Perennial Emmy loser Susan Lucci and fellow soap veteran Genie Francis were among the ABC nominees Wednesday for a Daytime Emmy Award, and actress Jess Walton helped CBS lead the way with 57 nominations.
Lucci, who plays nasty Erica Kane on ABC’s “All My Children,” has been nominated 16 times before and has never won.
She is competing against Jensen Buchanan of NBC’s “Another World,” Francis of ABC’s “General Hospital” and Walton of CBS’ “The Young & The Restless” for outstanding lead actress in a drama series.
“All My Children,” NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” “General Hospital” and “The Young & The Restless” were also nominated for outstanding drama series.
“The Young & The Restless” was responsible for 20 of CBS’s 57 nominations. “General Hospital” had 18 of ABC’s 41 nods, and the children’s program, “Sesame Street” had 13. PBS had 50 nominations, syndicated shows accounted for 45, and NBC had 25 nominations, which were announced at a ceremony at the Rainbow Room.
Oprah Winfrey, whose program has won the “Outstanding Talk Show” category for two years in a row, has a chance to add to her streak. She’ll compete against the now-defunct “Donahue,” NBC’s “Leeza,” the syndicated “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee” and the new kid on the block, the syndicated “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.”
O’Donnell, Winfrey, Leeza Gibbons, Montel Williams and the team of Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford were nominated for outstanding talk show host.
The 24th annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be given out on May 21.
