For starters, that ceremony setup came after the 2020 Daytime Emmys were one of the first awards shows to take place last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the different, fresher “hybrid” format for 2021 combined pre-taped segments and speeches with live, virtual connections, plus a live-and-in-person component that took place at an L.A. studio. “It’s the first step in getting back to normal. I think we’re getting there, and viewers will feel more like they’re watching an award show this year,” producer DavidMartin recently told Variety. He and his producing team also promised that the 2022 Daytime Emmys will mark an even greater return to normal with a fully in-person ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Read on to find out everything you want to know about the 2021 Daytime Emmys, including the winners and the most unforgettable moments.
Who hosted the 2021 Daytime Emmys?
SherylUnderwood for the win! The co-host of the Talk emceed the Daytime Emmys for the fifth time in a row—but it was her first year hosting on her own. She previously co-hosted alongside Mario Lopez, as well as with her entire Talk cast in 2020. “The content this year has been just stunning,” Underwood told the crowd. “Tonight is going to be a party, and there’s going to be a lot to celebrate because TV is everywhere.”
Who are the 2021 Daytime Emmy winners?
Here are the winners among all of the categories that were presented on the June 25 telecast:
Outstanding Drama Series
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS) Days of Our Lives (NBC) General Hospital (ABC) (winner) The Young and the Restless (CBS) Outstanding Limited Drama Series The Bay (Popstar TV) Beacon Hill (reelwomensnetwork.com) A House Divided (UMC)
Outstanding Game Show
Family Feud (Syndicated) Jeopardy! (Syndicated) (winner) Let’s Make a Deal (CBS) The Price Is Right (CBS) Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated)
Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program
Caught in Providence (Syndicated) Divorce Court (Fox) Judge Judy (SYNDICATED) Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court (Syndicated) The People’s Court (Syndicated) (winner)
Outstanding Morning Show
CBS Sunday Morning (CBS) (winner) Good Morning America (ABC) Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist (NBC) Today Show (NBC)
Outstanding Informative Talk Show
The 3rd Hour of TODAY (NBC) GMA3: What You Need To Know (ABC) Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch) (winner) Red Table Talk: The Estefans (Facebook Watch) Tamron Hall (Syndicated)
Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show
The Drew Barrymore Show (Syndicated) The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndicated) The Kelly Clarkson Show (Syndicated) (winner) Live with Kelly and Ryan (Syndicated) Today with Hoda & Jenna (NBC)
Outstanding Entertainment News Program
Access Hollywood (Syndicated) E!’s Daily Pop (E!) Entertainment Tonight (syndicated) (winner) Extra (Syndicated) Inside Edition (Syndicated)
Outstanding Daytime Special Event
94th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC) 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards (IFC) David Blaine Ascension (YouTube Originals) Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (SYNDICATED) Space Launch Live: America Returns to Space (Discovery and Science Channel) (winner)
Outstanding Daytime Non-Fiction
Call Your Mother (Comedy Central) Creators for Change on Girls’ Education with Michelle Obama (YouTube Originals) (winner) I Am Patrick (CBN) The Manhattan Project – Electronic Field Trip (Digital Release) Reclamation: The Rise at Standing Rock (vimeo.com) Red Table Talk: Will Smith’s Red Table Takeover: Resolving Conflict (Facebook Watch) TIME’s Kid of the Year (Nickelodeon)
Outstanding Special Performance by a Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Melissa Claire Egan as Chelsea Lawson on The Young and the Restless (CBS) Genie Francis as Laura Collins on General Hospital (ABC) Nancy Lee Grahn as Alexis Davis on General Hospital (ABC) Finola Hughes as Anna Devane/Alex Marick on General Hospital (ABC) Jacqueline MacInnes Wood as Steffy Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS) (winner)
Outstanding Special Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Maurice Benard as Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital (ABC) (winner) Steve Burton as Jason Morgan on General Hospital (ABC) Thorsten Kaye as Ridge Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS) Wally Kurth as Justin Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives (NBC) Dominic Zamprogna as Dante Falconeri on General Hospital (ABC)
Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Marla Adams as Dina Mergeron on The Young and the Restless (CBS) (winner) Tamara Braun as Ava Vitali on Days of Our Lives (NBC) Carolyn Hennesy as Diane Miller on General Hospital (ABC) Briana Nicole Henry as Jordan Ashford on General Hospital (ABC) Courtney Hope as Sally Spectra on The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Darin Brooks as Wyatt Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS) Max Gail as Mike Corbin on General Hospital (ABC) (winner) Bryton James as Devon Hamilton on The Young and the Restless (CBS) Jeff Kober as Cyrus Renault on General Hospital (ABC) James Patrick Stuart as Valentin Cassadine on General Hospital (ABC)
Outstanding Younger Performer in A Drama Series
Tajh Bellow as TJ Ashford on General Hospital (ABC) Victoria Konefal as Ciara Brady on Days of Our Lives (NBC) (winner) Alyvia Alyn Lind as Faith Newman on The Young and the Restless (CBS) Katelyn MacMullen as Willow Tait on General Hospital (ABC) Sydney Mikayla as Trina Robinson on General Hospital (ABC)
Outstanding Guest Performer in A Drama Series
Kim Delaney as Jackie Templeton on General Hospital (ABC) George DelHoyo as Orpheus on Days of Our Lives (NBC) Briana Lane as Brook Lynn Ashton on General Hospital (ABC) Cady McClain as Jennifer Horton-Devereaux on Days of Our Lives (NBC) (winner) Victoria Platt as Dr. Amanda Raynor on Days of Our Lives (NBC)
Outstanding Culinary Host
Valerie Bertinelli – Valerie’s Home Cooking (Food Network) Giada De Laurentiis – Giada at Home 2.0 (Food Network) Edward Delling-Williams – Paris Bistro Cooking with Edward Delling-Williams (Recipe TV) Ina Garten – Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro (Food Network) (winner) Sophia Roe – Counter Space (Vice TV) Michael Symon – Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out (Food Network)
Outstanding Game Show Host
Wayne Brady – Let’s Make a Deal (CBS) Steve Harvey – Family Feud (Syndicated) Alfonso Ribeiro – Catch 21 (Game Show Network) Pat Sajak – Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated) Alex Trebek – Jeopardy! (Syndicated) (winner)
Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host
Gloria Estefan, Emily Estefan and Lili Estefan – Red Table Talk: The Estefans (Facebook Watch) Tamron Hall – Tamron Hall (Syndicated) Rachael Ray – Rachael Ray (Syndicated) Taraji P. Henson & Tracie Jade – Peace of Mind with Taraji (Facebook Watch) Larry King – Larry King Now (Ora TV) (winner) Amy Robach, Dr. Jennifer Ashton & T. J. Holmes – GMA3: What You Need To Know (ABC) Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith & Adrienne Banfield-Norris – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host
Drew Barrymore – The Drew Barrymore Show (Syndicated) Kelly Clarkson – The Kelly Clarkson Show (Syndicated) (winner) Sean Evans – Hot Ones (YouTube) Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager – Today with Hoda & Jenna (NBC) Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest – Live! with Kelly and Ryan (Syndicated)
Outstanding Writing Team for a Drama Series
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS) General Hospital (ABC) The Young and the Restless (CBS) (winner)
Outstanding Directing Team for a Drama Series
The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS) Days of Our Lives (NBC) General Hospital (ABC) (winner) The Young and the Restless (CBS)
What happened at the 2021 Daytime Emmys?
There was a bit of drama when the wrong person was memorialized during the In Memorium tribute. As Variety reported, the recently deceased soap actress Marguerite Ray was represented during the segment with a photo of Veronica Redd (who’s still very much alive). The mix-up likely occurred because Ray and Redd both portrayed the character of Mamie Johnson on The Young and the Restless. Ray played Mamie from 1980-1990, at which point Redd took over the role. Still, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences apologized the next day in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to the Ray family — as well as to Veronica Redd, whose image was inadvertently used instead. Each of these Daytime icons deserved better from our Academy,” NATAS tweeted in part.
Who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Daytime Emmys?
According to Variety, “NATAS opted not to hand out lifetime achievement awards again this year, to avoid robbing honorees of the normal pomp and circumstance that comes with a live audience.” However, there were touching tribute segments devoted to such recently deceased daytime TV icons as Regis Philbin, Alex Trebek and Larry King, who were honored by the likes of Kathie Lee Gifford, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ken Jeong, Robin Roberts and Martha Stewart. When Trebek and King also posthumously won the Emmys for Outstanding Game Show Host and Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host, respectively, there were even more touching tributes from their children. Chance King and Cannon King accepted their dad’s award on his behalf, while Trebek’s son Matt Trebek said during an acceptance speech alongside sister EmilyTrebek, “For as long as we can remember, Dad was always so proud to be a part of Jeopardy!”
Who presented at the 2021 Daytime Emmys?
The list of A-list presenters was just as luminous as any other awards show we’ve seen this year, with appearances by Drew Barrymore, Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest, Bachelorette star turned Extra correspondent Rachel Lindsay, Giada De Laurentiis, Gloria Estefan, Al Roker, MarioLopez, Tamron Hall,ET’s Kevin Frazier and NischelleTurner, Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Bryton James, Michelle Stafford and Brytni Sarpi from The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives’Deidre Hall, Jackée Harry and Robert Scott Wilson, GeneralHospital’s Donnell Turner, KellyThiebaud, and CynthiaWatros, and Heather Tom from The Bold and the Beautiful.
When were the Daytime Emmys 2021?
Nearly two dozen of the Daytime Emmys’ major awards were handed out during the Friday, June 26, primetime telecast. Other awards will be handed out in July. Specifically, the Daytime Children’s Programming and Animation Emmy Awards will be presented on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET, while the Daytime Lifestyle Programming Emmy Awards will take place the following day, Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET.
How to watch and stream the 2021 Daytime Emmys on TV and online
CBS broadcast the awards show live on Friday, June 26, from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT. The ceremony could also be streamed live on connected devices on CBS All Access. Now that the show’s over, the ceremony will be available on-demand for 30 days post-broadcast on CBS.com, CBS All Access and on the CBS app for mobile and tablet viewing. July’s Daytime Children’s Programming and Animation Awards and the Daytime Lifestyle Programming Awards will both be available to stream on the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Emmy OTT platform or at https://watch.theemmys.tv/. Next, relive everything that went down at the 2020 Daytime Emmys!
