Connect with us

News

Daytime Emmys 2016: Outstanding Musical Performance In Talk/Morning Show, Second Lifetime Achievement Award, Digital Acting Category Additions!

By Michael Fairman

Published

on

Courtesy/ABC

Every year with the changing landscape of daytime television, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and those who work in the daytime industry try to implement additions, when warranted, to the number of categories for the Daytime Emmys that reflect its current state of programming.

For the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy competition, and upcoming presentation the following changes are afoot as noted by NATAS Senior VP Daytime Emmy Awards, David Michaels, in an feature for Variety.

First, the awards will feature a new category for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Talk Show/Morning Program.  And with that, the possiblities seem endless as to the big name stars who could garner a nomination.  Michaels elaborated: “If you think about the kinds of guests that are on The Today Show, Good Morning America and all of the talk shows, the entries in that category are like a who’s who of the recording industry, so no matter who gets nominated, that category’s going to be on fire.  There will be a minimum of five nominees, but the number could go up.”

Secondly, with the boom of online web series and so many daytime soap opera favorites appearing in them, this year, instead of only one acting category comprising both male and female performances, the category is now split into two like the Daytime Drama Series acting categories.  Michaels expressed:  “Last year we noticed the talent category was completely out of control. It was just performer in a digital drama, so we split it into actor in a digital drama and actress in a digital drama so it would be a little more manageable for the judges. And it’s still huge.”

Finally, while the Lifetime Achievement Award primarily has been given over the four plus decades of the Daytime Emmys to a performer in front of the camera, this year there will be two recepients, one for a person in the creative fields. “It’s to honor a behind-the-scenes person who’s had a lifetime of contributing to a show or several shows,” Michaels revealed, “not just a front-of-the-camera person.”

This year the Daytime Emmys have 87 categories in which series, performers, and creatives have entered.   The major nominees will be announced on March 24th on CBS’ The Talk.

So what do you think about the addition of musical performance category, a second digital acting and Lifetime Achievement Award? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Click to comment

0 Comments
oldest
newest

I applaud the Academy for staying relevant and recognizing innovations to the genre … yet it does become a slippery slope of easing into that culture of ‘everyone gets a trophy just for showing up’. With only four network dramas competing, it’s a little disingenuous seeing them ALL duke-it-out for Best Drama, Best Writing, Best Directing, etc. As recently as 2009 (pre-cancellations of GL, ATWT, AMC and OLTL), at least half the shows could legitimately rise to the top tier while the remainder sat it out. Now EVERY show gets a nom in EVERY category; just doesn’t feel as much of an honor for some reason.

I agree. Just because a show is still on the air shouldn’t make it automatically eligible for Best Show or Best Writing.

ok

Well the musical performance Emmy is just to boost ratings for the Emmy show by ensuring some big name in music might be performing or attending– it is designed to draw in viewers who do not normally watch or care about daytime, but might watch for the big name musical star– shameless self interest on that new award

Adding a lifetime award for behind the scenes is long overdue–

Splitting the digital acting awards into male and female is in keeping with the other acting awards, and I predict as the medium expands those awards will expand into the supporting and younger categories as well

Well-thought-out post, Mary….And, so true.

But..will any of the Singers nominated show up to get their emmy??

Lol, Jason.

Geoffrey and Mary, I agree with your points. Back in the day, there were shows that didn’t get nominations because they didn’t deserve them. Or, they deserved them and all the politics prevented it. Whatever the reason, when it was more of a competition, it was more of an honour. But still, I don’t think the nominees and winners mind. After all, it means nothing to the career trajectory of the individual. With an Emmy and a quarter, they can make a phone call at a payphone. It is just a night of celebration and self aggrandization, and it means a lot that the awards are voted on within their own industry.

And Mary, you said that the song category is just to ensure some big name people will show up. You said it in kind of a negative tone. Maybe you didn’t mean it that way, but that’s how it read. I say, WHY NOT? Why not try to grab some top name talent to appear on the show, maybe sing their Emmy nominated songs, maybe get the ratings for the show up so it may be broadcast on an accessible network.

The only minor quibble I have is that most of the online shows are not technically daytime…they are anytime. I don’t watch online shows, but aren’t most of them such that you either subscribe to watch, or stream to watch? They are different in subject matter, different in language, some much more risque. I am all for these people being recognized, and applaud the committee for trying to stay relevant. However, I think giving them their own special categories might be a way of including them but not really including them? Am I making sense? Why not allow those shows to compete against traditional soaps? Primetime Emmy’s don’t separate cable from network shows, and cable has been dominating for several years because network tv is in a slump that it doesn’t seem likely to recover from. It would be bracing and shocking if one or more of the four daytime soaps did NOT receive a nomination. It may also be a wake up call for daytime soaps to be more creative, to hire better writers, to realize that old recycled soap plots are just not cutting it anymore. It would be cool to see an online soap win over a network soap, and I don’t even watch online soaps. All My Children and One Life to Live were allowed to enter in the regular categories…after they made the switch to online ventures. I realize these are pioneering times, and change to rules takes time. Just some thoughts.

My only concern with trying to make the Daytime Emmys more ‘viewer-friendly’ to those that don’t follow daytime is that that logic flies in the face of what we’re there to celebrate: DAYTIME PROGRAMMING! I’ve attended and/or watched the majority of the past 43 telecasts, and lest I remind you of how forced it felt (…in an effort to get more eyeballs to the set) as we had to endure Las Vegas infomercials, forced pleas for Feed the Children relief, “fashion shows’ by B-list celebrities, enduring (not one, but two) dances by Vanessa Williams and Gilles Marini, and last year’s forgettable hostess Tyra Banks?! How many pathetic ‘bits’ and stunts have we sat through in years’ past all in an effort to “honor daytime” with people who had little-to-no connection to the genre? I say: if you can’t do an honorable job with people that DESERVE to be there, stop telecasting the show and return it to a dinner for those nominated.

You win bro!!! I can’t even argue. LOL.

My tone was not meant to be negative or positive, I was just stating reality that this music award is not really about rewarding outstanding musical talent but about trying to get new viewers by including an award that appeals to a broader base. There is nothing wrong with doing that, but I find it a bit disingenuous, because it is not about awarding excellent work, but self promotion– and perhaps that is the negativity you sense–but in the end these award shows, all of them, are in a way a business, and like any business the bottom line outweighs integrity. However, if they want to convince me this award is about recognizing musical talent, then the primetime Emmy awards need to follow suit and include the same award so all the musical acts that appear on late night have a shot at an Emmy too

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

Published

on

By

Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

Continue Reading

Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

Published

on

By

Mike Manning

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon)  and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.

According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.

Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene,  Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.

WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?

Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”

The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”

MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE

In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.

Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.

So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

Continue Reading

General Hospital

GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

Published

on

By

Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

Continue Reading

Video Du Jour

Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

Recent Comments

Power Performance

Heather Tom

The Bold and the Beautiful

Airdate: 7-24-2026

Popular

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x