10 Daytime Emmy Records: Who’s Taken Home the Prize the Most?
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees for the 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards last week, with General Hospital leading the pack with 19 nominations.
And General Hospital and its stars also rank among the Daytime Emmy record holders we’re honoring below. Take a look at the all-time leaders in some of the Daytime Emmys’ most competitive categories below, and tune in for this year’s show on CBS on June 16.
50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Friday, June 16, 9/8c, CBS and Paramount+
Outstanding Drama Series
Not only is General Hospital the most-nominated show of the 2023 Daytime Emmys, it’s also the record-holder in this category, with 15 wins, including back-to-back trophies in 2021 and 2022.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Anthony Geary broke the record in 2008, then widened his lead with wins in 2012 and 2015. He now has eight Emmys for playing Luke Spencer on General Hospital.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Similarly, Erika Slezak broke this category’s record in 1995 and then added two more wins — in 1996 and 2005 — for her role as Victoria Lord in One Life to Live.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Justin Deas has won this category four times for three roles: Tom Hughes on As the World Turns, Keith Timmons on Santa Barbara, and Buzz Cooper on Guiding Light.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
There’s a five-way tie in this category, with Julia Barr (All My Children), Tamara Braun (Days of Our Lives, GH), Nancy Lee Grahn (Santa Barbara, GH), Amelia Heinle (The Young and the Restless), and Gina Tognoni (Guiding Light) all two-time winners. Grahn, pictured here, is the most-nominated of the batch, with five nods.
Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series
And there’s a four-way tie here, with Jennifer Finnigan (The Bold and the Beautiful), Jonathan Jackson(GH), Jennifer Landon (ATWT), and Chandler Massey (Days) all winning three times while the category was still divided by gender. Jackson, pictured here, is the most-nominated of those four actors, though, with six nominations.
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show won this category 12 times during its 19-season run, including four consecutive wins for its first four years on television.
Outstanding Talk Show Host
Phil Donahue (pictured here) won this category with his self-named talk show seven times between 1977 and 1988, and Oprah Winfrey won with her self-named talk show the same number of times between 1987 and 1998.
Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program
The People’s Court has won this award four times, having broken a three-way tie with Judge Judy and Cristina’s Court with its 2021 win.
Outstanding Culinary Program
Ina Garten has gotten competition from Giada de Laurentiis in this category, but Barefoot Contessa is nevertheless the record-holder with 3 wins.
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