The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding 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 was first awarded at the 24th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1972, when the award was originally called Outstanding Achievement in a Daytime Drama for two years.

The first daytime-themed Emmy Awards were presented in 1974, when this award was renamed Outstanding Drama Series and given in honor of a daytime drama. The awards ceremony was not televised in 1983 and 1984, having been criticized for lack of integrity.

The award was first presented to The Doctors, which first aired in 1963. General Hospital holds the record for the most awards, winning on eighteen occasions. In 2007, Guiding Light and The Young and the Restless tied, which was the first tie in this category. The Young and the Restless has also received the most nominations, with a total of thirty-three. ABC has been the most successful network, with a total of twenty-one wins.

As of the 2025 ceremony, General Hospital is the most recent recipient of the award.

Winners and nominees Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees. + Table key Indicates the winner

1970s Year Program Network 1972 (24th) The Doctors NBC All My Children ABC Another World NBC General Hospital ABC 1973 (25th) The Edge of Night CBS Days of Our Lives NBC One Life to Live ABC The Doctors NBC 1974 (1st) The Doctors NBC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC 1975 (2nd) The Young and the Restless CBS Another World NBC Days of Our Lives NBC 1976 (3rd) Another World NBC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 1977 (4th) Ryan's Hope ABC All My Children ABC Another World NBC Days of Our Lives NBC The Edge of Night ABC 1978 (5th) Days of Our Lives NBC All My Children ABC Ryan's Hope ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 1979 (6th) Ryan's Hope ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS

1980s Year Program Network 1980 (7th) Guiding Light CBS All My Children ABC Another World NBC 1981 (8th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC Ryan's Hope ABC 1982 (9th) Guiding Light CBS All My Children ABC General Hospital ABC Ryan's Hope ABC 1983 (10th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC One Life to Live ABC 1984 (11th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC 1985 (12th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC Guiding Light CBS 1986 (13th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS General Hospital ABC 1987 (14th) As the World Turns CBS All My Children ABC Santa Barbara NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 1988 (15th) Santa Barbara NBC All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 1989 (16th) Santa Barbara NBC All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS General Hospital ABC Guiding Light CBS The Young and the Restless CBS

1990s Year Program Network 1990 (17th) Santa Barbara NBC All My Children ABC Guiding Light CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 1991 (18th) As the World Turns CBS All My Children ABC Guiding Light CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 1992 (19th) All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS Guiding Light CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 1993 (20th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS Guiding Light CBS 1994 (21st) All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS Guiding Light CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 1995 (22nd) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 1996 (26th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 1997 (27th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 1998 (27th) All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 1999 (26th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS

2000s Year Program Network 2000 (27th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC One Life to Live ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2001 (28th) As the World Turns CBS All My Children ABC General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2002 (29th) One Life to Live ABC All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 2003 (30th) As the World Turns CBS The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Port Charles ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2004 (31st) The Young and the Restless CBS As the World Turns CBS The Bold and the Beautiful CBS General Hospital ABC Guiding Light CBS 2005 (32nd) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 2006 (33rd) General Hospital ABC As the World Turns CBS Guiding Light CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 2007 (34th) Guiding Light CBS The Young and the Restless CBS The Bold and the Beautiful CBS One Life to Live ABC 2008 (35th) General Hospital ABC Guiding Light CBS One Life to Live ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2009 (36th) The Bold and the Beautiful CBS All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC

2010s Year Program Network 2010 (37th) The Bold and the Beautiful CBS All My Children ABC General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2011 (38th) The Bold and the Beautiful CBS All My Children ABC General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2012 (39th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 2013 (40th) Days of Our Lives NBC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS General Hospital ABC One Life to Live ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2014 (41st) The Young and the Restless CBS The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC One Life to Live TOLN.com 2015 (42nd) Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS The Bold and the Beautiful CBS General Hospital ABC 2016 (43rd) General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our LivesNBC The Young and the Restless CBS 2017 (44th) General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful Days of Our Lives The Young and the Restless 2018 (45th) Days of Our Lives NBC The Bold and the Beautiful General Hospital The Young and the Restless 2019 (46th) The Young and the Restless CBS The Bold and the Beautiful Days of Our Lives General Hospital

2020s Year Program Network 2020(47th) The Young and the Restless CBS The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC 2021(48th) General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 2022 (49th) General Hospital ABC Beyond SalemPeacock The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 2023 (50th) General Hospital ABC The Bay Popstar! TV The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC/Peacock The Young and the Restless CBS 2024 (51st) General Hospital ABC The Bay Popstar! TV The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives Peacock Neighbours Amazon Freevee The Young and the Restless CBS 2025 (52nd) General Hospital Days of Our Lives Peacock The Young and the Restless CBS 2026 (53rd) *Winner will be announced on October 30, 2026Beyond the Gates CBS Days of Our Lives Peacock General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS

Series with multiple wins 18 wins General Hospital

11 wins The Young and the Restless

4 wins As the World Turns Days of Our Lives

3 wins All My Children The Bold and the Beautiful Guiding Light Santa Barbara

2 wins The Doctors Ryan's Hope

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