to eight.
The 44th Daytime Emmy Awards, presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), "recognizes outstanding achievement in all fields of daytime television production and are presented to individuals and programs broadcast from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the 2016 calendar year". The ceremony took place on April 30, 2017 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, in Pasadena, California, and began at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST. The ceremony, livestreamed in the United States by Facebook Live and Periscope Producer, was executively produced by Michael Levitt, David Parks, and the Senior Vice President of the Daytime Emmy Awards, David Michaels. Actors and television hosts Mario Lopez and Sheryl Underwood hosted the ceremony for the first time.
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 7th Daytime Emmy Awards in 1980, and is given to honor an actor/actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a guest role while working within the daytime drama industry.