The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 7th Daytime Emmy Awards in 1980, and is given to honor an actor/actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a guest role while working within the daytime drama industry.
Originally introduced as the Outstanding Cameo Appearance in a Drama Series category, it was later renamed Outstanding Guest Star in a Drama Series in 1987, when the award was re-introduced after a brief absence. After being retired again for several decades, the category returned in 2015 under the new title of Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series. This reintroduction, which came 28 years after its last presentation, established a stricter eligibility requirement: "the performer's character must have premiered in the current eligibility (calendar) year, and have made a limited number of appearances in a significant role".
In 2018, the award adopted its current title, Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series. At the same time, the eligibility criteria were broadened, permitting submissions from actors "playing characters they either played before, or are newly cast," thus opening the category to both returning veterans and fresh additions to the cast. Beginning in 2026, a new eligibility criterion applies to the category: performers may not appear in more than 19% of a series' episodes released for the first time within the eligibility period.
The award was first presented to Hugh McPhillips for his role as Hugh Pearson on Days of Our Lives. Since its inception, the award has been given to twelve actors. General Hospital is the program with the most awarded actors, with five. In 2015, Donna Mills, Fred Willard, and Ray Wise made Daytime Emmy Award history by tying in the category, marking the first three-way tie in its history. In 2024, Dick Van Dyke became the oldest performer to win a Daytime Emmy Award when he won for his role as Mystery Man/Timothy Robicheaux on Days of Our Lives at 98 years old. As of the 2025 ceremony, Alley Mills is the most recent winner in this category for her role as Heather Webber on General Hospital, becoming the first performer to win the award twice.
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
1980s Year Performer Program Role Network 1980 Hugh McPhillips Days of Our Lives Hugh Pearson Sammy Davis Jr. One Life to Live Chip Warren Joan FontaineRyan's Hope Page Williams ABC Kathryn Harrow The Doctors Pat Reyerson ABC Eli Mintz All My Children Locksmith ABC 1987 John Wesley Shipp Santa Barbara Martin Ellis Pamela Blair All My Children Maida Andrews ABC Eileen Heckart One Life to Live Ruth Perkins ABC Celeste Holm Loving Clara and Lydia Woodhouse ABC Terrence Mann As the World Turns Jester CBS
2010s Year Performer Program Role Network 2015 Donna Mills General Hospital Madeline Reeves Fred Willard The Bold and the Beautiful John Forrester Ray Wise The Young and the Restless Ian Ward Meredith Baxter The Young and the Restless Maureen Russell CBS Sally Kellerman The Young and the Restless Constance Bingham CBS Linda Elena Tovar General Hospital Rosalie Martinez ABC 2016 (43rd) Obba Babatundé The Bold and the Beautiful Julius Avant Anna Maria Horsford The Bold and the Beautiful Vivienne Avant CBS Adam Leadbeater Days of Our Lives Dr. Seth Malcom NBC Frank Runyeon The Young and the Restless Angel CBS Dee Wallace General Hospital Patricia Spencer ABC 2017 (44th) Jim O'Heir The Bold and the Beautiful Matt Cannistra Tobin Bell Days of Our Lives Yo Ling NBC Don Harvey General Hospital Tom Baker ABC Monica Horan The Bold and the Beautiful Kieran Cannistra CBS Nichelle Nichols The Young and the Restless Lucinda Winters CBS 2018 (45th) Vernee Watson General Hospital Stella Henry Ryan Ashton The Young and the Restless Zach Sinnett CBS Robb Derringer Days of Our Lives Scooter Nelson NBC John Enos Days of Our Lives Roger NBC Morgan Fairchild Days of Our Lives Anjelica Deveraux NBC 2019 (46th) Patricia Bethune General Hospital Nurse Mary Pat Philip Anthony-Rodriguez Days of Our Lives Miguel Garcia NBC Wayne Brady The Bold and the Beautiful Dr. Reese Buckingham CBS Kate Mansi Days of Our Lives Abigail Deveraux Thaao Penghlis Days of Our Lives Andre DiMera
2020s Year Performer Program Role Network 2020 (47th) Eva LaRue The Young and the Restless Celeste Rosales Elissa Kapneck The Young and the Restless Sasha ABC Michael E. Knight General Hospital Martin Grey ABC Jeffrey Vincent Parise The Young and the Restless Simon Black CBS Chrishell Stause Days of Our Lives Jordan Ridgeway 2021 (48th) Cady McClain Days of Our Lives Jennifer Horton-Devereaux Kim Delaney General Hospital Jackie Templeton ABC George DelHoyo Days of Our Lives Orpheus Briana Lane General Hospital Brook Lynn Ashton ABC Victoria Platt Days of Our Lives Dr. Amanda Raynor 2022 (49th) Ted King The Bold and the Beautiful Jack Finnegan Robert Gossett General Hospital Marshall Ashford ABC Michael Lowry Days of Our Lives Dr. Clay Snyder Naomi Matsuda The Bold and the Beautiful Dr. Li Finnegan Ptosha Storey The Young and the Restless Naya Benedict 2023 (50th) Alley Mills General Hospital Heather Webber ABC Steve Burton Beyond Salem: Chapter Two Harris Michaels Cassandra Creech The Bold and the Beautiful Grace Buckingham Robert Newman The Young and the Restless Ashland Locke Kevin Spirtas Days of Our Lives Dr. Craig Wesley 2024 (51st) Dick Van Dyke Days of Our Lives Mystery Man/Timothy Robicheaux Linden Ashby The Young and the Restless Cameron Kirsten Ashley Jones The Bold and the Beautiful Dr. Bridget Forrester Alley Mills General Hospital Heather Webber ABC Guy Pearce Neighbours Mike Young Freevee 2025 (52nd) Alley Mills General Hospital Heather Webber ABC Linden Ashby The Young and the Restless Cameron Kirsten Clint Howard The Bold and the Beautiful Tom Starr Jacqueline Grace Lopez General Hospital Blaze ABC Valarie Pettiford The Young and the Restless Amy Lewis Avery Kristen Pohl General Hospital Esme Prince ABC 2026 (53rd) *Winner will be announced on October 30, 2026 Jasmine Burke Beyond the Gates June Hughes Jeff Kober General Hospital Cyrus Renault Eva LaRue General Hospital Natalia Rogers-Ramirez Christopher Sean Days of Our Lives Paul Narita Ray Wise The Young and the Restless Ian Ward
Performers with multiple wins 2 wins Alley Mills
Performers with multiple nominations 3 nominations Alley Mills
2 nominations Linden Ashby Eva LaRue Ray Wise
Series with most awards 5 wins General Hospital
4 wins The Bold and the Beautiful
3 wins Days of Our Lives
2 wins The Young and the Restless
Network with most awards
6 wins CBS
4 wins ABC
3 wins NBC
References
External links Daytime Emmy Awards at the IMDb