Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Susan Seaforth Hayes Responds to Fan Uproar Over Her Daytime Emmy Lead Actress Nomination Snub
The beloved and iconic star of Days of our Lives, the legendary Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) has come forward with a heartfelt statement and showed just why she is one of the all-time classiest people we know, since fans have been in an uproar over her name not appearing alongside the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for the upcoming 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards come this October.
Susan’s assistant and friend, Amy Shaughnessy. took to X on Wednesday, following the announcement of the Lead Actress category and revealed that, yes, Susan did, in fact, submit her work for the Lead Actress category in a year which in real life saw her lose her longtime husband, Bill Hayes (Doug Williams) and then mourn the loss of Julie’s (and Susan’s) one and only on-screen in heartbreaking episodes and performances.
On Thursday, Hayes took to her social media account to express her sincere thanks to all the fans who were upset by her snub. Susan shared: “For everyone who was upset by the Emmy nominations, I am amazed and moved that so many cared that deeply about Susan Hayes and Julie, her other self.”
Photo: JPI
She went on to say, “The first Daytime Emmys happened live from the gorgeous plaza of Rockefeller Center in NYC. Bill Hayes sang, we presented, and MacDonald Carey (ex-Tom Horton, DAYS) won for ‘best person on daytime’ or some vague category that made us all feel splendid. Eventually, the categories became more specific; Lead Actor, Supporting, Younger, and now Emerging Actor (imagine Meryl Streep rising out of a cake!). Between my nominations, I have had the honor of co-hosting the show once with Beverlee McKinsey (ex-Iris, Another World/Texas; ex-Alexandra, Guiding Light) and in 2018 receiving a Lifetime Achievement Emmy that sits on our piano next to Billy’s. I have not been snubbed by all the judges of NATAS over time.”
Susan added, “From 1968–2025 I fit into all the categories, emerging, to supporting, to lead. Susan Lucci (ex-Erica, All My Children) was forever a leading lady, Susan/Julie reflected the more natural evolution of nature. She was fresh– then hot– cooled down– and for now, mellow. I have had the chance to stay a working actress for all those thousands of shows. Studying lines, going through the studio gate, being present with the creative cast and crew for one of the longest running dramas on American television.”
Photo: JPI
“Is she ‘entertaining?’ This is not the usual path of a soap opera leading lady. In that story of loss I was more than an actress, I was a wife. My husband deserved all I could give to show the reality of grief and loss,” expressed Hayes.” Perhaps the judges felt I wasn’t acting when for the camera, I got the news, kissed the body goodbye, and gave the eulogy. No matter, my truth was based on a love that was real for an audience that loved him, too. My reward in 2024 was that I honored Doug and Julie, members of a family millions have opened their hearts to I am hugely blessed and promise you all I will keep on keeping on.”
Previously, Shaughnessy said of Susan’s performance and omission from the nominees, “She filmed a death scene with a body double 3 months after lying next to her actual husband in a hospice bed and saying goodbye to him. We talked every morning during the week of filming about how to breathe, take breaks, and channel the real life emotions of grief and loss into her performance so she could reach fellow audience members who had lost loved ones.”
“NO one deserved a nomination this year more than Susan Seaforth Hayes for her absolutely brilliant performance processing and living through Bill Hayes’ and Doug Williams’ deaths, said Amy. “She did what most actors never have to do; she exposed her soul and shared her real life grief with the entire daytime audience. It was raw, real, and MORE than worthy of an Emmy nomination. Shame on you, Academy members, for not recognizing Susan Seaforth Hayes for her brave and exceptional performance.”
What are your thoughts on Susan not appearing in the list of six Lead Actress nominees for the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards? Were you touched by her sentiments on fan outcry? Let us know in the comment section.
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Susan you are a class act who not only deserved a nomination but the win! It has been years since the academy have actually cared about daytime tv. It’s an absolute shame and again an absolute disrespect for the genre .
Yes, she drove story for Doug’s passing/memorial episodes, but there’s a good argument to be made to submit her in supporting – where she’d be the odds-on favorite with the other nominees listed.
Regardless, she is forever a class act.
She has more class than some of the fans on here do.
Even for an organization that’s prone to getting so many things wrong, NATAS has really goofed on this one. I’ll admit, I assumed SSH had put herself in for Supporting Actress, but Lead wasn’t a stretch, and she should have been nominated, at least.
I wonder if other actresses on Days did not submit for Lead out of deference to Susan, and that’s how we ended up with nobody from Days nominated for Lead Actress. That would make it doubly appalling.
I haven’t had a lot of faith in NATAS since . . . well, ever, really, and I go back 50 years with soap-watching. But this one stuns me. Boneheaded by even NATAS’s low, low, low standards.
YUP! Gave up on the Daytime Emmys a long time ago.
To be fair about it, Susan already had to relive her actual husbands death for the cameras (since he was also her husband for the show). If she didn’t want to go through all that a third time, in the process of submitting those scenes for nomination, I really couldn’t blame her.
Though all things considered, she probably deserves the award for pulling those scenes off, under the circumstances.
Wow, maybe all know nobody held a candle to her last year, so they were intimidated, & left her out. We have all witnessed a lot of loss, but nobody had to lose their husband, then spend months also grieving a body double at work daily! We all felt her loss & cried. I probably would have done the scenes on auto pilot, but she blew my mind at the hardest weeks of her life, Real, & Reel.
Does anybody realize she and her husband put daytime on the map? They were on Newsweek I think not sure I was a junior high kid but Susan is a great person and I said good riddance a long time ago the same nominees the same crap.
Bill and Susan were on the January 12, 1976 edition of “Time” magazine in which the accompanying article proclaimed Days of our Lives as the most daring daytime drama. Time…⏳
That’s correct. It was Tony Geary & Genie Francis on Newsweek. People always get confused that was a Time cover.
Yep. “Sex and Suffering in the Afternoon.” I remember the article well; I’d been watching soaps about a year and could not believe they’d made the cover of a national magazine! Among other things, the article rated all the soaps with zero to four teardrops (might have been five), and only Days got the full four (or five), though as I recall, Another World and Young and Restless were right behind (with half a teardrop less). Classic quote from SSH regarding the interviewer’s observation that folks in Salem were, um, quite sexually active: “We are a bunch of horny devils.” (If she weren’t such a goddess anyway, SSH would be a soap treasure just for her wry commentary through the years. Circa 1993: James Reilly, on why he was writing Julie out of the show: “Julie’s stories have been told.” SSH: “Really? I must have slept through them.”)
Its a silly system. Its the same five or six actors favored actresses being nominated over and over again every year or two years even when their performances suck. The soap industry then tries to correct the crookedness by coming up with new award categories like best younger actor actress or best new emerging talent. This leads to other fiascos like the wrong actress winning or younger actor nominees over the age limit. The Oscars and Emmys look at hundreds of potential nominees in numerous categories. The daytime Emmys are dealing with only four soaps and realistically maybe a hundred potential nominees and they make it a joke. Kudos to Mrs. Hayes for exhibiting the class from her generation that this new iteration of the award show lacks.
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Monday on Entertainment Tonight, the second set of nominations for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced which included the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actress and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
ET followed suit after Extra announced the nominees, as previously reported, in the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series – Actor and Outstanding Daytime Talk Host.
Now, five leading ladies of the soaps are vying for the gold for Lead Actress and the category marked the first-ever nominations for CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates when two actresses made the final cut. Only General Hospital is not represented among the actresses this year after Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) took home the trophy last year.
Photo: NATAS
THE FIVE LEADING LADIES OF THE SOAPS ARE …
The 2026 Lead Actress nominees are: Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives, Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless, Heather Tom (Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful, and Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree), Beyond the Gates.
This marks the first Daytime Emmy nominations for Karla Mosley and Tamara Tunie. In addition, this marks the first-time in her career that Stacy Haiduk had received a Lead Actress nod after two Supporting Actress nominations.
Meanwhile, Michelle Stafford had previously won 3 Emmys – 2 for Lead Actress and 1 for Supporting, but this recognition makes it her 11th overall nomination.
Heather Tom currently is tied for the most all-time Daytime Emmy wins with One Life to Live alum and General Hospital guest star, Erika Slezak. The B&B star has 19 nominations throughout her career.
Photo: ABC
DAYTIME TALK SERIES
In the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category, the nominees are: 3rd Hour of Today, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, Today with Jenna and Friends and The View.
“We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television,” NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement on the nominations. “As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
The rest of the nominations will be revealed tomorrow on Tuesday July 14 starting on The View and then the full list of nominees in both the main and creative arts will be released by NATAS. The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are slated for October 30th in Hollywood, California.
So, what do you think about the women who are vying for the Lead Actress Daytime Emmy? Happy with who got in? Who do you feel got snubbed? What do you think of the nominees for Daytime Talk Series? Weigh-in via the comment section.
It’s Daytime Emmy nomination week, and as previously reported things kick-off on Monday, July 13 when Entertainment Tonight (7pm ET) will announce the nominees for Lead Actress category and Daytime Talk Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition on Monday, Extra (7pm ET) will reveal the nominees for Lead Actor and Daytime Talk Host.
On Tuesday, The View (11am ET) starts things off with their announcement of Daytime Drama, Entertainment News program and Outstanding Daytime Personality-Daily. That is followed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) full reveal of all the categories beginning at 12noon ET/9am PT on their website and their official social handles on X and Instagram.
Then, Tuesday night at 8pm ET/5pm PT join Michael Fairman as he hosts his 12th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 live on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he will chat with some of the just announced nominees as we celebrate the hard work of the men and women in front of the camera who will be going for gold.
WHEN ARE THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
This year, the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed out on October 30 in ceremonies in Hollywood, California (Venue yet to be revealed). At that time, as like last year, both the major categories and creative arts will be presented. There is no word yet on a broadcast partner for the annual celebration of daytime programming, or if it will soley be streamed on NATAS’ watch.theemmys.tv and various apps and platforms.
WHO WILL BE APPEARING ON THE DAYTIME EMMY NOMINATIONS SPECIAL 2026?
Throughout Tuesday, keep an eye on Michael Fairman TV’s social media handles on X, Facebook and Instagram, for updates of who will be expected to appear on our live show.
If you have a question or comment for one of the nominees, or on the nominations, we can encourage you to join us in the live chat on Tuesday night.
So, who are you hoping lands a nomination from Beyond the Gates, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Bay, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless? Let us know via the comment section. More Tuesday!
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress Drama Series
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor Drama Series
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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
GENERAL HOSPITAL Spoilers Promo: Jason’s Back, Drew Begins to Make His Move, Portia Goes Into a Labor
Scott Bryce, ‘As the World Turns’ Craig Montgomery, Passes Away at 68
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