The
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given to honor an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a
supporting role while working within the
daytime drama industry.
At the 6th Daytime Emmy Awards held in 1979, Suzanne Rogers was the first winner of this award, for her role as Maggie Horton on Days of Our Lives . The awards ceremony was not aired on television in 1983 and 1984, having been criticized for voting integrity. Following the introduction of a new category in 1985, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series , one criterion for this category was altered, requiring all actresses to be aged 26 or above.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 37 actresses. General Hospital is the soap opera with the most awarded actresses, with a total of nine. In 1989, Nancy Lee Grahn and Debbi Morgan made Daytime Emmy Award history when they tied in this category. Morgan also became the first African-American woman to have garnered the award. Julia Barr , Tamara Braun , Grahn, Amelia Heinle , and Gina Tognoni are the only actresses to have won the award twice. Heinle is the only one to have won it, consecutively. Grahn, Heather Tom and Melissa Claire Egan have the most nominations in this category, with a total of five. Following Sonya Eddy 's passing in December 2022, she became the first posthumous winner in the category when she received the award in 2023. As of the 2024 ceremony , Courtney Hope is the most recent winner in this category for her role as Sally Spectra on The Young and the Restless .
Winners and nominees
Suzanne Rogers was the first winner, for her role as Maggie Horton on Days of Our Lives .
Jane Elliot won in 1981, and was nominated three times, for her work on General Hospital . She was also nominated in 1989 for her work on Days of Our Lives .
Jacklyn Zeman was nominated three times for her role as Bobbie Spencer on General Hospital .
Susan Haskell won in 1994 for her role as Marty Saybrooke on One Life to Live .
Rena Sofer won in 1995 for her role as Lois Cerullo on General Hospital .
Michelle Stafford was nominated once, before winning in 1997, for her role as Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless .
Victoria Rowell was nominated three times for her role as Drucilla Winters on The Young and the Restless .
Tonya Lee Williams was nominated twice for her role as Olivia Barber Winters on The Young and the Restless .
Crystal Chappell won in 2002 for her role as Olivia Spencer on Guiding Light .
Kelly Ripa was nominated twice for her role as Hayley Vaughan on All My Children .
Sharon Case won in 1999 for her role as Sharon Newman on The Young and the Restless , having been nominated on two other occasions.
Maura West (left) was nominated twice for her role as Carly Tenney on As the World Turns .
Cady McClain was nominated once for he work All My Children , before winning in 2004 for her role as Rosanna Cabot on As the World Turns .
Renée Elise Goldsberry was nominated twice for her role as Evangeline Williamson on One Life to Live .
Genie Francis won in 2007 for her role as Laura Spencer on General Hospital . She was nominated once more, in 2012, for her role as Genevieve Atkinson on The Young and the Restless .
Arianne Zucker was nominated twice for her role as Nicole Walker on Days of Our Lives .
Nancy Lee Grahn won in 1989 for her role as Julia Wainwright Capwell on Santa Barbara . She was later nominated twice more, in 2000 and 2011, later winning in 2012 for her role as Alexis Davis on General Hospital .
After 26 years on the series, Katherine Kelly Lang was nominated in 2013 for her role as Brooke Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful .
Jessica Collins was nominated in 2013, and won in 2016, for her role as Avery Bailey Clark on The Young and the Restless .
Amelia Heinle won in 2014 and 2015 for her role as Victoria Newman on The Young and the Restless
Kate Mansi won in 2017 for her role as Abigail Deveraux on Days of Our Lives .
Camryn Grimes won in 2018 for her role as Mariah Copeland on The Young and the Restless
Tamara Braun won the award twice: first in 2009, for her role as Ava Vitali on Days of Our Lives ; and in 2020, for her role as Dr. Kim Nero on General Hospital .
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
Table key
‡
Indicates the winner
†
Indicates a posthumous winner
*
Indicates a posthumous nominee
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Multiple wins and nominations
The following individuals received two wins in this category:
Wins
Actress
2
Julia Barr
Tamara Braun
Nancy Lee Grahn
Amelia Heinle
Gina Tognoni
Julia Barr is one of the actresses who has received the award more than once, winning twice for her role as Brooke English on All My Children .
Heather Tom is one of the actresses with the most nominations in this category. She was nominated for her roles on The Young and the Restless and One Life to Live , before receiving a nomination in 2008 and winning in 2011 for her role as Katie Logan Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful .
Melissa Claire Egan is one of the actress with the most nominations in this category. She was nominated three times for her role as Annie Lavery on All My Children and twice for her role as Chelsea Newman on The Young and the Restless
The following individuals received two or more nominations in this category:
Nominations
Actress
5
Melissa Claire Egan
Nancy Lee Grahn
Heather Tom
4
Jane Elliot
Elizabeth Hendrickson
Lois Kibbee
Robin Mattson
3
Tamara Braun
Rebecca Budig
Sharon Case
Crystal Chappell
Robin Christopher
Maureen Garrett
Linsey Godfrey
Stacy Haiduk
Eileen Herlie
Maeve Kinkead
Elizabeth Lawrence
Vanessa Marcil
Cady McClain
Julie Pinson
Victoria Rowell
Gina Tognoni
Kathleen Widdoes
Bree Williamson
Jacklyn Zeman
2
Marla Adams
Julia Barr
Kimberlin Brown
Lisa Brown
Tracey E. Bregman
Jessica Collins
Darlene Conley
Linda Dano
Beth Ehlers
Judi Evans
Genie Francis
Renée Elise Goldsberry
Amelia Heinle
Carolyn Hennesy
Kelley Menighan Hensley
Rebecca Herbst
Lynn Herring
Finola Hughes
Melina Kanakaredes
Lesli Kay
Ilene Kristen
Jill Larson
Beth Maitland
Peggy McCay
Mishael Morgan
Kelly Ripa
Melissa Reeves
Louise Shaffer
Arleen Sorkin
Kelly Sullivan
Kelly Thiebaud
Jess Walton
Maura West
Tonya Lee Williams
Arianne Zucker
Series with most awards
Wins
Program
11
General Hospital
10
The Young & the Restless
7
All My Children
6
Guiding Light
4
Days of our Lives
3
As the World Turns
1
Another World
The Bold and the Beautiful
One Life to Live
Ryan's Hope
Santa Barbara