The 2024 Daytime Emmys season is here. The nominations are out, and many, many actors have been singled out for their performances. Now comes the analysis and breakdown of the snubs, surprises, and other general observations concerning who did and didn’t receive nods this year. Some actors may not have submitted their names for Emmy consideration. Until we know specifics, here’s a list of snubs, surprises, and other observations.
The Snubs
Leading Categories
Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman, The Young and the Restless)
For many, Melody Thomas Scott seemed a shoo-in for a leading actress nomination based on the beginning of the Nikki versus Jordan storyline, which began late last year. Crazy Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk), along with her disturbed niece Claire (Hayley Erin), kidnapped Nikki and force-fed her IVs of pure vodka, causing Nikki to fall off the wagon. She didn’t just fall — Nikki crashed and burned. And Scott wonderfully portrayed her character’s helplessness and powerlessness to her addiction. She was a constant Soap Hub Performer of the Week for a reason.
Arianne Zucker (Nicole Walker, Days of Our Lives)
While Zucker dealt with real-life behind-the-scenes drama, her character on-screen experienced two massive blows. First, her son “died.” While grieving her son’s death, her daughter OD’d on tainted opiates and fell into a coma. Zucker’s DAYS character often experiences extreme trauma, and the actress handled it like she always does — beautifully and heartbreakingly. Nicole’s grief was palpable due to Zucker’s performance.
Mark Grossman (Adam Newman, Y&R)
Troubled Adam Newman faced painful obstacles in 2023 including the loss of his daughter when Sally miscarried. Sally’s portrayer, Courtney Hope, received a nomination in the Supporting Actress category. Grossman, a past nominee, has leading man caliber; unfortunately, this wasn’t his year.
Drake Hogestyn (John Black, DAYS)
DAYS fans are super happy for Eric Martsolf (Brady), who graduated from the supporting actor category (which he won back in 2014) to leading actor. But many were disappointed when Drake Hogestyn’s name wasn’t on the list. Hogestyn doesn’t always get the chance to play Emmy-worthy storylines, but in 2023, he had two shots: 1) Hogestyn’s character, John Black, grieved his wife when he thought she had died, and 2) John found his biological father. Dick Van Dyke played Timothy Robicheaux (who scored a Daytime Emmy nomination in the Guest Performer category).
The Supporting Categories
Sharon Case (Sharon Newman, Y&R)
We’ve already gone on record that Sharon Case deserves better. However, for a short time in 2023, she did get it. The show brought back a villain from Sharon Newman’s past, Cameron Kirsten (2024 Daytime Emmy nominee Linden Ashby). Not only did Sharon Newman get to bring down the bad guy, but Cameron left her his company in his will, which caused her to make a career pivot. The material was there, but the Daytime Emmy nom, alas, was not.
Jon Lindstrom (Kevin Collins and Ryan Chamberlain, General Hospital)
Jon Lindstrom has played twins Kevin and Ryan on and off for years. Kevin’s the good guy, while Ryan is utterly evil. Or should we say “was?” Because Ryan met his demise in 2023. But before he went down, Lindstrom got to shed the fake catatonic act and unleashed Ryan’s villainy once more. Playing good and evil twins should automatically qualify an actor for Emmy glory, right?
Brook Kerr (Dr. Portia Robinson, GH)
In the same article where Soap Hub‘s Michael Maloney wrote about Performer of the Week Jon Lindstrom, he also gave an honorable mention to Brook Kerr for her portrayal of Dr. Portia Robinson. In February of 2023, Portia’s big secret was revealed: Curtis was her daughter Trina’s biological father. It’s perfect material to help get an actor Daytime Emmy attention. So why didn’t it happen?
Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Spencer Cassadine, GH)
GH’s Nicholas Alexander Chavez wasn’t just ready for primetime (or streaming), he was ready for the big jump from the Younger category to Supporting. He had to play the emotions of someone in love (with Trina) whose attention was split. He had obligations that took up a lot of his time. There was his evil uncle, Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy), and his amnesiac ex-girlfriend, Esme (Avery Kristen Pohl), who gave birth to his half-brother. Yes, Chavez had a monumental amount of material, it’s surprising he didn’t make the cut.
Sofia Mattsson (Sasha Corbin, GH)
We dare you to name a character who has been through more than GH’s Sasha Corbin in the last few years. The former Face of Deception lost her husband, her baby, and her monster-in-law bilked her of much of her finances. In 2023, there was also the psycho psychiatrist who helped Gladys (Bonnie Burroughs) with her mission. Sasha ended up in Ferncliff and had to rely on the kindness of Cody (Josh Kelly), Sam (Kelly Monaco), and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) to get her out. And you know what? Fans felt for Sasha as she experienced tragedy after tragedy and worked hard to overcome those tragic circumstances. And that was due to Sofia Mattsson’s superior performances. Her absence in the Supporting Actress category is felt.
James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine, GH)
In 2024, Valentin’s shadiness is showing…ever since the reveal that he’s leading the charge at Pikeman. Last year, what really allowed James Patrick Stuart to shine was his daughter Charlotte’s (Scarlett Fernandez) descent into stalking and breaking and entering. Thanks to Victor’s influence, she made it her mission to rid Anna (Finola Hughes) of her father’s life. In the process, Stuart gave fabulous performance after fabulous performance. Some might say those performances were worthy of a nomination. For his part, Stuart had his own opinions of who was snubbed this year.
The Guest Categories
Real Andrews (Taggert, GH)
Taggert is another element of the Portia/Trina/Curtis story. At the time, Taggert was the only dad Trina knew. After the reveal, the character took the news stoically but you could tell he was falling apart. And while we didn’t get a lot of his perspective of what must have felt like losing his daughter, we did see Taggert slide into a loneliness and despair that was beyond heartbreaking to witness. He also seemed to slide into an addiction story, a plot point left dangling for far too long.
Needless to say, the elevator scene alone when Taggert broke down was gut-wrenching and Emmy-worthy. Honestly, he could have also worked in the supporting category. While he was absent for much of 2023, he has as much material as the men who made the cut.
Colleen Zenk (Aunt Jordan, Y&R)
Many believed that Melody Thomas Scott’s (Nikki) scene partner — Colleen Zenk (Jordan) — also deserved a nomination for her villainous return to soaps. Eve Howard’s (Margaret Mason) sister emerged as a viable threat to the Newman family.
With Claire’s help, Jordan nearly wiped out the entire Newman clan. She pushed Nikki off the wagon and back into a world drenched with alcohol and addiction. She slashed Nicholas (Joshua Morrow) and evaded Victor (Eric Braeden) and his “crack” security team. Come on, this role is made for Daytime Emmy attention! So why didn’t the As the World Turns alumna get it? Fans on X, formerly Twitter wanted to know. At one point, Zenk even replied to one such fan, confirming that she did submit, so she was eligible to get a spot on the ballot.
The Surprises
Neighbours Nominations
When the nominations for Outstanding Drama Series were announced, two soaps joined the big four of Y&R, GH, DAYS, and B&B. The Bay, a digital series, was also nominated in this category last year. The Aussie soap Neighbours popped up and its presence on the ballot is somewhat confusing. Last year, Amazon Studios rebooted the soap and placed it on its Amazon Freevee platform. Almost nobody realized that made it eligible for nominations here in the U.S. Meanwhile, Neighbours‘ Guy Pearce earned a nomination for Guest Performer for his role as Mike. Yes, that Guy Pearce of Memento and Mare of Easttown fame.
GH Shut Out of Two Acting Categories
There was undoubtedly a collective gasp that happened when daytime fans realized not a single GH actor made the Outstanding Leading Actor cut. Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) and others had the material, but for some reason, they were overlooked. Then, to be shut out of the Outstanding Supporting Actress category as well? Well, it was perplexing and super-surprising.
Two Acting Nods from The Bay
This year, Popstar TV’s The Bay didn’t just earn a spot in the Outstanding Series category. It snagged two acting nods for Outstanding Supporting Actor as well. A Martinez and Mike Manning are both actors well-known to soap audiences. Martinez counts Santa Barbara, GH, One Life to Live, B&B, and DAYS as his list of daytime credits. Manning also has DAYS on his acting resume. But a nomination is one thing, can either of these two bring it home for their digital series?
Other Observations
The Nominations Lack Diversity…Again
Unfortunately, the blame for the lack of diversity in the nominations can’t solely be on the Emmy nominating system. However, this year, the only actors of color who earned Emmy’s attention were in the Supporting Actor category.
- GH’s Robert Gossett, who won last year
- Two-time Daytime Emmy winner Y&R’s Bryton James
- Multiple Daytime Emmy nominee A Martinez of The Bay
Obviously, awards are not the reason why the actors act. But it is a perk or a benefit of their hard work. The issue here is a much bigger picture. Actors of color don’t always receive the quality material that can become a solid reel. The material needs to be there first and foremost. But when they have the material, they do not always break through with nominations. That’s a problem.
The Elimination of the Younger Actors Category — What it Means
It’s now clear that eliminating the Outstanding Younger Performer category means actors with plenty of great material who are in their early-to-mid 20s or younger will have a much more difficult shot at gaining Emmy attention. Even before the complete removal of the category, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) scaled down the age range thinking the actors in their 20s could now fight for their right to contend in the supporting actor categories.
Well, that hasn’t happened. As a result, many genuine talents were overlooked this year, including GH’s Chavez, Tabyana Ali (Trina), Eden McCoy (Joss), and Scarlett Fernandez (Charlotte). Also, B&B’s Henry Joseph Samiri (Douglas) — though we hear he did not submit his name for Daytime Emmy consideration.
If you look ahead to next year, GH is finally utilizing a slew of younger actors who are talented enough to be able to put together quality reels. With the addition of Neighbours into the mix, and The Gates arriving in early 2025, maybe there will be more opportunities. The folks at NATAS might want to rethink this elimination.
Who do you think was snubbed? What surprises and observations do you want to share? Let us know in the comments.
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