HOLLYWOOD—Well, the Daytime Emmy Awards are right around the corner. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 1. While this is the first year the ceremony will not be televised live on TV, awards will still be handed out. The CBS soap “The Young and the Restless” leads all contenders, but which of your favorite soap stars will walk away with the big prize? Well let’s take a look at some of the major categories of the night:
One thing that can be echoed through many of the performances for those competing in the Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Younger Actor and Younger Actress categories is the level of emotion delivered by each performer; so many of the races are quite competitive to say the least.
Let’s look at the Lead Actor race which includes the likes of Tyler Christopher (GH), Anthony Geary (GH), Christian LeBlanc (Y&R), Justin Hartley (Y&R) and Kristoff St. John (Y&R). Yeah, so it’s a battle of the men of “General Hospital” vs. the guys of “The Young and the Restless.”
I will acknowledge many are already crowning the Emmy to Geary for his performance involving the truth about the deaths of his mother and his father. While the scenes are riveting, some could echo that Christopher’s performance reel involving scenes involving Spencer’s prognosis after being involved in a fire were tense. We then transition to LeBlanc’s performance of learning that his cancer could lead him impotent and confessing his fears to a prostitute. John delivers what I consider an anger-fueled performance after learning about betrayal from his wife and his son, and we can’t forger Hartley who delivers a performance full of fear and grief involving Adam Newman’s true identity.
To be honest any of these five guys could claim the prize, Geary while the front-runner and I think Hartley is indeed a dark horse, not to mention St. John. I would peg my money on Justin Hartley cause it’s a performance that is hard to forget, but St. John could indeed be a surprise, while Geary would be a safe bet.
When it comes to the ladies we’re looking at Kassie DePaiva (DOOL), Mary Beth Evans (DOOL), Tracy E. Bregman (Y&R), Finola Hughes (GH) and Maura West (GH) all competing in the Lead Actress race. Yet, again we have five fabulous performances from ladies who deliver emotional performances to say the least. Both DePaiva and Evans bring on the waterworks in reels that definitely touch the heartstrings.
Give DePaiva the edge between the two. Then you have Hughes and West who also deliver a bit of rage and sadness in their performances, as does Bregman. West who won the prize last year, could indeed be a winner again this year. However, I see this as battle between DePaiva and Hughes. Secretly, I’m hoping Hughes edges out a win cause she has been overlooked SO MANY times for her terrific work on “GH.” However, I would not be surprised if DePaiva took home the award.
Now looking at the Supporting Actor race we have Sean Blakemore (GH), Dominic Zamprogna (GH), Bryton James (Y&R), Steve Burton (Y&R) and Jacob Young (B&B). So who is likely to win? This is the one category that I honestly think is a lock for Young. He has been terrific all year, and those scenes where he learned that Maya was transgender were just beyond riveting; they were epic. He may have lost out in 2015, but I think 2016 is Young’s year to shine.
When it comes to the Supporting Actress race, the contenders include Lauralee Bell (Y&R), Jessica Collins (Y&R), Peggy McCay (DOOL), Melissa Reeves (DOOL) and Linsey Godfrey (B&B). This is another race where I think the winner should not be a surprise, because Linsey Godfrey was fantastic in her scenes where she revealed to Ridge that she slept with his son Thomas. Her level of range and raw emotion is epic. In my opinion, she was robbed last year in this same category, but should come out a winner this year.
In the Younger Actor race the candidates include Nicholas Bechtel (GH), Bryan Craig (GH), Max Ehrich (Y&R), Pierson Fode (B&B) and Tequan Richmond (GH). This is a race where, the performances are pretty equal across the drawing board. Ehrich, Richmond and Craig all showcase a level of range with the reels they submitted, Richmond’s waterworks when his father Shawn is carted off to jail is so authentic it’s a testament of fine acting. The same sentiment can be echoed for Craig whose drunken performance is carefully balanced. Place your bets on Bryan Craig for the win, but don’t be surprised if any of the other contenders edge out a win.
When it comes to the contenders for Younger Actress those vying for the Emmy include Ashlyn Pearce (B&B), Reign Edwards (B&B), True O’Brien (DOOL), Hunter Haley King (Y&R) and Brooklyn Rae Silzer (GH). This is a strong race in my opinion, where all of the ladies are deserving of the award. If you’re asking what performance left me unnerved and full of emotions it had to be Silzer. Her moment in the park, not to mention her learning about her father’s engagement being broken and her BEGGING, literally BEGGING for her mother Robin to come home left me floored. That little one should indeed be awarded and Emmy cause it’s long overdue.
Now, if we’re placing our bets on the prize for Outstanding Drama Series, I think this is a race between “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Days of Our Lives.” This is not to discount “General Hospital” and “The Young and the Restless.” I feel like they’ve both submitted episodes where one is stronger than the other, compared to “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Days of Our Lives” who have stronger episodes.
“Days of Our Lives” has been on a whirlwind of juicy TV drama since August 2015, and proved what a soap needs to do to reinvent itself to make it must-see TV for fans, and for that they should be awarded to say the least. However, “The Bold and the Beautiful” delivered some dramatic episodes with its transgender storyline involving Maya. The revelation that seemed like weeks in the making was worth every minute, and the fireworks between Maya and her father at her wedding to Rick was a testament of fine acting from Karla Mosley and Obba Babatunde. That episode might have been the best moment of daytime soap television I witnessed the entire year.
Place your money on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” but don’t be surprised if “Days of Our Lives” is crowned the victor. So share your thoughts on who you think will walk away with the big prize at the 43rd Daytime Emmy Awards which will be handed out over the weekend.
