It’s probably a blessing Erica Kane’s not around to see this. As a reflection of dwindling interest in soaps, this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards will be shown only online – aka not on television.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will not air on television for the first time since 1984. Instead the June 22nd ceremony will be live-streamed on daytimeemmys.net starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The Daytime Emmys ceremony has been broadcast on HLN the past two years. Last year's telecast averaged 913,000 viewers after drawing 5.4 million viewers on CBS just two years prior.
“We are confident that the expert team we’ve brought on will flawlessly execute an evening that celebrates the outstanding talent being honored and allows fans to be a part of the action,” said NATAS chairman Malachy Wienges in a statement.
Once again this year, no one from soap operas will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Russ Morash, the producer and director of The French Chef with Julia Child and the creator of This Old House and other iconic public television programs will be honored at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on June 20th.
The Young and the Restless leads the nominations with 26.
While neither soap has been officially canceled by Prospect Park/The OnLine Network, AMC actors Denyse Tontz (ex-Miranda Montgomery) and Eric Nelsen (ex-AJ Chandler) have signed on as presenters, along with OLTL's Tuc Watkins (ex-David Vickers Buchanan). Leslie Miller, who co-hosted MORE AMC and MORE OLTL for TOLN in 2013, will also attend as a presenter. Kassie DePaiva, who portrayed Blair Cramer on OLTL, both on the ABC and TOLN versions, is set to present as a member of the DAYS cast as it was announced earlier this year that she had signed on to portray the contract role of Eve Donovan (previously portrayed by Emmy Award winner Charlotte Ross). She will be joined by Freddie Smith (Sonny Kiriakis) and Guy Wilson (Will Horton).
Nominated this year in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Katie Logan on CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful, actress Heather Tom will present along with co-star John McCook (Eric Forrester).
General Hospital’s William deVry (Julian Jerome) and Lisa LoCicero (Olivia Falconeri), The Young and the Restless' Lauralee Bell (Christine Blair), Sean Carrigan (Stitch Rayburn) and Jess Walton (Jill Abbott Fenmore) will also be on hand as presenters. Bell’s web series mI promise is up for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Special Class – Short Format Daytime Program.
Currently co-hosting The Better Show, a syndicated and online series, former All My Children actress Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee Smythe) will present alongside co-host JD Roberto.
For a breakdown of presenters by show talent, see below:
ALL MY CHILDREN
Denyse Tontz
Eric Nelsen
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
John McCook
Heather Tom
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Kassie DePaiva
Freddie Smith
Guy Wilson
GENERAL HOSPITAL
William deVry
Lisa LoCicero
ONE LIFE TO LIVE
Tuc Watkins
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Lauralee Bell
Sean Carrigan
Jess Walton
Other presenters include: Joseph Rosendo (“Travelscope”), June Lockhart (“Lassie,” “Lost in Space”), George Chakiris (“West Side Story,” “OLTL”), Leeza Gibbons (“America Now”), Jessica Carleton (“Green Screen Adventures”), Leslie Rudolph-Carrara (puppeteer, “Sesame Street”), Hayley Faith Negrin (“Peg+Cat”), “This Old House” personalities Norm Abrams, Kevin O’Connor, Richard Trethewey, Roger Cook and Tom Silva, David Rudman (puppeteer, “Sesame Street”) and Nickelodeon’s The Fresh Beat Band members.
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