Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series | |
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Country | United States |
Presented by | |
Currently held by | The Bay (2016) |
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series is an award presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS).
The first incarnation of the award was the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Short Format Daytime, which was given to the soap opera web series Venice: The Series at the 38th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2011. The category became Outstanding New Approaches Original Daytime Program or Series in 2013, and evolved into Outstanding New Approaches Drama Series in 2014. It was renamed Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series in 2016. In 2015, Alina Adams of Entertainment Weekly attributed the addition and evolution of the category to the increasing audience for, and presence of, independent soap opera web series.
The associated category Outstanding Performer in a New Approaches Drama Series was added for the 42nd Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2015, with Martha Byrne the first recipient for her role as Alexis Jordan/Joanne Edwards on Anacostia. In 2016, this was split into two categories, Outstanding Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series and Outstanding Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series, with Mary Beth Evans and Kristos Andrews winning for their mother-son roles of Sara and Peter Garrett on The Bay. These performer categories were further expanded to four for the 44th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series, and Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series.