News
Should there be less acting noms at Emmys, if there are less Soaps?

Courtesy/NATAS
In an interesting commentary and revealing piece today from veteran soap journalist, Michael Maloney for Variety, he takes a look at if the Daytime Emmys should consider limiting the number of acting nominees in the acting categories, with only six soaps on the air. And, if NATAS should do away with the Younger Actor and Actress categories, as well as if the Guest-Star category should return. Maloney spoke to a number of soap vets for their thoughts as well. Here are what a few had to say:
Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R) ” They do need to change. You can’t have five (nominees) with only six shows. If you do, you may as well throw one from every show in.” Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R) “I don’t think there should be younger actor or actress categories. If you’re that good, then you can be up there with (older actors), the way Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) have been at the Oscars.” Ken Corday (DAYS, EP) argued the other side of the coin, that NATAS and the Emmys should keep the younger set categories because, “there will be more awards to give out.”
What do you think? Should we honor less actors, in a genre which gets very little recognition anyway? Or, are they right, since there is less of a talent pool with the dwindling number of shows? Let us know your thoughts.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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?”

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

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

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.
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Well, could we have an emmy for the actors and actresses who throw their names in for not even having a lead story! Mr. LeBlanc and Mr. Bergman neither one of these guys have had a LEAD Story this last year! Campaigning is a turn off!
Exactly!!!
The genre unfortunately gets very little recognition, but that’s at no fault to the actors. Daytime actors are unquestionably some of the hardest working actors: memorization of lengthy script dialogue on a very regular basis, working through long production hours on a weekly basis, minimal rehersal time, and decreasing job stability all contribute to what makes these actors strong, and worthy of formal recognition just as actors who work in other mediums. Further, there may be less of a talent pool in terms of numbers, but it’s certainly stronger now with less shows on the air and more vets and previously established actors finding work on currently existing shows. In some ways, there is arguably now more competition for the gold, but now there’s arguably an easier chance to win as a result of the smaller talent pool. I think reducing the number of nominees is a good option to alleviate the concern of too many actors earning nominations over the six remaining serials. Perhaps cap the nomination numbers at 3 or 4 nods per category. The Daytime Emmys seems to increasinly become a popularity contest, and reduced nominations may help with this. I also think the younger actor/actress categories can be eliminated, and worthy opponents can contend in the Supporting category. In my opinion, most of the younger nominees are not Emmy-worthy performers; they just qualify for placement in the category, so they end up with a nomination despite lack of a justifiably solid, nomination-worthy performance. Obviously this can’t be said for all Younger actor noms / winners like Jennifer Finnigan, Eden Riegel, and Jennifer Landon, who deserved their Emmy wins, and Scott Clifton, who is LONG overdue for an Emmy. However, with the dwindling number of younger actors in daytime it just seems like anyone who’s under 26 will get a nod. In a nutshell, the Daytime Emmys are necessary as actors in this medium deserve formal recognition. However, reduced numbers of nominees and the elimination of the Younger Actor / Actress categories may balance things out. Thanks!
I feel they neeed to more fairly evaluate the actors rather than the popularity contest it has become. It shouldn’t be the actors themselves deciding who gets the nomination. Every year there are great individuals left out that in my opinion could have gone home with the gold. I appreciate both actors quoted here, however they are 2 that always get a nod. It is a popularity contest amongst themselves.
I say let it stay the way it is and give us “the best guest appearance role awards again”. The way I see it is it wouldn’t be fair to cut down the awards because I remember when one year where GH had many nominees in each Categories while there were other Actors who should have been nominated and were over looked and we see where Actors who were great last year (2010) were shot out again as well and have to wait for a time to be nom. again. There are some People who should have won an Emmy in the past who hasn’t yet which is beyond me like Melody Thomas Scott. The younger Actors & Actresses awards shows off how talented our younger Actors are and who can keep up with the likes of Anthony Geary, Michael E. Night, Susan Flannery, Eric Breaden and our many great Vets who shows that just because they are Soap Actors they shouldn’t be underestimated that they can far act anyone who dears to be in a Scene with them. Not to mention sometimes these young Actors have there own Stories being told separately which test talent and further more they are the new generation of the genre, plus it shows which Soap has the best young talent right, sounds awful I know but a good point. This might not make any sense but why not make it 6 noms each from each Category since there are only 6 Soaps any way, then picking who should represent each Soap would be easier and more divided cause the decision is made from one episode Reel anyways right. As for best Drama there should just be 4 noms. Now I don’t know how this whole award thing works so is it about money or should it be about who should really get the award at the end of the Day or just simply who should really be nominated. Like I said before though some Actors are over due for an award, that’s my opinion. Besides when it comes down to it isn’t it about the love for the genre it self, if it were me though I would just be grateful I have a Job.