Exclusive Interview: NATAS Chief Previews Daytime Emmys, Tribute to Lee Phillip Bell and Others

The Daytime Emmy Awards is coming back to television and Soap Hub has a sneak peek as to what viewers can expect!

In this exclusive interview, Adam Sharp, the President/CEO of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), reveals how the awards program made its way back to CBS and says that the late Lee Phillip Bell, co-creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, will be honored along with other daytime dignitaries.

Daytime Emmys Preview

Soap Hub: Congrats on getting the Daytime Emmys back on broadcast TV. Was this the plan all along for the Sunday portion (which is now a Friday night show)?
Adam Sharp: Conversations began late last year and had progressed considerably when COVID-19 began to upend the world. After we and CBS each had a chance to step back and assess, there was a “we can do this!” moment and things moved forward quickly again from there. I give CBS a lot of credit for sticking by the show and having a creative, open mind to how a show could be produced in this environment.

Will there be an In Memoriam segment? A Special tribute to YR and BB co-creator Lee Phillip Bell?
Lee Phillip Bell had obviously a huge impact on Daytime and on our Academy, winning our Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2007 and being inducted to the Silver Circle of our Chicago/Midwest chapter in 1994. We will be remembering her and other icons during the telecast.

Will there be clips of nominated actor performances?
Yes! Some award-show mainstays will be included, including clips of all the nominated performances. Be sure to check out our Twitter feed and Facebook page for extended clips we posted over the past week!

When will the Creative Arts categories be announced?
About 20 additional categories — Drama crafts, in particular — will be announced on our Twitter feed and Facebook page immediately after the telecast. Many others will be announced in a pair of digital ceremonies coming in July. Stay tuned for more on that.

What’s been the most challenging aspect of putting the show together in these unprecedented times?
Certainly the remote aspect of it: the hosts, presenters, acceptors, even every member of the production team, all spread out in different locations. That’s a huge technical and creative challenge for an event used to being all in one room. But it is also an opportunity to celebrate the intimacy of Daytime. We are honoring television that you invite to your breakfast and dinner table, that you have in your home all day every day — not just a once-a-year binge. Now the stars you love will be in your home, from their own homes. And that’s really special.

The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards is produced by NATAS and Associated Television International (ATI). The show will be hosted by The Talk hosts Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood, Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Marie Osmond. The Daytime Emmys air on Friday, June 26 on CBS from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.