2025 Daytime Emmy Winners: General Hospital Sweeps While Drew Barrymore, Hot Bench and More Shine

The 2025 Daytime Emmy Awards have come and gone, and if you had General Hospital in your winner's pool, go ahead and collect your prize. The long-running ABC soap steamrolled the competition once again.

Streaming live on watch.theemmys.tv and the official Emmys app, this year’s ceremony delivered a few surprises, a whole lot of déjà vu, and enough star power to keep daytime fans buzzing well into next sweeps. From Drew Barrymore’s charming victory to the courtroom comeback of Hot Bench, the 2025 Daytime Emmys were a chaotic love letter to the best (and sometimes messiest) parts of television's daytime landscape.

Here’s a full breakdown of who won big, who got snubbed, and why the soap world continues to revolve around Port Charles.

General Hospital Continues Its Emmy Domination

Let’s get this out of the way. General Hospital did not just win. It owned the 2025 Daytime Emmy Awards. The ABC soap scored the award for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series for the fifth consecutive year, which is less of a surprise at this point and more of a tradition.

But that was only the beginning.

Nancy Lee Grahn took home the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama for her powerhouse performance as Alexis, proving once again that she can command a scene and an award stage with equal flair. Jonathan Jackson also made his return as Lucky, grabbing the trophy for Supporting Actor.

The show also swept in both writing and directing categories. That’s right. General Hospital won five trophies in total, making it the undisputed heavyweight of the daytime world. Some feel earned, some don't. We are just here to spit facts.

As for its network soap competition, The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives had a quieter night, but not without recognition. Susan Walters snagged Supporting Actress for her work as Diane on Y&R, while Paul Telfer’s steamy turn as Xander on Days earned him the Lead Actor win. Still, the message was clear regarding General Hospital.

Guest Stars and Surprise Wins in Drama Categories

Alley Mills won Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama for her eerie portrayal of Heather on General Hospital (how sway), giving the soap yet another notch on its Emmy belt. Mills’ win was a standout in a crowded field, which included both veterans and rising stars.

The Guest category also highlighted the growing importance of special appearances and limited arcs in soaps, a trend that gives writers room to play while offering actors the chance to leave a lasting impression without a year-long contract. Mills must've did just that.

Talk Show Turf War: Drew vs. Kelly vs. Everybody Else

Over in the daytime talk world, it was another competitive year, but Drew Barrymore came out on top. The Drew Barrymore Show’s bubbly host won for Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Host, proving once again that daytime viewers love their hosts a little quirky, a little heartfelt, and a lot relatable.

Meanwhile, Live With Kelly and Mark beat out tough contenders like The View and The Kelly Clarkson Show to win Outstanding Talk Series. Looks like the real-life married co-hosts are still America’s sweethearts, or at least the Emmy voters think so.

Culinary Categories Serve Up Fresh Wins

In the world of food and flair, Food Network’s Delicious Miss Brown took home the Emmy for Culinary Instructional Series, while host Kardea Brown added a trophy of her own for Culinary Host. Brown’s laid-back style and Southern charm clearly cooked up the right recipe for Emmy gold.

Other fan-favorite series like Be My Guest With Ina Garten and Magnolia Table With Joanna Gaines were left on the table without wins this time. But let’s be honest, Ina Garten doesn’t need another trophy. She probably keeps her Emmys next to her truffle salt and barely notices when a new one shows up.

Courtroom Category Brings Justice for Hot Bench

The Legal and Courtroom Program category quietly continues to be one of the most crowded in daytime TV. This year, Hot Bench delivered a verdict Emmy voters could agree on, taking the win over heavy hitters like Judy Justice and Divorce Court.

Hot Bench, created by the legendary Judge Judy Sheindlin, continues to bring gavel-to-gavel drama with a panel format that shakes up the traditional courtroom show model. Its win signals that viewers and voters alike still have an appetite for real-life legal showdowns — and that even in 2025, daytime TV still knows how to keep the judgment coming.

Entertainment Tonight Reigns in News

In the Entertainment News category, Entertainment Tonight beat out rivals like Extra and E! News, proving that even after all these years, it remains the go-to source for celebrity gossip, red carpet recaps, and everything in between. ET’s win was more expected than shocking, but that doesn’t make it any less deserved.

The Beyond the Gates Mystery

One noticeable absence from this year’s nominee list was CBS’ new soap Beyond the Gates. If you were wondering why the buzzed-about newcomer didn’t land a single nod, here's the tea: it wasn’t eligible yet. The series will be in contention next year, and you can bet its producers are already eyeing a 2026 sweep. Consider this the calm before the drama storm.

Snubs and Surprises

Let’s talk about what (or who) didn’t win. The Young and the Restless led the nomination count across several categories but walked away with only two wins. That’s a rough night for a show that once dominated this awards circuit.

Also missing out was Kelly Clarkson, who had been a staple in the winner’s circle for her talk show in past years. And while

The View continues to make headlines with its rotating panel of opinions, it failed to secure a win this year.

Still, the Emmys are never without their surprises. Whether it’s a returning actor like Jonathan Jackson or Drew Barrymore proving that daytime is her perfect playground, the ceremony once again highlighted the unpredictability that makes daytime television such a fascinating beast (sometimes).

Wrapping It Up: Daytime’s Best Still Shine Bright

The 2025 Daytime Emmy Awards were meant to be a showcase of everything we love about daytime television, heartfelt performances, addictive storytelling, over-the-top drama, and yes, a few cooking tips thrown in for good measure. General Hospital came out as the undisputed champion, but the night was filled with big moments for a wide range of shows across genres.

With new contenders on the horizon and fan favorites continuing to evolve, the future of daytime TV looks anything but dull.

Whether you’re a soap stan, a courtroom junkie, or just here for the cupcakes and celebrity interviews, this year’s winners prove that there’s still plenty of reason to keep your screen tuned in long before primetime.

Now the countdown begins for 2026. Just don’t be surprised if Port Charles is already picking out shelf space for another trophy.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Daytime Drama Series🏆 General Hospital (ABC)

Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama🏆 Nancy Lee Grahn as Alexis, General Hospital

Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama🏆 Paul Telfer as Xander, Days of Our Lives

Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama🏆 Susan Walters as Diane, The Young and the Restless

Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama🏆 Jonathan Jackson as Lucky, General Hospital

Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama🏆 Alley Mills as Heather, General Hospital

Writing for a Daytime Drama🏆 General Hospital (ABC)

Directing for a Daytime Drama🏆 General Hospital (ABC)

Daytime Talk Series🏆 Live With Kelly and Mark

Daytime Talk Show Host🏆 Drew Barrymore, The Drew Barrymore Show

Entertainment News Series🏆 Entertainment Tonight

Culinary Instructional Series🏆 Delicious Miss Brown (Food Network)

Culinary Host🏆 Kardea Brown, Delicious Miss Brown

Legal/Courtroom Program🏆 Hot Bench

What were your favorite Daytime Emmy wins this year? Sound off with your takes and snubs of the season. Soap Twitter, we know you’ve got opinions.