Steve Burton earns Daytime Emmy nod as 2026 nominees drop
Steve Burton earns a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor as Jason Morgan on General Hospital, as NATAS unveiled the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations. The Young and the Restless led all shows with 18 nods, while newcomer Beyond the Gates scored 15 in its first year.
Key Takeaways
- Steve Burton is nominated for lead actor as Jason Morgan on ABC's General Hospital.
- CBS's The Young and the Restless topped the field with 18 nominations.
- Beyond the Gates landed 15 nods in its first year of eligibility, including Outstanding Daytime Drama Series.
- Tamara Tunie and Karla Mosley make history as the first two Black actresses nominated together in lead actress.
- The 53rd Daytime Emmys air as a single ceremony on Oct. 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium.
Who is nominated alongside Steve Burton for a Daytime Emmy?
Burton joins a competitive lead actor field that includes Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, The Young and the Restless), Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer, The Bold and the Beautiful), Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful), and Christian Jules LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin, The Young and the Restless).
All four major daytime dramas — Beyond the Gates, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless — are nominated for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series. For more celebrity awards coverage, see BlasterPost celebrity breaking news.
Why do the 2026 Daytime Emmy nominations matter?
According to Variety, Beyond the Gates — the first new major-broadcast daytime soap since 1999 and the first to center a primarily Black cast since Generations — made a strong debut awards showing. Its haul includes two lead actress nods (Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie), supporting nods for Timon Kyle Durrett, Mike Manning, and Trisha Mann-Grant, plus emerging talent nods for Ambyr Michelle and Arielle Prepetit.
TheGrio reports Tunie and Mosley's shared lead actress nominations mark the first time two Black actresses have been nominated in that category in the Daytime Emmys' 53-year history. Lead actress nominees also include Stacy Haiduk, Michelle Stafford, and Heather Tom.
When will the 2026 Daytime Emmys take place?
NATAS announced the nominations on Tuesday, covering an eligibility window of Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. The ceremony moved to mid-fall last year and returns as one event on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
Early nods already flagged recently ended talkers The Kelly Clarkson Show (talk series and host) and Sherri (talk host). Lifetime Achievement, Gold & Silver Circle, and the host will be named later. NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp praised talent "whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television" as the landscape evolves.