Michael Easton (Caleb Morley), who mesmerized Port Charles viewers during the summer and fall of 2001 as a vampire with a split personality, walked away with top honors in this year's balloting.

Though up for six nominations, Easton won just two. He'd been the most nominated performer in this year's Dankies. Easton posted a very comfortable win in the Outstanding Lead Actor field. Our Dankies statisticians reveal that Easton is the first non-contract performer ever to win a Lead Actor Dankie. Easton was also named Outstanding Overall Performer, edging out the rest of the fifteen nominees from the Lead and Supporting Actor and Actress fields.

And as the saying goes, "something old, something new." Brian Gaskill (Rafe Kovich) provides the ballot with the new - as well as two Dankies wins. Gaskill, who joined the cast last summer and was just this year put on contract, was named Outstanding Newcomer. Gaskill has made a collection of Newcomer awards. In 1996, he picked up an Outstanding Newcomer award in the All My Children section for his work as Bobby Warner. Gaskill was also named Most Attractive Actor, edging out Easton for the trophy. Last year's winner in the category, Thorsten Kaye (Ian Thornhart) placed third.

Moving on to the something "borrowed," actor Charles Keating (ex-James Richfield), who gained daytime fame as an Outstanding Lead Actor Daytime Emmy winner on Another World, was selected as the Outstanding Special Guest/Recurring Performer.

Though fans have grumbled that he hasn't had a decent storyline in years, Nolan North (Chris Ramsey) picked up a win in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category. Somewhat oddly, North's on-screen personality, Chris Ramsey, was voted Least Favorite Character.

For the something blue part of the wedding tradition, we're gonna have to stretch a bit. Kin Shriner (Scott Baldwin), who "blew" from Port Charles to sister-soap General Hospital, was voted Most Missed Performer. Shriner remains on the PC cast, but he was taken off contract last year when he made a move back to General Hospital on a permanent basis.

Not all of the news had to do with the men. Lynn Herring (Lucy Coe) scored a second consecutive Outstanding Lead Actress win and for the second straight year Lucy Coe was voted Favorite category.

And finally, in a showing of how Port Charles' popularity is growing, four times as many voters turned out to cast votes in this year's awards over last year's turnout.