2026 Daytime Emmy Awards: Sherri Shepherd, Tracee Ellis Ross, Keke Palmer and Beyond the Gates Among Major Winners

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — October 31, 2026

The stars of daytime television gathered in Los Angeles Friday night for the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, celebrating another year of outstanding achievements in television as Sherri Shepherd, Tracee Ellis Ross, Keke Palmer’s KeyTV production Glam Through the Ages, and CBS’s groundbreaking soap opera Beyond the Gates emerged among the evening’s notable success stories.

Held October 30 at the Hollywood Palladium, the ceremony recognized excellence across daytime dramas, talk shows, entertainment journalism, lifestyle programming, culinary television, and digital entertainment, with both established television institutions and newer productions earning recognition.

ABC’s long-running soap opera General Hospital captured the coveted Outstanding Daytime Drama Series award, continuing its dominance in the category. The series also earned Outstanding Writing Team and Outstanding Casting, while Jeff Kober received Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series for his portrayal of Cyrus Renault.

Although General Hospital secured the night’s top drama honor, CBS’s Beyond the Gates delivered one of the ceremony’s most significant performances, collecting four awards and reinforcing its growing presence in daytime television.

The series, which made history as the first new daytime soap opera centered on a predominantly Black cast in more than three decades, celebrated a major acting victory when Tamara Tunie won Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress for her portrayal of Anita Williams Dupree.

Fellow cast member Ambyr Michelle received Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series for her performance as Eva Thomas, adding another achievement to the show’s inaugural awards recognition.

Beyond the Gates also won Outstanding Lighting Direction and shared Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup honors with The Kelly Clarkson Show.

The show’s success was particularly noteworthy given its 15 nominations, demonstrating the industry’s recognition of its performances, production quality, and contribution to daytime storytelling.

Sherri Shepherd enjoyed a major personal victory, winning Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host for her nationally syndicated program Sherri. Shepherd prevailed over a competitive field that included Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Tamron Hall, and the co-hosts of The View.

The award marked an important moment for Shepherd, whose daytime television career has included years of work as a comedian, actress, and television host.

Meanwhile, The Kelly Clarkson Show continued its successful awards run, winning Outstanding Daytime Talk Series along with honors for directing, live sound mixing and editing, and art direction, set decoration, and scenic design. The show also shared the hairstyling and makeup award with Beyond the Gates.

Tracee Ellis Ross earned recognition through her travel series Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross, which won Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program. The Roku production follows Ross as she explores destinations independently, highlighting travel, cultural experiences, and personal discovery.

Keke Palmer also had reason to celebrate as Glam Through the Ages, produced through her KeyTV platform, won Outstanding Daytime Short Form Program. The recognition highlighted Palmer’s expanding work in digital media and television production, although the actress and entrepreneur did not win the separate Outstanding Daytime Personality — Non-Daily category, which went to Giada De Laurentiis for Giada in My Kitchen.

Additional acting honors included Scott Clifton, who won Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor for his portrayal of Liam Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Young and the Restless celebrated victories for Beth Maitland, who received Outstanding Supporting Performance: Actress for her portrayal of Traci Abbott, and Roger Howarth, who won Outstanding Supporting Performance: Actor for his portrayal of Matt Clark.

The CBS drama also earned Outstanding Costume Design and Styling, while NBC’s Days of Our Lives received Outstanding Directing Team in a Daytime Drama Series.

In entertainment journalism, Entertainment Tonight won Outstanding Entertainment News Series, defeating fellow nominees Access Hollywood and Extra.

The Drew Barrymore Show received Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design, while Star Jones and Corey Jovan of Divorce Court won Outstanding Daytime Personality — Daily.

The courtroom series Justice for the People With Judge Milian took home Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Series, while Off Script With the Hollywood Reporter won Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program.

Culinary programming also received significant recognition, with Ina Garten winning Outstanding Culinary Host for Be My Guest With Ina Garten. The series additionally captured Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series, while Lucky Chow won Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series.

HGTV’s Home Town Takeover earned Outstanding Instructional/How-to Program, and A Different Breed won Outstanding Lifestyle Program. The latter also collected awards for directing and editing in daytime non-studio programming.

The documentary special Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children With Autism received Outstanding Daytime Special, recognizing its exploration of the relationship between service dogs and children with autism.

In technical categories, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade won Outstanding Music Direction and Composition and Outstanding Technical Direction and Video.

The travel production Long Way Home earned Outstanding Cinematography or Camerawork and Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Prerecorded Daytime Program, while Craft Roundtables received Outstanding Editing for a Daytime Studio Program.

A rare tie occurred in Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series, with Expedition Unknown and This Old House sharing the award.

One of the evening’s most meaningful honors went to veteran actress Genie Francis, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her decades-long contribution to daytime television.

Francis, widely recognized for her portrayal of Laura Spencer on General Hospital, has remained one of the genre’s most enduring performers, with a career spanning nearly five decades.

The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards reflected both the continued strength of established daytime franchises and the emergence of newer productions reaching audiences through streaming platforms and independent media ventures.

For Beyond the Gates, its four victories represented an important milestone for a series expanding representation in daytime drama. For Shepherd, Ross, and Palmer’s KeyTV platform, the ceremony highlighted the continued influence of Black entertainers and creators across television hosting, acting, travel programming, and digital production.

With General Hospital maintaining its position among daytime television’s most decorated dramas and newer productions earning major recognition, this year’s ceremony celebrated the changing landscape of daytime entertainment while honoring the personalities and programs that continue to connect with viewers across generations.