The upcoming 47th annual Daytime Emmys are already making some changes to key categories and specifically this one that affects daytime drama performers.  Word from Variety is that NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) is going to announce that they are combining the Younger Actor and Actress categories into one gender-neutral category

Not only will the Younger performer category be gender-inclusive, but network soap performances will be combined with digital drama series performances for the category.  Previously, for this past Daytime Emmys, NATAS had changed the Guest Performer in a Drama Series to be gender-inclusive.

This category was initially created in 1985 when it was called the Outstanding Ingenue and then from there tweaked into Outstanding Juvenile Female and Male, and more recently that morphed into the Younger Actor and Actress categories.

Photo: JPI

Former GH star Hayley Erin (Ex-Kiki) and former DAYS star, Kyle Pettis (Ex-Theo) will now be the last female and male to win the two separate categories with this new move for 2020.

Fans of film and TV have noticed that on several award shows on MTV: their Movie and TV Awards and their VMA’s, there are several gender-inclusive categories, as well as the Television Critics Association Awards who for instance doles out Outstanding Individual Achievement in Drama in comedy.

So, what do you think of the change; that there will now be one Younger performer category at the Daytime Emmys? Comment below.

A new character will hit The Young and the Restless canvas on August 15th when former The Fosters cast member, Anna Grace Barlow, makes some appearances for a few episodes on the CBS daytime drama series.

Anna will arrive in Genoa City in the role of Zoe Hardisty, according to Soap Opera Digest.

Zoe is said to share, “a surprising connection with a member of Genoa City’s jet set.”  Who will it be?

Y&R over the last few months has made changes in front of the camera with certain actors exiting the show, and other former stars returning to their most soap-famous roles.

So, who do you think Zoe will be connected to on the canvas? What do you think about Y&R’s reset of its show? Comment below.

Via a You Tube video, The Young and the Restless, Loren Lott confirmed she is exiting at the CBS daytime drama series.  Loren, who came on to the scene as Devon’s (Bryton James) sister, Ana Hamilton back in November of 2018, as a recast for the role last played in 2012 by Jamin Simone Nash, was apparently let-go from the soap as she detailed in her heartfelt message that accompanied her video of her last day at the CBS Television City soundstage.

In her message, Loren expressed: “What an amazing journey! I’m so grateful to God for this step in my career. I have learned so much and I have had so much fun. I’ve received thousands of hugs and kisses and had several Dream Come True moments. I am so excited to move on to what’s next for me. I was a little bummed at first when I was told that creatively they didn’t know what to do with my story line and they wanted to spend their budget increasing other people’s storylines but I appreciated their honesty. Everyone has told me how much they love me and showered me with so much encouragement. Y&R is still my family forever and I have no bitterness towards them at all! Plus I’ve learned that certain no’s are an even bigger yes somewhere else. I’m grateful for every storyline I participated in and every song I got to sing. How cool that I got to sing and act on TV. All I wanted when I left Broadway was for my grandparents to be able to turn on the TV and see me without having to travel to support me as they are getting older. I got exactly that. Thanks God. I’m so excited for what’s next.”

Watch the video of Lott’s final day below, and then let us know if you think Y&R should have let Loren go via the comment section below.