Without some losers, there cannot be a winner’s circle.
What was the highlight of the 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony? Fans of the soap opera not only had the opportunity to watch it, but they could also do so thanks to CBS on their televisions or online via the Paramount Network. That meant that we could all watch while speeches were made, honors were given out, and history was made.
If we’re being completely honest, there were also a couple less than stellar instances on show. So let’s quickly review the highlights and lowlights of this year’s Daytime Emmys broadcast. Ready?
The biggest letdown was—as we say every year—the complete lack of acting category video. Yes, they were finally shown during the top-tier awards, but we’re confident that every single lover of soap opera would concur that more clips would have been much preferred to a second Michael Bolton song.
The most unexpected development was that not many winners mentioned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade before the big night. The topic was mostly skirted, save for a few seemingly careless comments, particularly from co-host Nischelle Turner (who deliberately emphasized it was her “decision” to wear the clothing she had chosen). Remember, women’s rights are human rights, Turner said in the final seconds of the broadcast.
Best Accessorized: Walking the red carpet, the outspoken Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, General Hospital) made sure everyone knew where she stood. She later said on Instagram, “I did my best to use my privileged platform to honor women’s rights to dignity, choice, and sovereignty over their own bodies.
Best Speech: Mishael Morgan (Amanda, The Young and the Restless), the Outstanding Lead Actress winner, first appeared to be having trouble speaking since she was so surprised by her victory. But after speaking wonderfully about her journey, the first Black woman to win the honor did so.
Most Touching Moment: When Susan Lucci was asked to introduce the show’s annual In Memoriam portion, she was sobbing uncontrollably as she spoke of her loving husband Helmut Huber, who passed away earlier this year. She emoted, “They believe grief is the price we pay for love. Grief is a painful price to pay, but I wouldn’t give up love for even a moment.
Best Segment: After receiving a standing ovation from the audience when she entered the stage as Days of Our Lives’ Suzanne Rogers (Maggie), she introduced a video package in which Jennifer Aniston spoke about her father, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient John Aniston (Victor).
Best Retaliation: Kelly Thiebaud of General Hospital, the first winner of the evening, also had the funniest comment. The Outstanding Supporting Performance recipient confessed that when she first started acting, her brother told her she wasn’t very good. I’m grateful that you gave me something to rub in his face, so.
Biggest Improvement: Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Spencer), who appeared on stage to accept the Outstanding Younger Performer award, revealed, “Just a little over a year ago I was selling cars in a little beach town in Florida!”
