Daytime Emmys 2026: 'Beyond the Gates' and 'The Young and the Restless' Lead a Changing Field

By Daniel Okafor

The 53rd Daytime Emmy Awards ran as a single ceremony on Friday at Hollywood's historic Palladium theatre, streamed on YouTube with no host and Matthew Hoffman as announcer. CBS' "The Young and the Restless" led all programs with 18 nominations, followed by the new CBS soap "Beyond the Gates," which scored 15 nods in its first year of eligibility.

The eligibility window covered Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025, following several rule changes announced this spring. The awards recognize daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.

Who won on the night?

Announced winners at press time:

• Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series: "Lucky Chow" (PBS)
• Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program: "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross" (Roku)
• Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program: "Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter"
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama: Beth Maitland as Traci Abbott, "The Young and the Restless"
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama: Roger Howarth as Matt Clark, "The Young and the Restless"
• Outstanding Guest Performance in a Drama: Jeff Kober as Cyrus Renault, "General Hospital"
• Outstanding Daytime Personality, Non-Daily: Giada De Laurentiis, "Giada in My Kitchen"
• Technical Direction and Video: "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NBC/Peacock)
• Cinematography: "Long Way Home: Lost in Lapland" (Apple)
• Sound Mixing, Prerecorded: "Long Way Home: Lost in Lapland" (Apple)
• Sound Mixing, Live: "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Episode 5007
• Editing, Non-Studio: "A Different Breed: The Season Begins"
• Editing, Studio: "Craft Roundtables: Editors" (IndieWire.com)

"The Young and the Restless" took both supporting drama acting prizes. Apple's motorcycle travel series "Long Way Home" doubled up in crafts categories.

What records were on the line?

Heather Tom of "The Bold and the Beautiful" was in line for a seventh Daytime Emmy, which would make her the most decorated daytime actress in history. She entered the night tied with Erika Slezak ("One Life to Live") at six wins each.

"General Hospital" icon Genie Francis received this year's Lifetime Achievement honor. Gold Circle inductees included Allen Media Group founder, chairman and CEO Byron Allen, host and executive producer Meredith Vieira, performer Patrika Darbo, and actor-director-executive producer Francesca James. Fox Television Stations executive VP Stephen Brown and announcer Rubin Ervin joined the Silver Circle.

Why the night felt bittersweet

Several nominees were ending shows. "The Kelly Clarkson Show," recognized for talk series and talk host, and "Sherri," nominated for talk host, are both winding down — a farewell lap with trophies attached.

Variety's "Actors on Actors" pulled two nominations in the arts and popular culture category: one for its spring 2025 PBS SoCal run as "Variety Studio: Actors on Actors," and one for its film-focused fall 2025 edition, "Variety & CNN Actors on Actors," on CNN's streaming platform.

The ceremony, formerly held in June, moved to mid-fall last year. With a YouTube-only telecast, no host, and streaming platforms like Roku, Apple, Peacock and Prime Video now populating the nominee lists, the 53rd edition marks how thoroughly daytime television's center of gravity has shifted from broadcast schedules to on-demand screens.