:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Tracee-Ellis-Ross-Tamara-Tunie-Sherri-Shepher486-10302026-b4dbfc869a634fc39d178be957ef102e.jpg "Who Won the Daytime Emmy Awards 2026? Complete Winners List and Major Highlights")
The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards celebrated the best in daytime television as General Hospital won Outstanding Daytime Drama Series for the sixth consecutive year. Beyond the Gates also delivered a strong performance, collecting four awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress for Tamara Tunie. The Kelly Clarkson Show secured four trophies, while several established soap opera stars received major acting honors.
The 53rd annual ceremony took place on October 30 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The event was streamed live through the official Emmys platforms and YouTube, bringing together stars from daytime dramas, talk shows, lifestyle programmes and entertainment news.
General Hospital Wins Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
General Hospital secured the night’s top drama award, continuing its successful run at the Daytime Emmys. The long-running ABC series also received recognition for its writing and casting.
Beyond the Gates, which entered the competition with 15 nominations, earned four awards during its first year of eligibility.
Tamara Tunie won Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance as Anita Dupree, while Scott Clifton received Outstanding Lead Actor for playing Liam Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Beth Maitland and Roger Howarth won the supporting acting categories for their performances on The Young and the Restless.
Daytime Emmy Awards 2026: Complete Winners List
Daytime Drama and Acting Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Daytime Drama Series | General Hospital |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series | Tamara Tunie, Beyond the Gates |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | Scott Clifton, The Bold and the Beautiful |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series | Beth Maitland, The Young and the Restless |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series | Roger Howarth, The Young and the Restless |
| Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series | Ambyr Michelle, Beyond the Gates |
| Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series | Jeff Kober, General Hospital |
| Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series | General Hospital |
| Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program | General Hospital |
Talk Shows and Entertainment Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Daytime Talk Series | The Kelly Clarkson Show |
| Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host | Sherri Shepherd, Sherri |
| Outstanding Entertainment News Series | Entertainment Tonight |
| Outstanding Daytime Personality, Non-Daily | Giada De Laurentiis, Giada in My Kitchen |
Lifestyle, Culinary and Special Programming Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series | Be My Guest With Ina Garten |
| Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series | Lucky Chow |
| Outstanding Culinary Host | Ina Garten, Be My Guest With Ina Garten |
| Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Series | Justice for the People With Judge Milian |
| Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program | Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross |
| Outstanding Instructional/How-To Program | Home Town Takeover |
| Outstanding Lifestyle Program | A Different Breed |
| Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program | Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter |
| Outstanding Daytime Special | Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism |
| Outstanding Daytime Short Form Program | Glam Through the Ages |
Writing and Technical Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series | Expedition Unknown and This Old House (Tie) |
| Outstanding Editing for a Daytime Studio Program | Craft Roundtables |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Prerecorded Daytime Program | Long Way Home |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Daytime Program | The Kelly Clarkson Show |
| Outstanding Lighting Direction for a Daytime Program | Beyond the Gates |
| Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design | The Kelly Clarkson Show |
| Outstanding Costume Design/Styling | The Young and the Restless |
| Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup | Beyond the Gates and The Kelly Clarkson Show (Tie) |
| Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design | The Drew Barrymore Show |
Additional Winners in Directing and Production
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Daytime Personality, Daily | Star Jones and Corey Jovan, Divorce Court |
| Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series | Days of Our Lives |
| Outstanding Directing for a Daytime Non-Studio Non-Fiction Series | A Different Breed |
| Outstanding Directing for a Daytime Studio Non-Fiction Series | The Kelly Clarkson Show |
| Outstanding Music Direction and Composition | Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade |
| Outstanding Technical Direction and Video | Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade |
| Outstanding Cinematography or Camerawork | Long Way Home |
| Outstanding Editing for a Daytime Non-Studio Program | A Different Breed |
| Outstanding Regional Content in a Daytime Genre | Requiem for Colour: A Journey through Lament and Joy |
The Kelly Clarkson Show Wins Five Awards
The Kelly Clarkson Show emerged as the most-awarded programme of the ceremony, winning five Daytime Emmys. Its victories included Outstanding Daytime Talk Series, directing, sound mixing and art direction.
The programme concluded its run earlier in 2026. Its five additional awards brought its total Daytime Emmy wins to 29.
Sherri Shepherd received Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host for Sherri, which also ended its run earlier in the year.
Genie Francis Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
General Hospital actress Genie Francis received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her decades-long television career.
Her husband, actor Jonathan Frakes, presented the honor during the ceremony.
Francis first appeared as Laura Webber on General Hospital in 1977. Her portrayal of Laura became one of the most recognised performances in American daytime television.
The ceremony also recognised established television professionals through its Gold and Silver Circle honors.
Two Categories End in Ties
Two awards resulted in ties during the ceremony.
Beyond the Gates and The Kelly Clarkson Show shared Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup.
Expedition Unknown and This Old House also shared Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series.
The ceremony concluded with General Hospital retaining the top drama award, Beyond the Gates collecting four wins in its debut year, and The Kelly Clarkson Show leading the overall results with five trophies.