Scott Clifton and Tamara Tunie earn lead acting Daytime Emmys. 'General
Hospital' wins again
[October 31, 2026]
By BETH HARRIS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scott Clifton of “The Bold and the Beautiful” and
Tamara Tunie of “Beyond the Gates” won lead acting honors at the 53rd
annual Daytime Emmys on Friday night, with “General Hospital” honored as
outstanding drama series for a record 19th time overall and sixth in a
row.
Clifton plays Liam Spencer on the CBS show. It's his second lead actor
trophy, having won in 2017, to go with previous wins as younger actor
and supporting actor that made him the first male actor to sweep all
three categories.
He beat out a heavyweight field of veterans Eric Braeden, Steve Burton,
Thorsten Kaye and Christian Jules LeBlanc.
“I’m speechless,” Clifton said. “This means so much to me, not the
thing, the atta boy from my peers. I think of few things that bring me
more joy than that.”
Tunie plays strong-willed matriarch Anita Dupree on “Beyond the Gates,”
which debuted on CBS last year featuring the first primarily Black cast
since “Generations” in the 1990s and the first new network soap since
1999.
Tunie made her daytime debut in 1987 on “As the World Turns,” leaving in
2009, a year before the CBS show ended.
“My heart is so full right now," Tunie said. “This is the best welcome
back to daytime ever. There is a host of Black actresses who paved the
way for me, and I feel them as I stand here.”
Along with its outstanding drama series award, ABC’s “General Hospital”
also earned trophies for writing and guest performance in a daytime
drama for Jeff Kober.
Roger Howarth and Beth Maitland of “The Young and the Restless” swept
the supporting acting categories, with both winning decades after their
first triumphs.
Howarth currently plays Matt Clark on the CBS soap. He first won in 1994
in the younger actor category for his breakout role as Todd Manning on
“One Life to Live.”
Maitland was honored for playing Traci Abbott, a role she originated in
1982 — the year of her first supporting actress win — and has played off
and on ever since.
“Every one of you a winner, every one of you a part of the contribution
daytime makes in a world gone mad, offering just a few minutes of relief
— to laugh, to cry and to celebrate," she said in tribute to her peers.
Genie Francis, who began her role on “General Hospital” at age 14 in
1977, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by her
actor-director husband, Jonathan Frakes. She was teary-eyed watching a
video of career highlights before taking the stage, supported by her two
children because she's recovering from a broken right ankle.
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Scott Clifton accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a
daytime drama series for "The Bold and the Beautiful" during the
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, at the
Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
 “I know 50 years sounds like an
awfully long time, but it doesn’t feel like it to me,” Francis said.
“As they say, if you love what you do you don’t work a day in your
life. I wouldn’t go that far because doing a party scene in high
heels is hard work.”
Francis said she's worked with “all the greats,” ticking off such
names as Anthony Geary, Erika Slezak, David Canary, Maurice Bernard,
Michael Knight and Eric Braeden.
“I have had the most amazing ride and I am so grateful,” she said.
“I would do it all over again if I could.”
Tracee Ellis Ross won in the travel and adventure category for her
Roku show “Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross.”
“Wow, how fun is this?” Ross said, while thanking the countries of
Morocco, Mexico and Spain.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, lost in the lifestyle program category.
She was nominated for her Netflix show “With Love, Meghan” that ran
for two seasons, but the Prime Video documentary series “A Different
Breed” about competitive canine sports prevailed in that category.
Ambyr Michelle of CBS' “Beyond the Gates” won for emerging talent in
a daytime drama, the second year the award was handed out.
Directing honors went to Peacock’s “Days of Our Lives.”
Two talk shows no longer in production scored victories. Sherri
Shepherd won as daytime talk series host for “Sherri,” which ended
its four-season run on Fox in May. Kelly Clarkson won for daytime
talk series, having wrapped her eponymous NBC show in August after
seven seasons. Neither was on hand to accept.
Giada De Laurentiis won as non-daily daytime personality for “Giada
in the Kitchen.” The trophy for daytime personality daily went to
Star Jones and Corey Jovan for Fox's “Divorce Court.”
Ina Garten was a two-time winner for culinary host and culinary
instructional series for “Be My Guest” on Food Network.
The ceremony held at the Hollywood Palladium was streamed live for
the second straight year after airing on CBS for five consecutive
years.
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