Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series was an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It was given annually from 1985 to 2019 to honor a young actor below the age of 25, who had delivered an outstanding performance in a role while working within the daytime drama industry.
At the 12th Daytime Emmy Awards held in 1985, Brian Bloom was the first winner of this award for his portrayal of Dusty Donovan on As the World Turns. The awards ceremony had not been aired on television for the prior two years, having been criticized for voting integrity. The award category was originally called Outstanding Young Man or Outstanding Juvenile Male in a Drama Series, and began using its current title in 1991. Years before this category was introduced, networks declined to broadcast the show during a time of voting integrity rumors and waning interest. Confusion rose around the criteria of the new category due to the varying ages of the nominees. Within the first set of nominees, Bloom became the youngest actor nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award at the time at age 15, while the other actors nominated in the category were over 25. The criteria were later altered, requiring that the actor be aged 25 or below.
The award was presented to 25 actors. Guiding Light had the most recipients of this award, with a total of seven wins. In 1992, Kristoff St. John became the first African-American to have garnered the award, winning for his role as Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless. Chandler Massey and Jonathan Jackson were the actors with the most awards, with a total of three each. In 2000, Jackson also became the actor to have received the most nominations, surpassing Bryan Buffington's previous record of five. Scott Clifton, Bryton James, David Lago and Joshua Morrow have also received five nominations each.
At the 2019 ceremony, Kyler Pettis ended up being the last winner in this category for his portrayal of Theo Carver, on Days of Our Lives. In October 2019, the NATAS decided to replace both younger actor and actress categories with a single gender-neutral one: Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series.
Winners and nominees
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.| Indicates the winner |
was the first awarded actor in this category, winning for his role as Dusty Donovan on As the World Turns in 1985.
at the 2010 Daytime Emmy Awards. Hensley was nominated twice for his role as Holden Snyder on As the World Turns.
won in 1991 for his role as Alan-Michael Spaulding on Guiding Light.
was nominated three times for his role as Terrence Frye on All My Children.
was nominated five times for his role as Nicholas Newman on The Young and the Restless.
was nominated three times for his role as Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives.
was nominated once for his role as Rick Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful before winning in 2002 for his role as Lucky Spencer on General Hospital.
was nominated twice for his role as JR Chandler on All My Children.
was nominated three times for his role as Dillon Quartermaine on General Hospital and once for his role as Schuyler Joplin on One Life to Live before winning in 2011 for his role as Liam Cooper on The Bold and the Beautiful.
received five nominations, winning in 2007 for his role as Devon Hamilton on The Young and the Restless.
was nominated in 2008 and won in 2009 for his role as Max Brady on Days of Our Lives.
won in 2010 for his role as Thomas Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful.
has won once and been nominated twice for his role as Sonny Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives.
received three nominations and two wins in 2016 and 2017 for his role as Morgan Corinthos on General Hospital.
was nominated twice, in 2016 and 2017, for his role as Thomas Forrester on ''The Bold and the Beautiful.
Multiple wins and nominations
The following individuals received two or more wins in this category:| Wins | Actor |
| 3 | Jonathan Jackson |
| 3 | Chandler Massey |
| 2 | Bryan Craig |
| 2 | Michael E. Knight |
| 2 | Kevin Mambo |
| 2 | Tom Pelphrey |
on General Hospital.|alt=Jackson in 2013.
is the first actor to receive the award for portraying a gay character in this category. He won the award three times, consecutively from 2012 to 2014 for his role of Will Horton on Days of Our Lives.
The following individuals received two or more nominations in this category:
| Nominations | Actor |
| 6 | Jonathan Jackson |
| 5 | Bryan Buffington |
| 5 | Scott Clifton |
| 5 | Bryton James |
| 5 | David Lago |
| 5 | Joshua Morrow |
| 4 | Bryan Craig |
| 4 | Andrew Kavovit |
| 4 | Chandler Massey |
| 4 | Tom Pelphrey |
| 4 | Max Ehrich |
| 3 | Jensen Ackles |
| 3 | Brian Bloom |
| 3 | Scott DeFreitas |
| 3 | Chad Duell |
| 3 | Bryant Jones |
| 3 | Michael E. Knight |
| 3 | Kevin Mambo |
| 3 | Tequan Richmond |
| 3 | Jesse Soffer |
| 3 | Kristoff St. John |
| 3 | Dondre Whitfield |
| 3 | Jacob Young |
| 2 | Lucas Adams |
| 2 | Chad Brannon |
| 2 | Darin Brooks |
| 2 | Pierson Fodé |
| 2 | Michael Graziadei |
| 2 | Justin Gocke |
| 2 | Van Hansis |
| 2 | Jon Hensley |
| 2 | Jesse McCartney |
| 2 | Shemar Moore |
| 2 | Brian Presley |
| 2 | Monti Sharp |
| 2 | Freddie Smith |
| 2 | David Tom |
| 2 | Justin Torkildsen |
| 2 | Jordi Vilasuso |
| 2 | Billy Warlock |
Series with most awards
| Wins | Program |
| Days of Our Lives | |
| General Hospital | |
| Guiding Light | |
| The Young and the Restless | |
| The Bold and the Beautiful | |
| 2 | All My Children |
| 2 | As the World Turns |
| 1 | One Life to Live |
| 1 | Santa Barbara |