Soap Opera Digest Awards


The Soap Opera Digest Awards, originally known as The Soapy Awards when introduced in 1977, was an awards show held by the daytime television magazine Soap Opera Digest.

History

1977–1983

The Soapy Awards were an award presented by Soap Opera Digest magazine to the best work on American soap operas from 1977 until 1983. Unlike their successors, the Soap Opera Digest Awards, this accolade lacked a great deal of glamour. The statue itself was a tall geometric crystal and were presented during a television show after winners were announced in the magazine. The original award was designed by the magazine's art director Janis Rogak.
The magazine's editor Ruth J. Gordon, who was founding editor made the very first presentation on The Merv Griffin Show.
The first awards were presented during the Merv Griffin Show to Best Actor Bill Hayes and Best Actress Susan Seaforth Hayes from Days of Our Lives. This first award also included a special award for 'Outstanding Achievement in the World of Daytime Drama' to All My Children and One Life to Lives creator Agnes Nixon.
The 1978 award were presented live during America Alive! from both New York and Hollywood. The 1979 show was presented on the Thursday Dec. 27, 1979 episode of Dinah and Friends.
In 1980, during the height of Luke and Laura, their portrayers Anthony Geary and Genie Francis won for Best Actor and Best Actress. An award for 'Favorite Performer in a Mature Role' went to All My Childrens Ruth Warrick.
The 1981 show incorporated many of the categories which would become a hallmark of the Soap Opera Digest Awards, such as 'Most Exciting New Actor', 'Favorite Villain', and 'Favorite Villainess'. That year, the awards were swept by General Hospital.
In 1984, the awards were replaced by the Soap Opera Digest Awards.

1984–2005

In 1984, the awards evolved into The ''Soap Opera Digest Awards, to replace the less-lavish Soapy Award. The Soap Opera Digest Awards were meant to promote excellence in the soap opera genre and were decided by the fans who read the magazine. The statue itself was made of crystal and in the shape of a heart.
The first Soap Opera Digest Award show aired in 1984, and was featured on national syndicated television and hosted by then husband and wife Catherine Hickland and David Hasselhoff. One of the reasons for the move up was the new-found audience of both Daytime and Prime time soap operas. That year for the first time awards were given to prime time soap operas as well as daytime soaps. This practice was phased out in the 1990s as primetime soap operas began to lose the large appeal they once had.
For the first two years, fans themselves voted on the nominees list as well as the winners. Ballot stuffing and a voting bloc for the 1985 awards led to the side effect where Days of Our Lives swept almost every category. The third awards were changed so that the editors of the magazine chose the nominees and each reader was allowed only one ballot to vote for their favorites. This allowed other shows such as Santa Barbara and Another World to take home trophies. A change in award season from the end of the year to the beginning meant that there was no show in 1987.
In 1992 the awards were broadcast live for the first time; in addition, the award statue was redesigned to be an inch taller. NBC had aired the event ever since it made its way to network television, but the show would no longer be seen on the network after the airing of the 2000 awards. The year 2001 marked the first time that there was no awards ceremony and voting was done entirely online. In 2003 the cable channel SOAPnet broadcast the awards which were hosted by Lisa Rinna and Ty Treadway.
In 2001, the award was featured in the episode "The One with Joey's Award" for the show Friends, in which Joey Tribbiani was nominated for a Soapy for his fictional role in Days of Our Lives but does not win. In the episode, Joey says the awards began in 1998, so it's likely not meant to be the same award, but rather a homage.
No awards were given out in 2002 or 2004. The 2005 awards were done entirely through the magazine. Fans could find a ballot in a November issue of Soap Opera Digest'' and then mail it to the editors. Only one ballot per person was counted. The awards were announced in the magazine in February 2005.

Winners

1977 - 1983

Best Soap Opera

Best Actor

Best Actress

Exciting New Actor

Exciting New Actress

Best Villain

Best Villainess

Best Hero

Best Mature Actor

Best Mature Actress

Best Juvenile Male

Best Juvenile Actress

  • 1977 Suzanne Davidson
  • 1978 Brandi Tucker
  • 1979 Dawn Marie Boyle
  • 1980 Dawn Marie Boyle
  • 1981 Daniella and Francesca Serra

1984 - 2005

Outstanding Actor in a Mature Role in a Daytime Soap Opera

Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in a Daytime Serial

Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in a Daytime Soap Opera

Outstanding Actor in a Mature Role in a Daytime Serial

Former name: Outstanding Actor in a Mature Role in a Prime Time Soap Opera

Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in a Prime Time Soap Opera

Best Death Scene: Daytime

Best Death Scene: Prime Time

  • 1992 April Ewing

Outstanding Super Couple: Daytime

Former name: Favorite Daytime Super Couple on a Daytime Serial, Favorite Super Couple: Daytime

Favorite Super Couple: Prime Time

Former name: Favorite Super Couple on a Prime Time Serial

Favorite Couple

Former names: Best Love Story: Daytime or Prime Time, Hottest Soap Couple, Hottest Romance

Favorite New Couple

Best Wedding: Daytime

  • 1992 Matthew Ashford, Melissa Reeves

Editor's Choice

Editor's Choice - Daytime

Editor's Choice - Primetime

  • 1988 Michael Filerman

Outstanding Actor: Prime Time

Former names: Outstanding Actor in a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Actor in a Prime Time Serial

Outstanding Actress: Prime Time

Former names: Outstanding Actress in a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Actress in a Prime Time Serial

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Serial

Former name: Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Serial

Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Soap Opera
  • 1984 Deidre Hall
  • 1985 Deidre Hall

Favorite Actor

Favorite Actress

Outstanding Comic Performance: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Comic Relief Role on a Daytime Serial

Outstanding Comic Performance

  • 1993 Matthew Ashford

Outstanding Actress/Actor in a Comic Relief Role on a Prime Time Serial

Outstanding Comic Actor: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Comic Performance by an Actor: Daytime

Outstanding Comic Actress: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Comic Performance by an Actress: Daytime

Outstanding Daytime Serial

Former name: Outstanding Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Daytime Soap
  • 1984 Days of Our Lives
  • 1985 Days of Our Lives
  • 1986 Days of Our Lives
  • 1988 Days of Our Lives
  • 1989 Days of Our Lives
  • 1990 Santa Barbara
  • 1991 Days of Our Lives
  • 1992 ''Days of Our Lives''

Outstanding Prime Time Serial

Former name: Outstanding Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Prime Time Show, Outstanding Prime Time Soap
  • 1984 Dynasty
  • 1985 Dynasty
  • 1986 Knots Landing
  • 1988 Knots Landing
  • 1989 Knots Landing
  • 1990 Knots Landing
  • 1991 Knots Landing
  • 1992 ''Knots Landing''

Favorite Show

  • 1993 Days of Our Lives
  • 1994 Days of Our Lives
  • 1995 Days of Our Lives
  • 1996 Days of Our Lives
  • 1997 General Hospital
  • 1998 General Hospital
  • 1999 General Hospital
  • 2000 General Hospital
  • 2001 Days of Our Lives
  • 2003 General Hospital
  • 2005 ''General Hospital''

Outstanding Limited Run: Daytime

Outstanding Newcomer: Daytime

Outstanding Female Newcomer: Daytime

Former names: Exciting New Actress in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding New Actress in a Daytime Serial

Outstanding Male Newcomer: Daytime

Former names: Exiting New Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding New Actor in a Daytime Serial

Outstanding New Actor in a Prime Time Serial

Former name: Exciting New Actor in a Prime Time Soap Opera

Outstanding New Actress in a Prime Time Serial

Former name: Exiting New Actress in a Prime Time Soap Opera

Outstanding Male Newcomer

Outstanding Female Newcomer

Favorite New Character

Outstanding Newcomer

Outstanding Lead Actor: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Daytime Serial, Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role: Daytime

Outstanding Lead Actress: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role on a Daytime Serial, Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role: Daytime

Outstanding Lead Actor: Prime Time

Former name: Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Prime Time Serial, Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role: Prime Time

Outstanding Lead Actress: Prime Time

Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role on a Prime Time Serial, Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role: Prime Time

Outstanding Lead Actor

Outstanding Lead Actress

Outstanding Supporting Actor: Daytime

Former name Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Serial, Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role: Daytime

Outstanding Supporting Actress: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Serial, Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role: Daytime

Outstanding Supporting Actor: Prime Time

Former name: Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Prime Time Serial, Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role: Prime Time

Outstanding Supporting Actress: Prime Time

Former name: Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role on a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Prime Time Serial, Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role: Prime Time

Outstanding Supporting Actor

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Outstanding Villain: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Villain in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Villain in a Daytime Serial

Outstanding Villainess: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Villainess in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Villainess in a Daytime Serial

Outstanding Villain: Prime Time

Former name: Outstanding Villain in a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Villain in a PrimeTime Serial, Outstanding Villain on a Prime Time Serial

Outstanding Villainess: Prime Time

Former name: Outstanding Villainess in a Prime Time Soap Opera, Outstanding Villainess in a Prime Time Serial

Outstanding Villain/Villainess

Favorite Villain

Former name: Outstanding Villain

Favorite Villainess

Former name: Outstanding Villainess

Outstanding Younger Lead Actor: Daytime `

Former name: Outstanding Youth Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Youth Actor in a Daytime Serial, Outstanding Young Leading Actor in a Daytime Serial

Outstanding Younger Leading Actress: Daytime

Former name: Outstanding Youth Actress in a Daytime Soap Opera, Outstanding Youth Actress in a Daytime Serial, Outstanding Young Leading Actress on a Daytime Serial

Outstanding Youth Actor in Prime Time Soap Opera

Outstanding Youth Actress in Prime Time Soap Opera

Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress in a Prime Time Serial

Outstanding Younger Leading Actor

Former name: Outstanding Younger Lead Actor

Outstanding Younger Leading Actress

Former name: Outstanding Younger Lead Actress

Favorite

Former name: Outstanding Teen Performer, Favorite Teen Star

Outstanding Child Actor

Outstanding Contribution by an Actor/Actress to the Form of Continuing Drama who is currently on a Daytime Serial

  • 1986 Deidre Hall

Outstanding Hero: Daytime

  • 1988 A Martinez
  • 1989 Stephen Nichols
  • 1990 Doug Davidson
  • 1991 Doug Davidson

Outstanding Heroine: Daytime

Outstanding Hero: Prime Time

Outstanding Heroine: Prime Time

Outstanding Hero

Outstanding Heroine

Favorite Triangle

Outstanding Story Line: Daytime

  • 1990 Eden's rape
  • 1991 Robin, Anna and the alien

Outstanding Story Line: Prime Time

Outstanding Social Issue Storyline

  • 1993 Margo's rape

Favorite Storyline

  • 1994 Who Fathered Marlena's Baby?
  • 2001 The baby switch

Favorite Song

  • 1993 "One Dream"

Favorite Return

Hottest Female Star

Hottest Male Star

Favorite Scene Stealer

Former name: Outstanding Scene Stealer

Outstanding Female Scene Stealer

Former name: Outstanding Female Showstopper

Outstanding Male Scene Stealer

Former name: Outstanding Male Showstopper

Outstanding Musical Achievement

  • 1994 ''Days of Our Lives''

Favorite Veteran

Soapnet Outstanding Plot Twist Award

  • Sonny & Alexis have sex

Soapnet Diamond Award

  • Susan Lucci

List of ''Soap Opera Digest'' Awards

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