The Soap Opera Digest Awards, originally known as The Soapy Awards when introduced in 1977, was an awards show held by the daytime television magazine Soap Opera Digest.
History
1977–1983 The Soapy Awards were an award presented by Soap Opera Digest magazine to the best work on American soap operas from 1977 until 1983. Unlike their successors, the Soap Opera Digest Awards, this accolade lacked a great deal of glamour. The statue itself was a tall geometric crystal and were presented during a television show after winners were announced in the magazine. The original award was designed by the magazine's art director Janis Rogak.
The magazine's editor Ruth J. Gordon, who was founding editor made the very first presentation on The Merv Griffin Show.
The first awards were presented during the Merv Griffin Show to Best Actor Bill Hayes and Best Actress Susan Seaforth Hayes from Days of Our Lives (which also won for 'Favorite Show'). This first award also included a special award for 'Outstanding Achievement in the World of Daytime Drama' to All My Children and One Life to Lives creator Agnes Nixon.
The 1978 award were presented live during America Alive! from both New York and Hollywood. The 1979 show was presented on the Thursday Dec. 27, 1979 episode of Dinah and Friends.
In 1980, during the height of Luke and Laura, their portrayers Anthony Geary and Genie Francis won for Best Actor and Best Actress. An award for 'Favorite Performer in a Mature Role' went to All My Childrens Ruth Warrick.
The 1981 show incorporated many of the categories which would become a hallmark of the Soap Opera Digest Awards, such as 'Most Exciting New Actor' (Tristan Rogers, General Hospital), 'Favorite Villain' (André Landzaat, General Hospital), and 'Favorite Villainess' (Robin Mattson, General Hospital). That year, the awards were swept by General Hospital.
In 1984, the awards were replaced by the Soap Opera Digest Awards.
1984–2005 In 1984, the awards evolved into The Soap Opera Digest Awards, to replace the less-lavish Soapy Award. The Soap Opera Digest Awards were meant to promote excellence in the soap opera genre and were decided by the fans who read the magazine. The statue itself was made of crystal and in the shape of a heart.
The first Soap Opera Digest Award show aired in 1984, and was featured on national syndicated television and hosted by then husband and wife Catherine Hickland and David Hasselhoff. One of the reasons for the move up was the new-found audience of both Daytime and Prime time soap operas. That year for the first time awards were given to prime time soap operas as well as daytime soaps. This practice was phased out in the 1990s as primetime soap operas began to lose the large appeal they once had.
For the first two years, fans themselves voted on the nominees list as well as the winners. Ballot stuffing and a voting bloc for the 1985 awards led to the side effect where Days of Our Lives swept almost every category. The third awards were changed so that the editors of the magazine chose the nominees and each reader was allowed only one ballot to vote for their favorites. This allowed other shows such as Santa Barbara and Another World to take home trophies. A change in award season from the end of the year to the beginning meant that there was no show in 1987.
In 1992 the awards were broadcast live for the first time; in addition, the award statue (previously a flat crystal heart) was redesigned to be an inch taller. NBC had aired the event ever since it made its way to network television, but the show would no longer be seen on the network after the airing of the 2000 awards. The year 2001 marked the first time that there was no awards ceremony and voting was done entirely online. In 2003 the cable channel SOAPnet broadcast the awards which were hosted by Lisa Rinna and Ty Treadway.
No awards were given out in 2002 or 2004. The 2005 awards were done entirely through the magazine. Fans could find a ballot in a November issue of Soap Opera Digest and then mail it to the editors. Only one ballot per person was counted. The awards were announced in the magazine in February 2005.
Winners
1977 - 1983
Best Soap Opera 1977 Days of Our Lives 1978 Days of Our Lives 1979 Days of Our Lives 1980 General Hospital 1981 General Hospital 1982 General Hospital 1983 General Hospital
Best Actor 1977 Bill Hayes (Days of Our Lives) 1978 Jed Allan (Days of Our Lives) 1979 Jed Allan (Days of Our Lives) 1980 Anthony Geary (General Hospital) 1981 Anthony Geary (General Hospital) 1982 Anthony Geary (General Hospital) 1983 Tristan Rogers (General Hospital)
Best Actress 1977 Susan Seaforth Hayes (Days of Our Lives) 1978 Victoria Wyndham (Another World) 1979 Judith Light (One Life to Live) 1980 Judith Light (One Life to Live) 1981 Genie Francis (General Hospital) 1982 Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives) 1983 Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives)
Exciting New Actor 1977 John Junior (The Young and the Restless) 1978 Josh Dodong (Days of Our Lives) 1979 Rod Kimpang (Search for Tomorrow) 1980 Peter Bergman (All My Children) 1981 Tristan Rogers (General Hospital) 1982 John Stamos (General Hospital) 1983 Steve Bond (General Hospital)
Exciting New Actress 1977 Candice Earley (All My Children) 1978 Andrea Hall (Days of Our Lives) 1979 Tracey E. Bregman (Days of Our Lives) 1980 Taylor Miller (All My Children) 1981 Renee Anderson (General Hospital) 1982 Kim Delaney (All My Children) 1983 Sherilyn Wolter (General Hospital)
Best Villain 1977 John Fitzpatrick (Another World) 1978 Roberts Blossom (Another World) 1979 Gerald Anthony (One Life to Live) 1980 James Mitchell (All My Children) 1981 Andre Landzaat (General Hospital) 1982 Kin Shriner (General Hospital) 1983 Quinn Redeker (Days of Our Lives)
Best Villainess 1977 Beverlee McKinsey (Another World) 1978 Beverlee McKinsey (Another World) 1979 Jacklyn Zeman (General Hospital) 1980 Jane Elliot (General Hospital) 1981 Robin Mattson (General Hospital) 1982 Robin Mattson (General Hospital) 1983 Robin Mattson (General Hospital)
Best Hero 1977 Donald May (The Edge of Night)
Best Mature Actor 1978 Macdonald Carey (Days of Our Lives) 1979 Macdonald Carey (Days of Our Lives) 1980 David Lewis (General Hospital) 1981 David Lewis (General Hospital) 1982 David Lewis (General Hospital) 1983 David Lewis (General Hospital)
Best Mature Actress 1978 Frances Reid (Days of Our Lives) 1979 Frances Reid (Days of Our Lives) 1980 Ruth Warrick (All My Children) 1981 Ruth Warrick (All My Children) 1982 Anna Lee (General Hospital) 1983 Anna Lee (General Hospital)
Best Juvenile Male 1977 Christopher Lowe (Search for Tomorrow) 1978 John E. Dunn (All My Children) 1979 Brian Lima (All My Children) 1980 Philip Tanzini (General Hospital) 1981 Philip Tanzini (General Hospital)
Best Juvenile Actress 1977 Suzanne Davidson (As the World Turns) 1978 Brandi Tucker (The Young and the Restless) 1979 Dawn Marie Boyle (All My Children) 1980 Dawn Marie Boyle (All My Children) 1981 Daniella and Francesca Serra (All My Children)
1984 - 2005
Outstanding Actor in a Mature Role in a Daytime Soap Opera
1984 Macdonald Carey (Days of Our Lives)
Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in a Daytime Serial Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in a Daytime Soap Opera
1984 Frances Reid (Days of Our Lives) 1985 Frances Reid (Days of Our Lives)
Outstanding Actor in a Mature Role in a Daytime Serial Former name: Outstanding Actor in a Mature Role in a Prime Time Soap Opera
1984 John Forsythe (Days of Our Lives) 1985 Macdonald Carey (Days of Our Lives)
Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in a Prime Time Soap Opera
1984 Barbara Bel Geddes (Dallas)
Best Death Scene: Daytime
1992 Marcy Walker (Santa Barbara)
Best Death Scene: Prime Time
1992 April Ewing (Dallas)
Outstanding Super Couple: Daytime Former name: Favorite Daytime Super Couple on a Daytime Serial, Favorite Super Couple: Daytime
1986 Patsy Pease, Charles Shaughnessy (Days of Our Lives) 1988 Patsy Pease, Charles Shaughnessy (Days of Our Lives) 1989 Stephen Nichols, Mary Beth Evans (Days of Our Lives) 1990 A Martinez, Marcy Walker (Santa Barbara) 1991 Matthew Ashford, Melissa Reeves (Days of Our Lives)
Favorite Super Couple: Prime Time Former name: Favorite Super Couple on a Prime Time Serial
1986 Michele Lee, Kevin Dobson (Knots Landing) 1988 Michele Lee, Kevin Dobson (Knots Landing)
Favorite Couple Former names: Best Love Story: Daytime or Prime Time, Hottest Soap Couple, Hottest Romance
1992 Matthew Ashford, Melissa Reeves (Days of Our Lives) 1995 Robert Kelker-Kelly, Lisa Rinna (Days of Our Lives) 1996 Keith Hamilton Cobb, Sydney Penny (All My Children) 1997 Austin Peck, Christie Clark (Days of Our Lives) 1998 Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa (All My Children) 1999 David Canary, Jennifer Bassey (All My Children) 2000 Erika Slezak, Mark Derwin (One Life to Live) 2001 Peter Reckell, Kristian Alfonso (Days of Our Lives) 2003 Bo & Hope (Days of Our Lives) 2005 Drake Hogestyn, Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives)
Favorite New Couple
1998 Grant Aleksander, Beth Ehlers (The Guiding Light) 2005 Alison Sweeney, Bryan Dattilo (Days of Our Lives)
Best Wedding: Daytime
1992 Matthew Ashford, Melissa Reeves (Days of Our Lives)
Editor's Choice
1985 William J. Bell 1986 Douglas Marland 1989 Jeanne Cooper 1990 Frances Reid, Macdonald Carey 1991 Eileen Fulton 1992 William J. Bell 1993 Douglas Marland, Laurence Caso 1994 Betty Rae 1995 Claire Labine 1996 Agnes Nixon 1997 Aaron Spelling 1998 Don Hastings, Kathryn Hays 1999 Michael Zaslow
Editor's Choice - Daytime
1988 Susan Lucci
Editor's Choice - Primetime
1988 Michael Filerman
Outstanding Actor: Prime Time Former names: Outstanding Actor in a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Actor in a Prime Time Serial
1984 John Forsythe (Days of Our Lives) 1985 Patrick Duffy (Dallas)
1992 Kevin Dobson (Knots Landing)
Outstanding Actress: Prime Time Former names: Outstanding Actress in a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Actress in a Prime Time Serial
1984 Linda Evans (Dynasty) 1985 Linda Evans (Dynasty)
1992 Michele Lee (Knots Landing)
Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Serial Former name: Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera
1984 Peter Reckell (Days of Our Lives) 1985 Peter Reckell (Days of Our Lives)
Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Serial Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Soap Opera
1984 Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives) 1985 Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives)
Favorite Actor
2000 Maurice Benard (General Hospital)
Favorite Actress
2000 Sarah Joy Brown (General Hospital)
Outstanding Comic Performance: Daytime Former name: Outstanding Comic Relief Role on a Daytime Serial
1986 Arleen Sorkin (Days of Our Lives) 1992 Robert Mailhouse (Days of Our Lives)
Outstanding Comic Performance
1993 Matthew Ashford (Days of Our Lives)
Outstanding Actress/Actor in a Comic Relief Role on a Prime Time Serial
1986 Margaret Ladd (Falcon Crest)
Outstanding Comic Actor: Daytime Former name: Outstanding Comic Performance by an Actor: Daytime
1988 Michael T. Weiss (Days of Our Lives) 1989 Stephen Schnetzer (Another World) 1990 Joe Marinelli (Santa Barbara)
Outstanding Comic Actress: Daytime Former name: Outstanding Comic Performance by an Actress: Daytime
1988 Arleen Sorkin (Days of Our Lives) 1989 Robin Mattson (Santa Barbara) 1990 Robin Mattson (Santa Barbara)
Outstanding Daytime Serial Former name: Outstanding Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Daytime Soap
1984 Days of Our Lives 1985 Days of Our Lives 1986 Days of Our Lives 1988 Days of Our Lives 1989 Days of Our Lives 1990 Santa Barbara 1991 Days of Our Lives
1992 Days of Our Lives
Outstanding Prime Time Serial Former name: Outstanding Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Prime Time Show, Outstanding Prime Time Soap