Soap Opera History: The Long Road To The First Daytime Emmy Show

With a history stretching back four decades, many fans would be forgiven for calling the Daytime Emmys old. But the real truth is that compared to its award show brethren, the yearly ceremony is still a mere babe.

Take for instance the Academy Awards presented in February. That glitzy celebration of the best in film marked the programs 91st anniversary. Even the Primetime Emmys, from which the Daytime Awards spawned, has been awarding statuettes for over 70 years.

The very first time a soap opera performer found themselves nominated for an award was during the 1962 program when Search For Tomorrows Mary Stewart found herself one of five actresses in the Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series category. She lost to Shirley Booth.

Between 1966 and 1971, two new categories were added to the Emmy ballots: Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming for Individuals and Program. No soap opera was ever nominated in the Program category and, despite some nominations, no actor ever received the Individual award.

However, in 1972 during the 24th annual ceremony soap operas finally got their due. Soap operas The Doctors and General Hospital duked it out in the brand new Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Drama – Program category and The Doctors emerged victorious!

The next year, The Edge of Night won in the same category and Mary Fickett (Ruth Martin, All My Children) was awarded a statuette in a new category: Outstanding Achievement as an Individual in Daytime Drama.

Finally, in May 1974, the seemingly impossible happened. A televised program dedicated to the best and brightest in daytime made its debut on NBC with a ceremony hosted by Barbara Walters and Peter Marshall — and broadcast from the Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

At the 1st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, there were five categories devoted to soap operas — Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, Best Actor, and Best Actress, Best Individual Director, and Best Writing.

During that first ceremony, The Doctors …continue reading on the next page —>

Continue reading on the next page…

During that first ceremony, The Doctors took home best show and leading lady Elizabeth Hubbard (Dr. Althea Davis) won Best Actress.

On screen, the medical soap was embroiled in a tantalizing murder mystery that saw Althea’s scheming lecherous husband shot and killed and her teenage daughter, Penny, being arrested for the crime.

NBC’s Days of Our Lives took home the gold in two categories: Best Individual Director, while Macdonald Carey snagged Best Actor.

As Tom Horton, Carey had spent the better part of the year grappling with his boys over their mutual love for Laura Spencer and, during one emotional moment, Tom watched as son Mickey flatlined in the hospital following a stroke.

The final award, Best Writing, went to mystery thriller The Edge of Night. Throughout 1973, the soap had weaved together tales of a murderous doctor and his unrequited love for Nicole Drake turning obsessive, the devious Elly Jo and Simon Jessup planning to poison millionaire Orin Hillyer for his cash, and the arrival of Walter LePage and his violent crime syndicate.

The 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards will be presented Sunday, May 5 at 8 p.m. EST and 5 p.m. PST. The program can be viewed on the Daytime Emmys’ official Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as on YouTube and at emmyonline.tv.

Don’t miss Soap Hub’s live red carpet coverage of the Daytime Emmy Awards on our popular Facebook page.