The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting 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 supporting role while working within the daytime drama industry.
At the 6th Daytime Emmy Awards held in 1979, Suzanne Rogers was the first winner of this award, for her role as Maggie Horton on Days of Our Lives. The awards ceremony was not aired on television in 1983 and 1984, having been criticized for voting integrity. Following the introduction of a new category in 1985, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series, one criterion for this category was altered, requiring all actresses to be aged 26 or above.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 43 actresses. General Hospital is the soap opera with the most awarded actresses, with a total of nine. In 1989, Nancy Lee Grahn and Debbi Morgan made Daytime Emmy Award history when they tied in this category. Morgan also became the first African-American woman to have garnered the award. Julia Barr, Tamara Braun, Grahn, Amelia Heinle, and Gina Tognoni are the only actresses to have won the award twice. Heinle is the only one to have won it, consecutively. Linsey Godfrey has the most nominations in this category, with a total of six. Following Sonya Eddy's passing in December 2022, she became the first posthumous winner in the category when she received the award in 2023. As of the 2025 ceremony, Susan Walters is the most recent winner in this category for her role as Diane Jenkins Abbott on The Young and the Restless. 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 † Indicates a posthumous winner *Indicates a posthumous nominee 1970s Year Actress Program Role Network 1979 (6th) Suzanne Rogers Days of Our Lives Maggie Horton Rachel Ames General Hospital Audrey March Hardy Susan Brown General Hospital Gail Adamson Baldwin Lois Kibbee The Edge of Night Geraldine Whitney Saxon Frances Reid Days of Our Lives Alice Horton
1980s Year Actress Program Role Network 1980 (7th) Francesca James All My Children Kelly Cole Tyler Deidre Hall Days of Our Lives Marlena Evans Lois Kibbee The Edge of Night Geraldine Whitney Saxon Elaine Lee The Doctors Mildred Trumble Valerie Mahaffey The Doctors Ashley Bennett 1981 (8th) Jane Elliot General Hospital Tracy Quartermaine Randall Edwards Ryan's Hope Delia Coleridge Lois Kibbee The Edge of Night Geraldine Saxon Elizabeth Lawrence All My ChildrenMyra Murdoch Jacklyn Zeman General Hospital Bobbie Spencer 1982 (9th) Dorothy Lyman All My Children Opal Gardner Elizabeth Lawrence All My ChildrenMyra MurdochMeg Mundy The Doctors Mona Aldrich Croft Louise ShafferRyan's Hope Rae Woodard 1983 (10th) Louise Shaffer Ryan's Hope Rae Woodard Kim Delaney All My ChildrenJenny Gardner Eileen Herlie All My ChildrenMyrtle Fargate Robin Mattson General Hospital Heather Webber Brynn Thayer One Life to Live Jenny Wolek Marcy Walker All My ChildrenLiza Colby 1984 (11th)Judi Evans Guiding Light Beth Raines Loanne Bishop General Hospital Rose Kelly Christine Ebersole One Life to Live Maxie McDermont Eileen Herlie All My ChildrenMyrtle Fargate Lois Kibbee The Edge of Night Geraldine Whitney Saxon Marcy Walker All My ChildrenLiza Colby 1985 (12th) Beth Maitland The Young and the Restless Traci Abbott Norma Connolly General Hospital Ruby Anderson Eileen Herlie All My ChildrenMyrtle Fargate Maeve Kinkead Guiding Light Vanessa Chamberlain Elizabeth Lawrence All My ChildrenMyra Murdoch 1986 (13th) Leann Hunley Days of Our Lives Anna DiMera Judith AndersonSanta BarbaraMinx Lockridge Uta Hagen One Life to Live Hortense Eileen Herlie All My ChildrenMyrtle Fargate Kathleen Widdoes As the World Turns Emma Snyder 1987 (14th) Kathleen Noone All My Children Ellen Dalton Lisa Brown As the World Turns Iva Snyder Robin Mattson Santa BarbaraGina Blake Lockridge Peggy McCay Days of Our Lives Caroline Brady Kathleen Widdoes As the World Turns Emma Snyder 1988 (15th) Ellen Wheeler All My Children Cindy Parker Lisa Brown As the World Turns Iva Snyder Eileen Fulton As the World Turns Lisa McColl Maeve Kinkead Guiding Light Vanessa Chamberlain Robin Mattson Santa BarbaraGina Blake Lockridge Arleen Sorkin Days of Our Lives Calliope Jones 1989 (16th) Nancy Lee Grahn Santa BarbaraJulia Wainwright Capwell Debbi Morgan All My Children Angie Hubbard Jane Elliot Days of Our Lives Anjelica Deveraux Robin Mattson Santa BarbaraGina Blake Lockridge Arleen Sorkin Days of Our Lives Calliope Jones
1990s Year Actress Program Role Network 1990 (17th) Julia Barr All My Children Brooke English Mary Jo Catlett General Hospital Mary Finnegan Michelle Forbes Guiding Light Sonni Carrera Lynn HerringGeneral HospitalLucy Coe Jess Walton The Young and the Restless Jill Abbott 1991 (18th) Jess Walton The Young and the Restless Jill Abbott Darlene Conley The Bold and the Beautiful Sally Spectra Maureen Garrett Guiding Light Holly Lindsey Jill Larson All My Children Opal Cortlandt Kathleen Widdoes As the World Turns Emma Snyder 1992 (19th) Maeve Kinkead Guiding Light Vanessa Chamberlain Darlene Conley The Bold and the Beautiful Sally Spectra Linda DanoAnother World Felicia Gallant Maureen Garrett Guiding Light Holly Lindsey Lynn HerringGeneral HospitalLucy Coe 1993 (20th) Ellen Parker Guiding Light Maureen Bauer Kimberlin Brown The Young and the Restless Sheila Carter Jane Elliot General Hospital Tracy Quartermaine Jill Larson All My Children Opal Cortlandt Tonja Walker One Life to Live Alex Olanov 1994 (21st) Susan Haskell One Life to Live Marty Saybrooke Signy Coleman The Young and the Restless Hope Adams Wilson Hilary Edson Guiding Light Eve Guthrie Maureen Garrett Guiding Light Holly Lindsey Sharon Wyatt General Hospital Tiffany Donely 1995 (22nd) Rena Sofer General Hospital Lois Cerullo Jean Carol Guiding Light Nadine Cooper Melina Kanakaredes Guiding Light Eleni Andros Cooper Sydney Penny All My Children Julia Santos Jacklyn Zeman General Hospital Bobbie Spencer 1996 (23rd) Anna Holbrook Another World Sharlene Frame Rosalind Cash General Hospital Mary Mae Ward Victoria Rowell The Young and the Restless Drucilla Winters Michelle Stafford The Young and the Restless Phyllis Summers Romalotti Tonya Lee Williams The Young and the Restless Olivia Barber Hastings 1997 (24th) Michelle Stafford The Young and the Restless Phyllis Summers Romalotti Eva LaRue All My Children Maria Santos Grey Vanessa Marcil General Hospital Brenda Barrett Victoria Rowell The Young and the Restless Drucilla Winters Jacklyn Zeman General Hospital Bobbie Spencer 1998 (25th) Julia Barr All My Children Brooke English Amy CarlsonAnother World Josie Watts Amy Ecklund Guiding Light Abigail Blume Vanessa Marcil General Hospital Brenda Barrett Victoria Rowell The Young and the Restless Drucilla Winters 1999 (26th) Sharon Case The Young and the Restless Sharon Newman Jennifer Bassey All My Children Marian Colby Beth Ehlers Guiding Light Harley Cooper Kathleen Noone Sunset Beach Bette Katzenkazrahi Kelly Ripa All My ChildrenHayley Vaughan
2000s Year Actress Program Role Network 2000 (27th) Sarah Joy Brown General Hospital Carly Benson Sharon Case The Young and the Restless Sharon Newman Patrika Darbo Days of Our Lives Nancy Wesley Nancy Lee GrahnGeneral Hospital Alexis Davis Tonya Lee Williams The Young and the Restless Olivia Barber Hastings 2001 (28th) Lesli Kay As the World Turns Molly Conlan Rebecca Budig All My ChildrenGreenlee Smythe Cady McClainAll My ChildrenDixie Cooney Maura West As the World TurnsCarly Tenney Colleen Zenk Pinter As the World Turns Barbara Ryan 2002 (29th) Crystal Chappell Guiding Light Olivia Spencer Beth Ehlers Guiding Light Harley Cooper Kelley Menighan HensleyAs the World Turns Emily Stewart Kelly Ripa All My ChildrenHayley Vaughan Maura West As the World TurnsCarly Tenney 2003 (30th) Vanessa Marcil General Hospital Brenda Barrett Rebecca Budig All My ChildrenGreenlee Smythe Robin ChristopherGeneral Hospital Skye Chandler Linda Dano One Life to Live Rae Cummings Cady McClainAs the World Turns Rosanna CabotKelly MonacoPort Charles Livvie Locke/Tess Ramsey 2004 (31st) Cady McClain As the World Turns Rosanna Cabot Kathy Brier One Life to Live Marcie Walsh Sharon Case The Young and the Restless Sharon Newman Ilene Kristen One Life to Live Roxy Balsom Heather Tom The Young and the Restless Victoria Newman 2005 (32nd) Natalia Livingston General Hospital Emily Quartermaine Crystal Chappell Guiding Light Olivia Spencer Robin ChristopherGeneral Hospital Skye Chandler Jeanne Cooper The Young and the Restless Katherine Chancellor Ilene Kristen One Life to Live Roxy Balsom Heather Tom One Life to Live Kelly Cramer 2006 (33rd) Gina Tognoni Guiding Light Dinah Marler Tracey E. BregmanThe Young and the Restless Lauren Fenmore Crystal Chappell Guiding Light Olivia Spencer Jennifer Ferrin As the World Turns Jennifer Munson Renée Elise Goldsberry One Life to Live Evangeline Williamson 2007 (34th) Genie Francis General Hospital Laura Spencer Renée Elise Goldsberry One Life to Live Evangeline Williamson Rebecca Herbst General Hospital Elizabeth Webber Lesli Kay The Bold and the Beautiful Felicia Forrester Gina TognoniGuiding Light Dinah Marler Heather Tom One Life to Live Kelly Cramer 2008 (35th) Gina Tognoni Guiding Light Dinah Marler Tracey E. BregmanThe Young and the Restless Lauren Fenmore Baldwin Judi Evans Days of Our Lives Bonnie Lockhart/Adrienne Johnson Kelley Menighan HensleyAs the World Turns Emily Stewart Heather Tom The Bold and the Beautiful Katie Logan 2009 (36th) Tamara Braun Days of Our Lives Ava Vitali Melissa Claire Egan All My ChildrenAnnie Lavery Alicia Minshew All My Children Kendall Hart Julie Pinson As the World Turns Janet Ciccone Snyder Bree Williamson One Life to Live Jessica Buchanan
2010s