Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series
Awarded forOutstanding Performance by Younger Actress/Actor in a Drama Series
CountryUnited States
Presented by
First awarded2020
Last awarded2023[1]
Most nominationsTwo (2) nominations each:
  • Katelyn MacMullen
  • Alyvia Alyn Lind
  • Sydney Mikayla
Websitetheemmys.tv/daytime
RelatedReplaced the gender-specific Younger Actor and Younger Actress categories

The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series was an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was awarded annually from the 47th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2020 to the 50th Daytime Emmys in 2023.[1] It was given to honor a young actress or actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a role while working within the daytime drama industry.

Prior to this category's introduction, the awards were distributed on the basis of gender, in the respective, Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series categories. An announcement was made to merge in October 2019, and introduce this current single, gender-neutral one.[2] Reasons for such change, included that there are fewer daytime soap operas, thus fewer entrants as well as part as the continuous discussion and implementation of gender-inclusive categories at award competitions. In spite of that, only female-identifying actors earned a nomination in the category in the first year the award was merged.

It was announced that for the 48th Daytime Emmy Awards competition, it would be the final year in which the age 25 is the cut-off. It was then lowered that following year to 21, and lowered further to 18 for 2023. With the age being lowered to 18 for the 50th Daytime Emmy Awards, entrants were required to be "no older than 18 on at least January 1, 2022" in order to be eligible. Additionally, when the announcement was made for the 48th Daytime Emmy Awards, Younger Performer entrants were permitted to enter this category an infinite number of times while they are under 18, but once they turned 18, they were permitted to enter only three times before being moved to either the Lead or Supporting categories. Being age-qualified to enter for Younger Performer award does NOT mean an entrant is required to. Lead and Supporting acting categories are also open to performers under the age of 25. It is up to the discretion of the actor to determine which category they should be considered for.[3]

The award was first presented to Olivia Rose Keegan, for her role as Claire Brady on Days of Our Lives. As of the 2023 ceremony, Eden McCoy is the most recent winner in this category. Katelyn MacMullen, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Sydney Mikayla and Eden McCoy have the most nominations in this category, with a total of two.

In February 2024, it was announced that the Younger Performer award was being retired, and younger performers will now have to enter into the regular lead, supporting or guest acting categories.[1]

Winners and nominees

Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.

Table key
‡ Indicates the winner
Year Performer Program Role Network Ref.
2020s
2020
(47th) 		Olivia Rose Keegan ‡ Days of Our Lives Claire Brady
NBC
[4]
Sasha Calle The Young and the Restless Lola Rosales
CBS
[5]
Katelyn MacMullen General Hospital Willow Tait
ABC
Eden McCoy General Hospital Josslyn Jacks
ABC
Thia Megia Days of Our Lives Haley Chen
NBC
2021
(48th) 		Victoria Konefal ‡ Days of Our Lives Ciara Brady
NBC
[6]
Tajh Bellow General Hospital TJ Ashford ABC
[7]
Alyvia Alyn Lind The Young and the Restless Faith Newman
CBS
Katelyn MacMullen General Hospital Willow Tait
ABC
Sydney Mikayla General Hospital Trina Robinson
ABC
2022
(49th) 		Nicholas Chavez ‡ General Hospital Spencer Cassadine ABC
[8]
Lindsay Arnold Days of Our Lives Allie Horton
NBC
[9]
Alyvia Alyn Lind The Young and the Restless Faith Newman
CBS
William Lipton General Hospital Cameron Webber ABC
Sydney Mikayla General Hospital Trina Robinson
ABC
2023

(50th)
[note 1]

Eden McCoy ‡ General Hospital Josslyn Jacks
ABC
[11]
Cary Christopher Days of Our Lives Thomas DiMera
NBC/Peacock
[12]
Henry Joseph Samiri The Bold and the Beautiful Douglas Forrester
CBS

Multiple nominations

2 nominations

References

  1. ^ a b c "Daytime Emmys Eliminate 'Outstanding Younger Performer' Category, Reveal Other Rules Changes". Variety. February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "Daytime Emmys Combine Young Performer Categories, Clarify Gender Identity Rules". Variety. October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "The 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Category Changes" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  4. ^ "The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Winners" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  5. ^ "The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "The 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Winners" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "The 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations". New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  8. ^ "The 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Telecast Winners" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  9. ^ "The 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  10. ^ Dave Nemetz (April 28, 2023). "Days of Our Lives' Victoria Grace Loses Daytime Emmy Nomination After 'Huge Misunderstanding' — Read Statement". TVLine. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Telecast Winners" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  12. ^ "The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). New York/Los Angeles: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.

Notes

  1. ^ The 50th Daytime Emmys originally included a fourth nominee in the category, Victoria Grace (Wendy Shin, Days of Our Lives), who was withdrawn by the submitting program on April 28, 2023. Grace (born June 20, 2000) was ineligible to be nominated, as she was older than 18 years of age on January 1, 2022, the date designated for 2023 entrants to qualify for eligibility in the category under the revised age requirements. (She turned 21 about 51⁄2 months before the designated cutoff date for 2023 submittees that met the new age requirements.)[10]

External links

Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series
Daytime Emmy Awards categories
Categories