The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team 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 1st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1974 when the award was originally called Outstanding Individual Director for a Drama Series. Therefore, between 1974 and 1978; the award only honored individual directors. In 1979, the award was renamed Outstanding Direction for a Drama Series before using its current title years later. Since then, the award has honored the performances of the entire directing team participating in a form of a daytime drama. The awards ceremony was not aired on television in 1983 and 1984, having been criticized for lack of integrity.
Richard Dunlap has received the most wins for his direction on The Young and the Restless, with a total of two. General Hospital holds the record for the most awards, winning on fifteen occasions. The Bold and the Beautiful tied in 2011 with The Young and the Restless, which was the first tie in this category. The soap opera has also received the most nominations, with a total of twenty-seven. CBS has been the network the most successful, with a total of nineteen 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
Outstanding Individual Director for a Drama Series 1970s Year Director(s) Program NetworkRef 1974 (1st)Wes Kenney Days of Our Lives NBCNorman HallThe DoctorsNBCThe DoctorsNBC 1975 (2nd) Richard Dunlap The Young and the Restless CBS Days of Our LivesNBCIra Cirker Another World NBC 1976 (3rd) David Pressman One Life to Live ABCHugh McPhillipsThe DoctorsNBCRichard Dunlap The Young and the RestlessCBS 1977 (4th) Ryan's Hope NBC Days of Our Lives NBCIra Cirker Another World NBC and Leonard Valenta As the World Turns CBS Days of Our Lives NBC The Edge of Night ABC 1978 (4th) Richard Dunlap The Young and the Restless CBSIra Cirker Another World NBCLove of Life CBS Days of Our Lives NBC Ryan's Hope NBC Richard T. McCue As the World Turns CBS
Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team 1979–1989 Year Program NetworkRef 1979 (6th)Ryan's Hope ABC All My ChildrenABC Another World NBC Days of Our Lives NBC The Edge of Night ABCThe Young and the RestlessCBS 1980 (7th)Ryan's Hope ABC All My ChildrenABC Another World NBC The Edge of Night ABC General HospitalABCLove of Life CBS 1981 (8th)General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC One Life to Live ABC 1982 (9th) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC The Edge of Night ABC One Life to Live ABC 1983 (10th) One Life to Live ABC All My Children ABC General Hospital ABC 1984 (11th) One Life to Live ABC All My Children ABC 1985 (12th)Guiding Light CBS As the World Turns CBS Days of Our Lives NBC All My Children ABC One Life to Live ABC 1986 (13th) The Young and the Restless CBS As the World Turns CBS Days of Our Lives NBCGuiding Light CBS One Life to Live ABC 1987 (14th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS Days of Our Lives NBC 1988 (15th) The Young and the Restless CBS As the World Turns CBS Days of Our Lives NBC One Life to Live ABC Superior Court syndicated 1989 (16th) The Young and the Restless CBS As the World Turns CBS Family Medical Center syndicated Loving ABC One Life to Live ABC
1990s Year Program NetworkRef 1990 (17th) Santa Barbara NBC All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBSGuiding Light CBSThe Young and the Restless CBS 1991 (18th) Santa Barbara NBC All My Children ABCGuiding Light CBSThe Young and the Restless CBS 1992 (19th)Another World NBC As the World Turns CBSThe Young and the Restless CBS 1993 (20th) As the World Turns CBS All My Children ABCAnother World NBC Days of Our Lives NBCGuiding Light CBSThe Young and the Restless CBS 1994 (21st)Guiding Light CBS All My Children ABCThe Young and the Restless CBS 1995 (22nd) All My Children ABCAnother World NBC As the World Turns CBS One Life to Live ABCThe Young and the RestlessCBS 1996 (23rd) The Young and the Restless CBS All My ChildrenABC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC 1997 (24th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC 1998 (25th)The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC 1999 (26th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABCSunset Beach NBC
2000s Year Program NetworkRef 2000 (27th)General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBSSunset Beach NBCThe Young and the Restless CBS 2001 (28th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS General Hospital ABCPassions NBC 2002 (29th) The Young and the Restless CBS All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS The Bold and the Beautiful CBS 2003 (30th)All My Children ABC As the World Turns CBS Days of Our Lives NBCPassions NBC 2004 (31st) General Hospital ABC One Life to Live ABCPassions NBCThe Young and the Restless CBS 2005 (32nd) General Hospital ABC All My Children ABCGuiding Light CBSThe Young and the Restless CBS 2006 (33rd) General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBCThe Young and the Restless CBS 2007 (34th) As the World Turns CBS General Hospital ABCGuiding Light CBS One Life to Live ABC 2008 (35th) One Life to Live ABC All My Children ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS General Hospital ABC 2009 (36th) One Life to Live ABC All My Children ABC Days of Our Lives NBC
2010s Year Program NetworkRef 2010 (37th)General Hospital ABC All My Children ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS One Life to Live ABC 2011 (38th) The Bold and the Beautiful CBSThe Young and the Restless CBS General Hospital ABC One Life to Live ABC 2012 (39th) General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS One Life to Live ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2013 (40th) The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2014 (41st)One Life to Live TOLN.com The Bold and the Beautiful CBS The Young and the Restless CBS 2015 (42nd) The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC General HospitalABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2016 (43rd) General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 2017 (44th) General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 2018 (45th) Days of Our Lives NBC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS 2019 (46th) The Young and the Restless ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC General Hospital ABC
2020s Year Program NetworkRef 2020 (47th)General Hospital ABC The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Days of Our Lives NBC The Young and the Restless CBS 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 ABCBeyond SalemPeacock 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 Beyond Salem: Chapter TwoPeacock Days of Our Lives 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 LivesPeacock The Young and the Restless CBS 2025 (52nd)General Hospital ABC Days of Our Lives Peacock The Young and the Restless CBS 2026 (53rd) *Winner will be announced on October 30, 2026 Days of Our Lives Peacock General Hospital ABC The Young and the Restless CBS
Series with multiple wins 15 wins General Hospital
14 wins The Young and the Restless
6 wins One Life to Live
3 wins Ryan's Hope The Bold and the Beautiful
2 wins All My Children As the World Turns Days of Our Lives Guiding Light Santa Barbara
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