Awards season is heating up once again, and the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards are officially in the spotlight.
This year’s nominations showcase another competitive race across daytime television, with long-running favorites, breakout newcomers and beloved talk shows all earning recognition ahead of the 53rd annual ceremony.
Leading the pack is The Young and the Restless, which scored an impressive 18 nominations, reaffirming its status as one of daytime television’s most decorated franchises.
Close behind is CBS newcomer Beyond the Gates, which earned 16 nominations in a remarkable showing for its first awards season. The strong performance signals how quickly the series has established itself among viewers and industry voters alike.
Another perennial favorite, General Hospital, collected 13 nominations after dominating last year’s ceremony. In 2025, the long-running ABC drama took home seven awards, including Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, making it one of the biggest winners of the night.
Meanwhile, Days of Our Lives continues its enduring awards presence with eight nominations, proving once again that the legendary soap remains a major force decades after its debut.
Daytime television’s talk-show landscape also had a strong showing.
The Kelly Clarkson Show picked up 11 nominations, with Clarkson herself once again recognized for her work as host. Since launching her daytime program, Clarkson has become one of the format’s biggest success stories, consistently blending celebrity interviews, music and heartfelt conversations that resonate with audiences.
Over at The View, several familiar faces earned multiple nominations.
Veteran moderator Joy Behar, now the longest-serving host in the program’s history, received two nominations for her work on both The View and The Weekend View.
Her fellow co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro also earned two nominations apiece as the iconic daytime panel prepares to celebrate its milestone 30th season.
This year’s nominations arrive during a period of continued evolution for daytime television.
While soaps remain the backbone of the category, streaming platforms, syndicated programming and digital viewing habits continue reshaping how audiences consume daytime content. Even so, familiar institutions continue proving their staying power, with many of television’s longest-running series remaining among the Academy’s biggest favorites.
The ceremony itself is scheduled for October 30 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
A host has not yet been announced, though Mario Lopez emceed last year’s event, guiding viewers through a ceremony that celebrated both industry veterans and rising stars.
As always, nominations represent just one chapter of the story.
Campaigns are expected to intensify over the coming months as networks and studios rally support for their biggest contenders. For performers, writers, directors and production teams, the Daytime Emmys remain one of the industry’s highest honors, recognizing work that reaches millions of viewers every weekday.
With powerhouse soaps, popular talk shows and newer series all competing across the ballot, this year’s race already looks poised to deliver several closely watched categories when the winners are finally revealed this fall.
Outstanding daytime drama series
“Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
“Days of Our Lives” (Peacock)
“General Hospital” (ABC)
“The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Outstanding daytime talk series
“3rd Hour of TODAY” (NBC)
“The Drew Barrymore Show” (CBS Media Ventures)
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” (NBCUniversal Syndication Studios)
“Live with Kelly and Mark” (Disney Entertainment Distribution)
“TODAY with Jenna & Friends” (NBC)
“The View” (ABC)
Outstanding entertainment news series
“Access Hollywood” (NBCUniversal Syndication Studios)
“Entertainment Tonight” (CBS Media Ventures)
“Extra” (Warner Bros. Television)
Outstanding culinary instructional series
“Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen” (Outdoor Channel)
“Be My Guest with Ina Garten” (Food Network)
“Delicious Miss Brown” (Food Network)
“Magnolia Table: At The Farm” (Magnolia Network)
“Pati’s Mexican Table” (PBS)
Outstanding culinary cultural series
“America The Bountiful” (PBS)
“Best Ever Food Review Show” (Best Ever Food Review Show on YouTube)
“Fork & Hammer” (American Public Television )
“Lucky Chow” (PBS)
“Savor The City” (TV-One)
Outstanding legal/courtroom series
“Caught in Providence” (Debmar-Mercury)
“Divorce Court” (FOX)
“Justice For The People with Judge Milian” (Entertainment Studios)
“Mathis Court with Judge Mathis” (Entertainment Studios)
Outstanding lifestyle program
“A Different Breed” (InkBlot Narratives)
“George to the Rescue” (NBC)
“With Love, Meghan” (Netflix)
“The Motherhood” (Hallmark Channel | Hallmark+)
“The Wizard of Paws” (BYUtv)
Outstanding daytime special
“Critics Choice 2nd Annual Celebration of LBGTQ+ Cinema & Television” (Here TV)
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” (ABC)
“Living Proof” (Hulu)
“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” (NBC, Peacock)
“Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism” (Hulu)
Outstanding lead actress in a daytime drama series
Stacy Haiduk, “Days of Our Lives” (Peacock)
Karla Mosley, “Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
Michelle Stafford, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Heather Tom, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Tamara Tunie, “Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
Outstanding lead actor in a daytime drama series
Eric Braeden, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Steve Burton, “General Hospital” (ABC)
Scott Clifton, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Thorsten Kaye, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Christian Jules Le Blanc, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Outstanding supporting actress in a daytime drama series
Linsey Godfrey, “Days of Our Lives” (Peacock)
Camryn Grimes, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Beth Maitland, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Trisha Mann-Grant, “Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
Amanda Setton, “General Hospital” (ABC)
Outstanding supporting actor in a daytime drama series
Sean Dominic, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Timon Kyle Durrett, “Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
Michael Graziadei, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Roger Howarth, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Mike Manning, “Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
Lawrence Saint-Victor, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Outstanding emerging talent in a daytime drama series
Braedyn Bruner, “General Hospital” (ABC)
Al Calderon, “Days of Our Lives” (Peacock)
Alice Halsey, “Days of Our Lives” (Peacock)
Giovanni Mazza, “General Hospital” (ABC)
Ambyr Michelle, “Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
Arielle Prepetit, “Beyond the Gates” (CBS)
Outstanding daytime talk series host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, “The View” (ABC)
Kelly Clarkson, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (NBCUniversal Syndication Studios)
Tamron Hall, “Tamron Hall” (Disney Entertainment Distribution)
Jennifer Hudson, “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Warner Bros. Television)
Sherri Shepherd, “Sherri” (Debmar-Mercury)
Outstanding daytime personality (daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, “Extra” (Warner Bros. Television)
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, “Entertainment Tonight” (CBS Media Ventures)
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, “Access Hollywood” (NBCUniversal Syndication Studios)
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, “Divorce Court” (FOX)
Outstanding daytime personality (non-daily)
Joy Behar, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, “The Weekend View” (ABC News Live)
Derrick Campana, “The Wizard of Paws” (BYUtv)
Giada De Laurentiis, “Giada in My Kitchen” (Prime Video)
Keke Palmer, “Glam Through The Ages” (KeyTV Network)
Joseph Rosendo, “Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out” (PBS)
Eva zu Beck, “Superskilled with Eva zu Beck” (National Geographic)
