Daytime TV’s biggest night is almost here. But who will take home coveted statuettes?
The 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards take place at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Friday night, and several historic records and milestones are on the line, including these:
- Beyond the Gates could become the only soap opera to win Best Daytime Drama Series for its first year;
- General Hospital could extend its own series winning streak to six in a row and 19 overall;
- Heather Tom could end her tie with Erika Slezak and become the first woman to win seven trophies;
- Tamara Tunie could become only the second Black woman to win Best Lead Actress, following Mishael Morgan in 2022;
- Kelly Clarkson could win her ninth and 10th career Emmys for producing and hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show.
According to the Gold Derby data, Beyond the Gates will have a blessed evening as it’s the front-runner to win five major categories: Best Daytime Drama Series, Best Lead Actress for Tunie, Best Supporting Actress for Trisha Mann-Grant, Best Guest Performer for Jasmine Burke, and Best Writing Team. Notably, the first-year show is not nominated for Best Drama Team, and that could end up spelling trouble; it has been 16 years since a soap won the series race without a corresponding directing bid.
General Hospital is the runner-up in Best Daytime Drama Series and is the leader in two categories: Best Emerging Talent for Giovanni Mazza and Best Directing Team.
The Young and the Restless, which leads this year’s nominations with 18, is out front to win a pair of acting prizes: Best Lead Actor for Eric Braeden and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Dominic.
Finally, The Kelly Clarkson Show and its bird-loving host are en route to the winner’s circle after being bested last year by Live With Kelly and Mark for Best Daytime Talk Series and Drew Barrymore for Best Talk Series Host. Even though Clarkson’s chat show has left the airwaves, this is not its last time competing since the 2026 episodes are still eligible at next year’s kudos.
Our final odds are based on the combined predictions of our experts, editors, and users. Make or update your picks right now. Here are the projected winners in 11 major categories:
Best Drama Series
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Young and the Restless
Best Drama Actor
1.
Eric Braeden
The Young and the Restless
2.
Steve Burton
General Hospital
3.
Scott Clifton
The Bold and the Beautiful
4.
Thorsten Kaye
The Bold and the Beautiful
5.
Christian Jules LeBlanc
The Young and the Restless
Best Drama Actress
1.
Tamara Tunie
Beyond the Gates
2.
Karla Mosley
Beyond the Gates
3.
Stacy Haiduk
Days of Our Lives
4.
Heather Tom
The Bold and the Beautiful
5.
Michelle Stafford
The Young and the Restless
Best Drama Supporting Actor
1.
Sean Dominic
The Young and the Restless
2.
Timon Kyle Durrett
Beyond the Gates
3.
Michael Graziadei
The Young and the Restless
4.
Roger Howarth
The Young and the Restless
5.
Mike Manning
Beyond the Gates
6.
Lawrence Saint-Victor
The Bold and the Beautiful
Best Drama Supporting Actress
1.
Trisha Mann-Grant
Beyond the Gates
2.
Amanda Setton
General Hospital
3.
Beth Maitland
The Young and the Restless
4.
Camryn Grimes
The Young and the Restless
5.
Linsey Godfrey
Days of Our Lives
Best Emerging Talent
1.
Giovanni Mazza
General Hospital
2.
Ambyr Michelle
Beyond the Gates
3.
Braedyn Bruner
General Hospital
4.
Al Calderon
Days of Our Lives
5.
Alice Halsey
Days of Our Lives
6.
Arielle Prepetit
Beyond the Gates
Best Drama Guest Performer
1.
Jasmine Burke
Beyond the Gates
2.
Jeff Kober
General Hospital
3.
Eva LaRue
General Hospital
4.
Ray Wise
The Young and the Restless
5.
Christopher Sean
Days of Our Lives
Best Drama Writing Team
1.
2.
3.
The Bold and the Beautiful
4.
Best Drama Directing Team
1.
2.
The Young and the Restless
3.
Best Daytime Talk Series
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Today with Jenna and Friends
Genie Francis will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award to celebrate her soon-to-be 50th anniversary playing Laura Spencer on General Hospital. Additional special honorees include Meredith Vieira, Byron Allen, Patrika Darbo, Francesca James, Stephen Brown, and Rubin Ervin.
Find out who wins at the 2026 Daytime Emmys when the ceremony streams live through the Emmys app or on the official NATAS website on Friday.
