There's no question that all four daytime dramas brought out the big guns in 2019, and much to fans' surprise, they all submitted material that was unique.
The Bold and the Beautiful went for action by submitting the tense episode in which Liam (Scott Clifton) braved a dangerous storm in a helicopter to Catalina, where Hope (Annika Noelle) was giving birth to their child. The Young and the Restless tugged on viewers' heartstrings by submitting the extremely emotional episode in which the residents of Genoa City mourned the death of Neil (Kristoff St. John). Days of our Lives flexed its ingenuity by choosing its groundbreaking time jump episode in which Jennifer emerged from her coma to learn that the people in Salem had undergone a ton of changes over the past year. And General Hospital showed off some classic stage talent by submitting a holiday special in which the cast presented their version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
After much deliberation, the judges ultimately decided that The Young and the Restless was the best soap opera on television last year -- and who can blame them? The cast and crew worked tirelessly to bring daytime audiences some of the most powerful moments of 2019, many of which centered on the loss of the show's beloved actor Kristoff St. John (ex-Neil Winters), who was included in the dedications that Y&R executive producer Anthony Morina listed in the show's prerecorded acceptance speech.
"I'm very proud to accept this award on behalf of The Young and the Restless. However, it is bittersweet," he said. "We lost three people who were very important to us: Lee Bell, who created the show with Bill [Bell]; Kristoff St. John, who was on the show for 27 years; and Lisa De Cazotte, our supervising producer. We dedicate this award to them."
Tonight's #DaytimeEmmys win was bittersweet for the #YR family. ?? We dedicate this award to Lee Phillip Bell, Kristoff St. John, and Lisa De Cazotte. pic.twitter.com/b4VTL0kbm3
— Young and Restless (@YandR_CBS) June 27, 2020
The #DaytimeEmmys Award in DRAMA SERIES goes to...
— Daytime Emmys (@DaytimeEmmys) June 27, 2020
The Young and the Restless ¦ @YandR_CBS @CBS #YR pic.twitter.com/Ovro66FmvR
