LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tamara Tunie of “Beyond the Gates” won lead actress honors at the 53rd annual Daytime Emmys on Friday night in a triumphant return to the soap opera genre after 17 years away.
Tunie plays strong-willed matriarch Anita Dupree on the CBS show that debuted last year featuring the first primarily Black cast since “Generations” in the 1990s and the first new network soap since 1999.
Tunie made her daytime debut in 1987 on “As the World Turns,” leaving in 2009, a year before the CBS show ended.
“My heart is so full right now,” Tunie said. “This is the best welcome back to daytime ever. There is a host of Black actresses who paved the way for me, and I feel them as I stand here.”
Roger Howarth and Beth Maitland of “The Young and the Restless” swept the supporting acting categories, with both winning decades after their first triumphs.
Howarth currently plays Matt Clark on the CBS soap. He first won in 1994 in the younger actor category for his breakout role as Todd Manning on “One Life to Live.”
“I’m really, really happy. I love being an actor,” Howarth said. “I’m so happy that I get to do this thing that we all get to do together, that we cooperate.”
Maitland was honored for playing Traci Abbott, a role she originated in 1982 — the year of her first supporting actress win — and has played off and on ever since.
“I was equally as gobsmacked back then as a young actress, and I can’t tell you how meaningful it is to be here,” she said before paying tribute to her fellow nominees and actors.
“Every one of you a winner, every one of you a part of the contribution daytime makes in a world gone mad, offering just a few minutes of relief — to laugh, to cry and to celebrate.”
Tracee Ellis Ross won in the travel and adventure category for her Roku show “Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross.”
“Wow, how fun is this?” Ross said, while thanking the countries of Morocco, Mexico and Spain. “I’m an Emmy winner!”
Ross was a five-time Primetime Emmy nominee for the hit ABC comedy “black-ish.”
Ambyr Michelle of CBS’ “Beyond the Gates” won for emerging talent in a daytime drama, the second year the award was handed out.
“I don’t just see an award,” she said. “I see a promise fulfilled.”
ABC’s “General Hospital” earned trophies for writing and guest performance in a daytime drama for Jeff Kober.
Two talk shows no longer in production scored victories. Sherri Shepherd won as daytime talk series host for “Sherri,” which ended its four-season run on Fox in May. Kelly Clarkson won for daytime talk series, having wrapped her eponymous NBC show in August after seven seasons. Neither was on hand to accept.
Giada De Laurentiis won as non-daily daytime personality for “Giada in the Kitchen.” The trophy for daytime personality daily went to Star Jones and Corey Jovan for Fox’s “Divorce Court.”
Ina Garten won as culinary host for “Be My Guest” on Food Network.
The ceremony held at the Hollywood Palladium was streamed live for the second straight year after airing on CBS for five consecutive years.
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