The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has commenced the rollout of nominees for the 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, with initial announcements made on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. This year’s ceremony, scheduled for October 17, 2025, in Pasadena, California, marks a notable departure from its traditional May or June timeframe, shifting to later in the year to highlight the timely nature of news and documentary content, which will now precede it. The early reveals have put a spotlight on daytime drama powerhouses and introduced significant changes to the awards’ structure. The full list of nominations across all 52 categories is anticipated to be announced on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET.
Leading the charge in the initial wave of nominations is CBS’s long-running soap opera, The Young and the Restless, which secured six nominations in the categories announced so far. Close behind are General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, each earning four nods.
In the highly competitive Best Drama Series category, the field has narrowed considerably, with only three nominees vying for the top prize: Days of Our Lives (Peacock), General Hospital (ABC), and The Young and the Restless (CBS). This is a significant reduction from last year’s record-tying six contenders. Notably, the buzzy new CBS soap opera, Beyond the Gates, which premiered in February 2025, was not eligible for this year’s awards. Its premiere fell outside the official eligibility window of January 1 to December 31, 2024, but it is expected to be a strong contender for the 2026 Daytime Emmys.
The Young and the Restless showcased its acting prowess with a dominant presence in the lead drama categories. For Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, four of the six nominees are from Y&R: Sharon Case (Sharon Newman), Eileen Davidson (Ashley Abbott), Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson), and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers). They are joined by Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) and Laura Wright (Carly Spencer) from General Hospital. Many of these actresses are past Emmy winners; Eileen Davidson, Michelle Stafford, and Laura Wright have all previously won in the Lead Actress category, while Nancy Lee Grahn is a two-time winner in the Supporting Actress category. Melissa Claire Egan earns her seventh nomination.
The Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category features nominees from all three nominated soaps. Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott) represents The Young and the Restless. From Days of Our Lives, Eric Martsolf (Brady Black), Greg Rikaart (Leo Stark), and Paul Telfer (Xander Kiriakis) received nominations. Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) rounds out the list for General Hospital. Peter Bergman is a previous Lead Actor winner, while Eric Martsolf and Greg Rikaart have won in the Supporting Actor category. This marks Paul Telfer’s second nomination and Dominic Zamprogna’s fifth, with both having prior nominations in supporting roles.
Beyond the realm of drama, nominations were also revealed for several other popular categories. For Outstanding Daytime Talk Series, the contenders include The Drew Barrymore Show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show (the returning winner from last year), Live with Kelly and Mark, and The View.
The awards have also seen a restructuring of lifestyle and culinary categories. The new Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series nominees are Be My Guest with Ina Garten, Delicious Miss Brown, Emeril Cooks, Lidia’s Kitchen, and Selena + Restaurant. These new culinary categories replace the former single Best Culinary Series. Similarly, the former Best Travel, Nature, and Adventure category has been split, with nominees for Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program including Expedition Unknown, Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong, The Good Road, How I Got Here, Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out, and Mexico Made With Love.
Other notable categories announced include Outstanding Instructional and How-To Program, with nominations for Dime Como Hacerlo, The Fixers, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, Going Home with Tyler Cameron, Married to Real Estate, and Martha Gardens. For Outstanding Lifestyle Program, the nominees are George to the Rescue, Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut, Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward, Homegrown, and You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.
These changes are part of a broader realignment of the Emmy Awards, initiated in December 2021, which now categorizes programs based on genre and frequency rather than traditional dayparts. This year also sees the introduction of new categories such as Best Emerging Talent (replacing the former Younger Performer category), Best Regional Content in a Daytime Genre, Best Culinary Cultural Series, and Best Nature and Science Program. Conversely, categories like Best Original Song and Best Educational and Informational Program have been retired. The 52nd Daytime Emmy Awards, with its new date and evolving categories, promises to be an exciting event reflecting the dynamic landscape of daytime television.
