For the 43rd time, the biggest stars in daytime television gathered to honor the best of the industry. And while much of the pre-show buzz centered on the ceremony not being broadcast on television, once the red carpet opened and the festivities began, TV or not TV was no longer in question. This was a celebration of amazing achievements.
"We are thrilled to be saluting the best and brightest in what has been a fantastic year for Daytime television," said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS. "We are blessed with an embarrassment of outstanding nominees and none could shine brighter than this year's Lifetime Achievement honoree, Sonia Manzano. Over the last forty-plus-years, we, and many of our children, have followed her iconic journey as "Maria" on Sesame Street, and the National Academy is thrilled to be able to salute her tonight for her extraordinary achievement."
It was a night of first-time winners. In fact, all seven of this year's acting winners were first-time recipients of Daytime Emmys in the drama series categories. It's a feat that hasn't occurred any time in recent memory.
ABC's General Hospital took home the most awards of any show, including the night's top honor, Outstanding Drama Series. The Bold and the Beautiful and Days of our Lives each picked up two wins. The Young and the Restless, television's top-rated soap, picked up one award on the night to go with its five wins at the Creative Arts ceremony.
This year, Soap Central took to our various social media platforms to connect fans in more ways than ever with their favorite daytime stars and programs. We blanketed the red carpet to capture in-the-moment photographs for our Instagram feed, we offered live streaming video of the event on our Periscope feed, and we interacted with fans in real-time on Twitter.
In the sections that follow, you'll be able to find out what winners shared with us backstage after winning Emmy gold, as well as photos, video, fashion, and other insights that you'll find only here on Soap Central. And be sure to keep checking back as we'll be posting additional coverage all week.
UPDATE: And if you'd like to watch this year's Daytime Emmy ceremony, you can now watch it in its entirety right here on Soap Central.
