The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) recently announced the nominations for the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, which will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on June 7, 2024. This year’s nominations brought some major surprises as well as the unfortunate omission of certain categories. Still, the reveal generated enthusiasm among daytime drama fans eager to learn which of their favorite stars and shows could take home the coveted statue. In this article we talk about Which Categories Made the Cut for the 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Changes Shake Up the Categories
In 2023, NATAS made several changes to the Daytime Emmy categories that remained in effect for the 2024 awards. Most notably, there will be no awards given out for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series or Outstanding Promotional Announcement this year.
Additionally, the writing categories saw a consolidation, with the Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series and Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Special now merged into one Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Program category.
The Daytime Talk Show Host category also got split into two: Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Host and Outstanding Daytime Personality Host. The latter has a further delineation between daily and non-daily personalities.
Top Categories Announced
Despite the category shifts, many fan favorites remain for 2024. NATAS announced nominations in five marquee categories:
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Outstanding Daytime Talk Show
Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Host
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
The revealed nominations brought the usual mix of snubs and surprises that make award season so thrilling.
Familiar Faces Dominate Drama Categories
In the drama awards, Scott Clifton competes with veterans Eric Braeden and John McCook for the top actor spot.
The Lead Actress category features The Bold and the Beautiful stars Katherine Kelly Lang and Annika Noelle facing off against Days of Our Lives’ Tamara Braun, and General Hospital’s Finola Hughes and Cynthia Watros.
In the Outstanding Drama Series category, long-standing favorites like The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless are joined by Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. Additionally, newcomers Neighbors and The Bay round out the competition.
Big Names Populate Talk Show Categories
This year’s crop of talk show nominees includes A-list hosts like Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall. They go up against the outspoken panelists of The View for Outstanding Host.
The View also scored a nod for Outstanding Talk Show alongside Live with Kelly and Mark, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and The Talk.
Surprises: Snubs and First-Time Nods
Of course, not every nominee was expected. Many were surprised when soap legend Eric Braeden earned his first Lead Actor nomination in over 20 years. As the iconic Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless, Braeden has played a central role in daytime dramas since 1980.
Unfortunately, Braeden’s co-star Melissa Ordway was one of several snubs in the Lead Actress category. Other shocking omissions included General Hospital stars Laura Wright and Maura West.
Meanwhile, Neighbors scored for Outstanding Drama Series in its first year of eligibility. The Amazon Freevee series brings diversity to the category as daytime’s first Latino soap opera.
Daytime Fans Are Buzzing
Despite a few snubs and shake-ups, this year’s Daytime Emmy nominations have stirred up excitement among daytime drama devotees. The revealed categories and nominees lead to lively debate and speculation about who could emerge victorious when the trophies get handed out in June.
With respected icons like Eric Braeden and Finola Hughes competing against rising talents like Annika Noelle, soap fans are guaranteed riveting entertainment when the stars gather for the ceremony. Whether their favorites take home the prize or not, daytime devotees have much to buzz about in discussing this year’s standout performances. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this “Which Categories Made the Cut for the 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards?” article.
