Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Annual acting award
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The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given to honor an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the daytime drama industry.
| Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | |
|---|---|
The 2025 recipient: Nancy Lee Grahn | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | |
| First award | 1974 |
| Currently held by | Nancy Lee Grahn, General Hospital (2025) |
| Most awards | Erika Slezak, (6) |
| Most nominations | Susan Lucci, (21) |
| Website | theemmys.tv/daytime |
The 1st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was held in 1974, with Elizabeth Hubbard receiving the award for her role as Althea Davis on The Doctors.[1] The award has undergone several name changes, originally honoring actresses in leading and supporting roles. Following the introduction of a new category in 1979, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, the award's name was altered to Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, before changing once again, to its current title, years later.[1][2] The awards ceremony was not aired on television in 1983 and 1984, having been criticized for voting integrity.[3][4] In 1985, another category was introduced: Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series; one criterion for this category was altered, requiring all actresses to be aged 26 or above.[5]
Since its inception, the award has been given to 29 actresses. One Life to Live is the show with the most awarded actresses, with a total of eleven, including Erika Slezak and her record six wins. Susan Flannery and Kim Zimmer have since received four wins each. Susan Lucci has one win from 21 nominations – the most nominations of any actress in the category. For her portrayal of Amanda Sinclair on The Young and the Restless, Mishael Morgan made Daytime Emmy history by winning the award in 2022, making her the first Black actress to receive this honor. This milestone follows Debbi Morgan's nomination in 2009, where she became the first Black woman nominated in the category. As of the 2025 ceremony, Nancy Lee Grahn is the most recent winner in this category, for her portrayal of Alexis Davis on General Hospital.
Winners and nominees
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.
| ‡ | Indicates the winner |
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Performers with multiple wins
|
The following individuals received two or more wins in this category:
|
Performers with multiple nominations
The following individuals received two or more nominations in this category:
- 21 nominations
- Susan Lucci
- 11 nominations
- Kim Zimmer
- Michelle Stafford
- 10 nominations
- Susan Flannery
- Maura West
- 9 nominations
- Jeanne Cooper
- Elizabeth Hubbard
- Erika Slezak
- Finola Hughes
- 8 nominations
- Laura Wright
- 7 nominations
- Nancy Lee Grahn
- 6 nominations
- Julia Barr
- Mary Stuart
- Heather Tom
- 5 nominations
- Helen Gallagher
- Eileen Davidson
- 4 nominations
- Crystal Chappell
- Leslie Charleson
- Susan Seaforth Hayes
- Beverlee McKinsey
- Robin Strasser
- Marcy Walker
- Jess Walton
- 3 nominations
- Martha Byrne
- Melissa Claire Egan
- Linda Dano
- Katherine Kelly Lang
- Peggy McCay
- Marci Miller
- Debbi Morgan
- Cynthia Watros
- Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
- Arianne Zucker
- 2 nominations
- Nancy Addison
- Rachel Ames
- Sharon Case
- Kassie DePaiva
- Bobbie Eakes
- Ann Flood
- Genie Francis
- Sharon Gabet
- Deidre Hall
- Katherine Kelly Lang
- Judith Light
- Gina Tognoni
- Hillary B. Smith
- Ruth Warrick
- Victoria Wyndham
- Colleen Zenk
Series with most awards
- 11 wins
- One Life to Live
- 9 wins
- The Bold and the Beautiful
- 7 wins
- The Young and the Restless
- 5 wins
- Guiding Light
- 4 wins
- General Hospital
- 3 wins
- Another World
- As the World Turns
- Days of our Lives
- Ryan's Hope
- 2 wins
- All My Children