The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor 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 actor 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, Peter Hansen was the first winner of this award for his portrayal of Lee Baldwin on General Hospital. The awards ceremony was not televised in 1983 and 1984, having been criticized for voting integrity. Following the introduction of a new category in 1985, Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series, the criteria for this category was altered, requiring all actors to be aged 26 or above.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 37 actors. General Hospital is the show with the most awarded actors, with a total of twelve wins. In 1983, Darnell Williams became the first African-American to have garnered the award, winning for his role as Jesse Hubbard on All My Children. Since 1994, Justin Deas holds the most wins with a total of four awards for his work on As the World Turns, Santa Barbara and Guiding Light. With seven each, Jerry Ver Dorn had been tied with Deas for the most nominations since 2005. In 2009, Jeff Branson and Vincent Irizarry tied for the award, which was the first tie in this category. As of the 2025 ceremony, Jonathan Jackson is the most recent winner in this category for his role as Lucky Spencer on General Hospital.
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 Actor Program Role Network 1979 (6th)Peter Hansen General Hospital Lee Baldwin Lewis Arlt Search for Tomorrow David Sutton Bernard BarrowRyan's Hope Johnny Ryan Ron HaleRyan's Hope Roger Coleridge Joseph Gallison Days of Our Lives Neil Curtis Mandel Kramer The Edge of Night Bill Marceau
1980s Year Actor Program Role Network 1980 (7th) Warren Burton All My Children Eddie Dorrance Vasili Bogazianos The Edge of Night Mickey Dials Ron HaleRyan's Hope Roger Coleridge Julius La RosaAnother World Renaldo Shepperd Strudwick Love of Life Timothy McCauley 1981 (8th) Larry Haines Search for Tomorrow Stu BergmanRichard Backus Ryan's Hope Barry Ryan Matthew Cowles All My Children Billy Clyde Tuggle Justin Deas As the World Turns Tom Hughes William Mooney All My ChildrenPaul Martin 1982 (9th) David Lewis General Hospital Edward Quartermaine Gerald Anthony One Life to Live Marco Dane Douglas Sheehan General Hospital Joe Kelly Darnell Williams All My Children Jesse Hubbard 1983 (10th) Darnell Williams All My Children Jesse Hubbard Anthony Call One Life to Live Herb Callison Al Freeman Jr. One Life to Live Ed Hall David Lewis General Hospital Edward Quartermaine Howard E. Rollins Jr.Another World Ed Harding John Stamos General Hospital Blackie Parrish 1984 (11th) Justin Deas As the World Turns Tom Hughes Anthony Call One Life to Live Herb Callison Louis Edmonds All My Children Langley Wallingford David Lewis General Hospital Edward Quartermaine Paul StevensAnother World Brian Bancroft 1985 (12th) Larry Gates Guiding Light H.B. Lewis Anthony Call One Life to Live Herb Callison Louis Edmonds All My Children Langley Wallingford David Lewis General Hospital Edward Quartermaine Robert LuPone All My Children Zach Grayson 1986 (13th) John Wesley Shipp As the World Turns Doug Cummings Louis Edmonds All My Children Langley Wallingford Larry Gates Guiding Light H.B. Lewis Al Freeman Jr. One Life to LiveEd Hall Gregg Marx As the World Turns Tom Hughes 1987 (14th) Gregg Marx As the World Turns Tom Hughes Anthony Call One Life to Live Herb Callison Justin Deas Santa Barbara Keith Timmons Richard Eden Santa Barbara Brick Wallace Al Freeman Jr. One Life to LiveEd Hall 1988 (15th) Justin Deas Santa Barbara Keith Timmons Bernard BarrowRyan's Hope Johnny Ryan Nicolas Coster Santa Barbara Lionel Lockridge Mark LaMura All My Children Mark Dalton David Lewis General Hospital Edward Quartermaine 1989 (16th) Justin Deas Santa Barbara Keith Timmons Joseph Campanella Days of Our Lives Harper Deveraux David Forsyth Another World John Hudson Quinn Redeker The Young and the Restless Rex Sterling
1990s Year Actor Program Role Network 1990 (17th) Henry Darrow Santa Barbara Rafael Castillo Robert Gentry All My Children Ross Chandler Quinn Redeker The Young and the Restless Rex SterlingKin Shriner General Hospital Scott Baldwin Kristoff St. JohnGenerations Adam Marshall Jerry verDorn Guiding Light Ross Marler 1991 (18th) Bernard Barrow Loving Louie Slavinski William Christian All My Children Derek Frye Stuart Damon General Hospital Alan Quartermaine William Roerick Guiding Light Henry ChamberlainKin Shriner General Hospital Scott Baldwin Jerry verDorn Guiding Light Ross Marler 1992 (19th) Thom Christopher One Life to Live Carlo Hesser Bernard Barrow Loving Louie Slavinski Rick Hearst Guiding Light Alan-Michael Spaulding Charles KeatingAnother World Carl Hutchins Jerry verDorn Guiding Light Ross Marler 1993 (20th) Gerald Anthony General Hospital Marco Dane Thom Christopher One Life to Live Mortimer Bern Rick Hearst Guiding Light Alan-Michael Spaulding Charles KeatingAnother World Carl Hutchins Kin Shriner General Hospital Scott Baldwin 1994 (21st) Justin Deas Guiding Light Buzz Cooper Ian Buchanan The Bold and the Beautiful James Warwick Thom Christopher Loving Dante Partou Patrick Tovatt As the World Turns Cal Stricklyn Jerry verDorn Guiding Light Ross Marler 1995 (22nd) Jerry verDorn Guiding Light Ross Marler Ian Buchanan The Bold and the Beautiful James Warwick Keith Hamilton Cobb All My Children Noah Keefer Rick Hearst Guiding Light Alan-Michael Spaulding Roger Howarth One Life to LiveTodd Manning 1996 (23rd) Jerry verDorn Guiding Light Ross Marler Frank Beaty Guiding Light Brent Lawrence Ian Buchanan The Bold and the Beautiful James Warwick Stuart Damon General Hospital Alan Quartermaine David Forsyth Another World John Hudson Michael Sutton General Hospital Stone Cates 1997 (24th) Ian Buchanan The Bold and the Beautiful James Warwick Maurice Benard General Hospital Sonny Corinthos Stuart Damon General Hospital Alan Quartermaine Aaron Lustig The Young and the Restless Tim Reid Brad Maule General Hospital Tony Jones Scott Reeves The Young and the Restless Ryan McNeil 1998 (25th) Steve Burton General Hospital Jason Morgan Grant Aleksander Guiding Light Phillip Spaulding Ian Buchanan The Bold and the Beautiful James Warwick Michael E. Knight All My Children Tad Martin Scott Reeves The Young and the Restless Ryan McNeil 1999 (26th) Stuart Damon General Hospital Alan Quartermaine Michael E. Knight All My Children Tad Martin Christian LeBlanc The Young and the Restless Michael Baldwin Kristoff St. John The Young and the Restless Neil Winters Jerry verDorn Guiding Light Ross Marler
2000s Year Actor Program Role Network 2000 (27th) Shemar Moore The Young and the Restless Malcolm Winters Steve Burton General Hospital Jason Morgan Timothy Gibbs One Life to Live Kevin Buchanan Christian LeBlanc The Young and the Restless Michael Baldwin Kristoff St. John The Young and the Restless Neil Winters 2001 (28th) Michael E. Knight All My Children Tad Martin Hunt Block As the World Turns Craig Montgomery Josh Duhamel All My Children Leo du Pres Benjamin Hendrickson As the World Turns Hal Munson Michael Park As the World Turns Jack Snyder 2002 (29th) Josh Duhamel All My Children Leo du Pres Mark Consuelos All My Children Mateo Santos Benjamin Hendrickson As the World Turns Hal Munson Paul Leyden As the World Turns Simon Frasier Cameron Mathison All My Children Ryan Lavery 2003 (30th) Benjamin Hendrickson As the World Turns Hal Munson Josh Duhamel All My Children Leo du Pres Christian LeBlanc The Young and the Restless Michael Baldwin Ron Raines Guiding Light Alan Spaulding Paul Anthony Stewart Guiding Light Danny Santos 2004 (31st) Rick Hearst General Hospital Ric Lansing William deVry All My Children Michael Cambias Christian LeBlanc The Young and the Restless Michael Baldwin Ron Raines Guiding Light Alan Spaulding James ReynoldsDays of Our Lives Abe Carver 2005 (32nd)Greg Rikaart The Young and the Restless Kevin Fisher Jeff Branson All My Children Jonathan Lavery Tyler Christopher General Hospital Nikolas Cassadine Justin Deas Guiding Light Buzz Cooper Rick Hearst General Hospital Ric Lansing Cameron Mathison All My Children Ryan Lavery 2006 (33rd) Jordan Clarke Guiding Light Billy LewisTyler Christopher General Hospital Nikolas Cassadine Trent Dawson As the World Turns Henry Coleman Grayson McCouch As the World Turns Dusty Donovan Greg Rikaart The Young and the RestlessKevin Fisher 2007 (34th) Rick Hearst General Hospital Ric Lansing Trent Dawson As the World Turns Henry Coleman Dan Gauthier One Life to Live Kevin Buchanan Greg Rikaart The Young and the RestlessKevin Fisher Kristoff St. John The Young and the Restless Neil Winters 2008 (35th) Kristoff St. John The Young and the Restless Neil Winters Daniel Cosgrove Guiding Light Bill Lewis Trent Dawson As the World Turns Henry Coleman Brian Kerwin One Life to Live Charlie Banks Greg Rikaart The Young and the RestlessKevin Fisher 2009 (36th)Jeff Branson Guiding Light Shayne Lewis Vincent Irizarry All My Children David Hayward Bradford Anderson General Hospital Damian Spinelli Van Hansis As the World Turns Luke Snyder Jacob YoungAll My ChildrenJR Chandler
2010s