Daytime Emmy Nominations 2025: A First Look at the Front-Runners

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed the initial wave of nominations for the 52nd Daytime Emmy Awards on July 9, with the full list confirmed on July 10. Notably, the ceremony has shifted to October 17, 2025, in Pasadena, California—marking a historical scheduling change driven by the reordering of award events.

Rising to the Top: Drama and Acting Categories

The headline news: The Young and the Restless leads the drama segment with nominations in all major drama‑series and acting categories. Competing alongside are long‑standing favorites General Hospital and Days of Our Lives.

Major Drama & Acting Nominations

Below is a summary of the key drama and acting categories announced so far:

These nominations highlight the strength of CBS’s flagship soap: four actresses and one actor from Y&R earned major nods, underlining the series’ dominance this year.

Fresh Faces and New Categories

In 2025, NATAS introduced a brand‑new award: Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series. This replaces the previous Younger Performer categories and embraces performers of any age in their first two years on daytime drama. These nods are expected among upcoming announcements in July 2025.

Beyond Drama: Culinary, Talk, Travel, Lifestyle & How‑To

The initial rollout also showcased a wide range of non‑drama nominees:

• Culinary Instructional Series: Featuring Selena + Restaurant (with Selena Gomez), Lidia’s Kitchen, Emeril Cooks, Be My Guest with Ina Garten, and Delicious Miss Brown.

• Talk Series: The View, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and Live with Kelly and Mark took top spots.

• Travel & Adventure Program: Expedition Unknown, Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong, The Good Road, How I Got Here, Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out, and Mexico Made With Love.

• Instructional and How‑To Program: Dime Como Hacerlo, The Fixers, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, Going Home with Tyler Cameron, Married to Real Estate, and Martha Gardens.

• Lifestyle Program: George to the Rescue, Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut, Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward, Homegrown, and You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.

A Top‑Level List Summary

Here’s a clean breakdown of confirmed nominated categories and shows:

1. Outstanding Drama Series

   • The Young and the Restless

   • General Hospital

   • Days of Our Lives

2. Lead Actress in Drama

   • Sharon Case, Eileen Davidson, Melissa Claire Egan, Michelle Stafford (Y&R)

   • Nancy Lee Grahn, Laura Wright (General Hospital)

3. Lead Actor in Drama

   • Peter Bergman (Y&R), Eric Martsolf, Greg Rikaart, Paul Telfer (Days of Our Lives), Dominic Zamprogna (General Hospital)

4. Culinary Instructional Series

   • Be My Guest with Ina Garten, Delicious Miss Brown, Emeril Cooks, Lidia’s Kitchen, Selena + Restaurant

5. Talk Series

   • The Drew Barrymore Show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, The View

6. Travel & Adventure Series

   • Expedition Unknown, Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong, The Good Road, How I Got Here, Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out, Mexico Made With Love

7. Instructional/How‑To Program

   • Dime Como Hacerlo, The Fixers, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, Going Home with Tyler Cameron, Married to Real Estate, Martha Gardens

8. Lifestyle Program

   • George to the Rescue, Hack Your Health, Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward, Homegrown, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment

These picks underline the Daytime Emmys' broad scope—from soaps and talk shows to travel, cooking, and self-improvement programming.

Why The Young and the Restless Is Dominating

• Historical Leadership: The show leads all drama fields this cycle, a continuation of its long-standing prominence.

• Acting Clout: Four out of six Best Actress slots belong to Y&R, reinforcing the power of its lead talent.

• Series Prestige: Securing a Best Drama nod alongside GH and DoOL cements it as a frontrunner for Best Drama Series .

What’s Next: Full Nomination Reveal & Awards Night

• July 10, 2025 (9 a.m. PT): Remaining categories will be unveiled, including supporting roles, emerging talent, directing, writing, and hosting.

• October 17, 2025: The 52nd Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony airs live from Pasadena, California.

Final Thoughts

This initial announcement emphasizes two key themes:

• Drama Dominance: The Young and the Restless stands tall across genre and performance categories.

• Category Evolution: NATAS continues to diversify its categories—launching Emerging Talent, splitting culinary genres, and focusing on lifestyle/travel distinctions.

As we await the full roster on July 10, the early nominations set the stage for a packed and competitive awards ceremony this October.