Entertainment News

Daytime Emmys 2026: 'Young and the Restless' leads early as two talk shows say goodbye

CBS soap The Young and the Restless took an early lead at the 53rd Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, Variety reports in its live winners list. It went in with the most nominations, 18, ahead of CBS's new soap Beyond the Gates with 15 in its first eligible year.

Roger Howarth won supporting actor in a drama for The Young and the Restless, 32 years after his last Daytime Emmy, the longest gap between wins in the awards' history. Beth Maitland won supporting actress for the same show. Beyond the Gates won emerging talent for Ambyr Michelle, as well as lighting and hairstyling.

It was also a farewell for two ending talk shows. Sherri Shepherd won daytime talk host for Sherri, and The Kelly Clarkson Show won three craft awards early on. Star Jones won her first Daytime Emmy after 14 nominations, for Divorce Court. General Hospital star Genie Francis received the lifetime achievement award.

How each outlet framed it

• Variety — the running list of winners, records and honourees.
• Deadline — a guide for viewers on how to watch the ceremony.
• The Hollywood Reporter — its own win: the Off Script roundtable series took the arts and popular culture award on its third straight nomination, beating two Variety nominees.

What we don't know yet: Variety's list was still being updated when we checked, so the final totals for each show were not yet known. The awards cover programmes from January 1 to December 31, 2025.