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The 2024 Daytime Emmy awards air live on Friday, June 7th on CBS at 8 pm EST. The event is a big night for the soap opera genre as many top dramas and their stars compete for the gold. This year, The Bold and the Beautiful lead the way with 12 nominations. However, it faces tough competition from General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and The Young and the Restless. It’s a tight race for many of the Drama categories, and while all the nominees are deserving, there can only be one winner. Here’s a look at a few predictions on who will take home the gold.
Daytime Drama Series Predictions
- The Bay
- The Bold and the Beautiful
- Days of Our Lives
- General Hospital
- Neighbours
- The Young and the Restless
Who Should Win: While it’d be a nice surprise to see Neighbours score an upset victory, it won’t happen. Voters will stick with one of the four main soap operas, and The Young and the Restless is an odds-on favorite to win. The casting of Colleen Zenk as the evil Jordan and the storyline of Claire Victoria and Cole’s presumed dead daughter helped mark a milestone year for the soap opera.
Who Will Win: General Hospital holds the record for most Daytime Drama Emmy wins with 16 victories. Last year, the show delivered on emotional, action-packed storylines with Ryan Chamberlain’s death, Trina’s paternity reveal, and Victor Cassadine’s sinister plot to take over the world. Expect the ABC soap opera to keep its lucky award streak going.
Lead Performance by an Actress
- Tamara Braun (Ava Vitali, Days of Our Lives)
- Finola Hughes (Anna Devane, General Hospital)
- Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan, The Bold and the Beautiful)
- Annika Noelle (Hope Logan, The Bold and the Beautiful)
- Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers, The Young and the Restless)
- Cynthia Watros (Nina Reeves, General Hospital)
Who Should Win: General Hospital fans might hate her character, but there’s no denying that Cynthia Watros is a phenomenal actress. In 2023, the star showed off some of her best work. The revelation that Nina was Willow’s mother had Watros going from shock to anger to happiness to grief in the span of a few scenes. While some viewers didn’t feel sorry for her character, Watros’ performance was worthy of a nomination and could win her another Emmy.
Who Will Win: Finola Hughes’ only Lead Actress Emmy win came in 1991. Since then she’s been nominated five times in the category for her General Hospital role, but always comes up empty. The actress told Soap Opera Digest, that she’s “notoriously bad about putting together a reel” and sought the help of one of the show’s producers. The scenes for her reel consisted of the storyline where Anna accidentally shot teenager Charlotte Cassadine. Hughes showcased Anna’s guilt, sadness, and strength in the fallout of this poignant story, which will likely earn her another Daytime Emmy.
Daytime Emmy for Lead Performance by an Actor
- Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, The Young and the Restless)
- Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer, The Bold and the Beautiful)
- Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful)
- Eric Martsolf (Brady Black, Days of Our Lives)
- John McCook (Eric Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful)
Who Should Win: Throughout his 44-year career on The Young and the Restless, Eric Braeden has received 10 Daytime Emmy nominations and one win for Lead Actor. It’s been 20 years since his last nomination, which was due to Braeden’s refusal to submit his work for consideration. However, this year, the actor is back in contention with Victor’s storyline about his fractured relationship with his children. Out of all the nominees, Braeden is the odds-on favorite to win.
Who Will Win: Fans criticized The Bold and the Beautiful for the predictability of Eric’s death storyline. Yet, McCook delivered in his performance as the vigorous Forrester patriarch’s health deteriorated. Eric tried to remain strong by shielding his family from the painful news, but even he had his fears. McCook won the award in 2022 for a storyline that was slammed by fans, yet provided outstanding performances. So it wouldn’t be surprising if history repeats itself at the 2024 Daytime Emmys.
Supporting Performance by an Actress
- Jennifer Gareis (Donna Logan, The Bold and the Beautiful)
- Linsey Godfrey (Sarah Horton, Days of Our Lives)
- Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra, The Young and the Restless)
- Allison Lanier (Summer Newman, The Young and the Restless)
- Emily O’Brien (Gwen Rizczech, Days of Our Lives)
Who Should Win: Days of Our Lives fans have a love/hate relationship with Gwen Rizczech. While she’s a villain, there are times where viewers feels sorry for her. Emily O’Brien excels at playing the bad girl role, yet she’s also great at showing Gwen vulnerability. Her work from last year with a heartbroken Gwen being dumped by Xander earned a well-deserved nomination, and possibly a win on Emmy night.
Who Will Win: Courtney Hope continues to prove why she’s one of the best actresses on The Young and the Restless. In 2023, her character Sally faced a tragic loss when her unborn daughter Ava died. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Adam Newman told Sally the tragic news. Hope went through a whirlwind of emotions as Sally blamed Adam for their daughter’s death, then later cried as she said goodbye to baby Ava. Her powerhouse performance makes her the leading contender in this category.
Supporting Performance by an Actor
- Robert Gossett (Marshall Ashford, General Hospital)
- Bryton James (Devon Winters, The Young and the Restless)
- Wally Kurth (Justin Kiriakis, Days of Our Lives)
- A Martinez (Nardo Ramos, The Bay)
- Mike Manning (Caleb McKinnon, The Bay)
Who Should Win: The Supporting Actor category was full of surprising names, mainly because of The Bay nominees. While the two men seem like a longshot, this is a chance for the show to pull an upset victory. Out of The Bay nominees, A Martinez has a slight edge over his co-star. He’s a past Daytime Emmy winner and beloved soap star, so voters pick him.
Who Will Win: Days of Our Lives star Wally Kurth gave a gut-wrenching performance as Salem mourned the loss of Victor Kiriakis. Victor’s funeral came 10 months after the death of actor John Aniston. It was undoubtedly an emotional time for Kurth, who mourned his real-life friend and his onscreen partner for the past three decades.
Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama
- Linden Ashby (Cameron Kirsten, The Young and the Restless)
- Ashley Jones (Bridget Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful)
- Alley Mills (Heather Webber, General Hospital)
- Guy Pearce (Mike Young, Neighbours)
- Dick Van Dyke (Timothy Robicheaux, Days of Our Lives)
Who Should Win: Alley Mills took home the 2023 Daytime Emmy for Guest Performance. Mills has won General Hospital fans over with her portrayal of the famous villain Heather Webber. The actress had lots of dramatic material last year with Heather revealing she’s Esme’s mother. Mills seems a shoo-in to be the first back-to-back Guest Performer winner.
Who Will Win: Hollywood TV and film legend Dick Van Dyke debuted on Days of Our Lives as Timothy Robicheaux. When first introduced, Timothy is a patient with amnesia, but after regaining his memory discovers he’s John Black’s father. Van Dyke’s guest spot was a highlight of the soap opera and he’s the sentimental favorite to take home this year’s Daytime Emmy.
