Soap Opera Spotlight: Daytime Emmy For Outstanding Lead Actress 1997

There’s been no word of the Daytime Emmys being on TV this year, but there was a time when the ceremony was broadcast in primetime on a major network! Cast, producers, writers, and directors from all the soaps would come together to find out who’d be going home for the gold!

During the heydey of the Daytime Emmys, one of the most anticipated awards of the night was Outstanding Lead Actress!

In 1997, a trio of Guiding Light actors – Kim Zimmer (Reva), Robert Newman (Josh), and Cynthia Watros (Annie) — took to the stage to hand out the statuette to the winner.

The nominees that year were Jensen Buchanan (Victoria, Another World), Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital), Susan Lucci (Erica, All My Children) and Jess Walton (Jill, The Young and the Restless). While most years have had five nominees, 1997 was unique in that there were only four.

After clips were shown of stellar work from all four nominees, the envelope was opened and Watros read the name!

Watch the video to take a look back at who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1997!