| Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | |
| Image Upright: | 0.7 |
| Awarded For: | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress |
| Country: | United States |
| Year: | 1974 |
| Holder: | Michelle Stafford, The Young and the Restless (2024) |
| Website: | theemmys.tv/daytime |
| Most Awards: | Erika Slezak, (6) |
| Most Nominations: | Susan Lucci, (21) |
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.
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 28 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 nominationsthe 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 2024 ceremony, Michelle Stafford is the most recent winner in this category, for her portrayal of Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless.
| Indicates the winner |
The following individuals received two or more wins in this category:
| Wins | Actress |
|---|---|
| Erika Slezak | |
| 4 | Susan Flannery |
| Kim Zimmer | |
| Helen Gallagher | |
| Heather Tom | |
| Maura West | |
| Jacqueline MacInnes Wood | |
| Michelle Stafford | |
| Judith Light | |
| Eileen Davidson |
| Nominations | Actress |
|---|---|
| Susan Lucci | |
| Kim Zimmer | |
| Susan Flannery | |
| Maura West | |
| Michelle Stafford | |
| 9 | Jeanne Cooper |
| Elizabeth Hubbard | |
| Erika Slezak | |
| Finola Hughes | |
| 7 | Laura Wright |
| 6 | Julia Barr |
| Mary Stuart | |
| Nancy Lee Grahn | |
| Heather Tom | |
| 5 | Helen Gallagher |
| 4 | Crystal Chappell |
| Leslie Charleson | |
| Susan Seaforth Hayes | |
| Beverlee McKinsey | |
| Robin Strasser | |
| Marcy Walker | |
| Jess Walton | |
| 3 | Martha Byrne |
| Eileen Davidson | |
| Linda Dano | |
| Peggy McCay | |
| Marci Miller | |
| Debbi Morgan | |
| Cynthia Watros | |
| Jacqueline MacInnes Wood | |
| Arianne Zucker | |
| 2 | Nancy Addison |
| Rachel Ames | |
| Kassie DePaiva | |
| Melissa Claire Egan | |
| 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 |
| Wins | Series |
|---|---|
| One Life to Live | |
| 9 | The Bold and the Beautiful |
| 7 | The Young and the Restless |
| 5 | Guiding Light |
| 3 | Another World |
| As the World Turns | |
| Days of our Lives | |
| General Hospital | |
| Ryan's Hope | |
| 2 | All My Children |
| 1 | The Doctors |
| Santa Barbara |