LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the 53rd annual Daytime Emmys held on Friday night, Scott Clifton from "The Bold and the Beautiful" and Tamara Tunie from "Beyond the Gates" were awarded lead acting honors. Notably, "General Hospital" was recognized as the outstanding drama series for an unprecedented 19th time and secured the award for the sixth consecutive year.
Scott Clifton, renowned for his portrayal of Liam Spencer on CBS's "The Bold and the Beautiful," received his second lead actor trophy, having previously won in 2017. His wins span across all three major categories, making him the first male actor to achieve this feat, having also secured awards as a younger actor and for supporting roles. In this year's competition, Clifton excelled against a distinguished group of nominees, including famous names such as Eric Braeden, Steve Burton, Thorsten Kaye, and Christian Jules LeBlanc. Upon winning, Clifton expressed his gratitude, stating, "I’m speechless. This means so much to me, not the thing, the atta boy from my peers. I think of few things that bring me more joy than that."
Similarly, Tamara Tunie, who plays the formidable matriarch Anita Dupree on "Beyond the Gates," celebrated her victory. This show, which made its debut on CBS last year, is notable for featuring the first primarily Black cast since "Generations" aired in the 1990s, marking it as the first new network soap since 1999. Tunie, who began her daytime career in 1987 on "As the World Turns," shared her heartfelt emotions upon receiving the award, stating, "My heart is so full right now. This is the best welcome back to daytime ever. There is a host of Black actresses who paved the way for me, and I feel them as I stand here."
In addition to its recognition as the outstanding drama series, "General Hospital" also took home trophies for writing and for guest performance in a daytime drama, awarded to Jeff Kober. The supporting acting categories were clinched by Roger Howarth and Beth Maitland of "The Young and the Restless," both taking home awards decades after their first victories. Howarth, currently portraying Matt Clark, had previously won in 1994 for his breakout role as Todd Manning on "One Life to Live." Meanwhile, Maitland was honored for her role as Traci Abbott, a character she originated in 1982, the same year she won her first supporting actress award.
During her acceptance speech, Maitland paid tribute to her peers, saying, "Every one of you a winner, every one of you a part of the contribution daytime makes in a world gone mad, offering just a few minutes of relief—to laugh, to cry and to celebrate." Additionally, Genie Francis, who began her role on "General Hospital" at the age of 14 in 1977, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by her husband, actor-director Jonathan Frakes. Overwhelmed with emotion, Francis expressed her gratitude, remarking, "I have had the most amazing ride and I am so grateful. I would do it all over again if I could."
Tracee Ellis Ross also received recognition in the travel and adventure category for her Roku show "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross." While she expressed her excitement for winning, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, did not secure a win in the lifestyle program category for her Netflix show "With Love, Meghan," which ran for two seasons, with the Prime Video documentary "A Different Breed" about competitive canine sports taking the award instead.
In the emerging talent category for daytime dramas, Ambyr Michelle from CBS's "Beyond the Gates" was honored, marking the second consecutive year for this newly established award. Directing honors went to "Days of Our Lives," aired on Peacock. Additionally, two talk shows no longer in production achieved victories; Sherri Shepherd won as daytime talk series host for "Sherri," which had its four-season run on Fox, while Kelly Clarkson won for her NBC show, having finished its seven-season duration in August.
Giada De Laurentiis was awarded as a non-daily daytime personality for "Giada in the Kitchen," while the award for daily daytime personality went to Star Jones and Corey Jovan for Fox's "Divorce Court." Ina Garten celebrated success with two awards, winning for both culinary host and culinary instructional series for "Be My Guest" on the Food Network. The ceremony took place at the Hollywood Palladium and was streamed live for the second consecutive year, following a five-year run on CBS.
