Daytime Emmy Exec Explains New Acting Category That Could Have Your Favorite Newcomer Taking Home the Gold

Michael Maloney February 14, 2025, 2:25 pm

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eden mccoy and nicholas chavez at the daytime emmy awards — Getty Images

The Daytime Emmys both taketh and giveth. While the Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series category was retired in 2023, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences now is implementing a new category that will allow not only younger performers but also actors in their first major daytime roles take home a golden statuette when the awards are handed out in October.

TV Insider spoke exclusively with Rachel Schwartz, Head of Daytime and Children & Family Emmy® Awards to get the scoop.

How did the new Daytime Emmy category come about – Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series? It sounds exciting.

Rachel Schwartz: Absolutely, and I’m glad to hear that you’re excited about this new category because we are also excited about this new category. Last year, we unfortunately had to make the decision to get rid of the younger performer category. There just were not enough entries to consider it a viable category any longer. But it was never really our desire to remove a chance for some of the amazing on-screen talent in daytime to receive an Emmy.

So, this is going to be a new category specifically for people who are on their first daytime contract, so there is not necessarily an age parameter with it. Although, I do imagine that some of the people that enter into the category will be on the younger end of the spectrum.

How many times can a performer enter this category?

There will be a limitation that you can enter the category for the first 2 years that you are on the program, and then at that point you’re no longer going to be considered “emerging,” and you also, if you win the category, then you can no longer enter it as well.

What inspired this new category?

One of the inspirations for the category was actually a couple of months ago, the passing of Helen Gallagher, who, of course, was a three-time Daytime Emmy-winner for her role as Maeve Ryan on Ryan’s Hope. Before she started there, Helen was already a two-time Tony Award winner and was well-known to New York theater audiences. She then transitioned to becoming a very well-known, well-respected daytime performer.

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Do contenders have to be contract? Shows have used performers in front burner stories with actors who may not be on contract for economic reasons.

You need to have a speaking role and you need to have at least one continuous story arc in order to be eligible for this new category.

How recently – or how far back — can a performer have joined a show to be eligible?

They can be on the show for up to two years and also enter the category for those two years – unless they win. Then, they will be, of course, still eligible to enter the lead or supporting categories if they remain on their program.

Any update on a broadcast partner?

Not right now. Our contract with CBS expired last year. Switching the Daytime Emmys to October was mainly driven by our desire to move other Emmy awards – news and documentary – to earlier in the year.