Tamara Tunie wins Daytime Emmy for lead performance on Beyond the Gates
The actress accepted the award on Friday night, marking her return to the genre after a 17-year absence.
By William Turner ·
Tamara Tunie won the lead actress award at the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy ceremony on Friday night in Los Angeles. The honor recognized her portrayal of Anita Dupree on CBS’s Beyond the Gates, a series that launched last year. Tunie, who made her first daytime appearance in 1987 on As the World Turns, left the genre in 2009 before returning for the new production.
Beyond the Gates features the first primarily Black cast since Generations aired in the 1990s. It also stands as the first new network soap opera since 1999. Tunie accepted the trophy by acknowledging the contributions of earlier performers. “My heart is so full right now,” she said. “This is the best welcome back to daytime ever. There is a host of Black actresses who paved the way for me, and I feel them as I stand here.”
Roger Howarth and Beth Maitland of The Young and the Restless won the supporting acting categories. Howarth currently plays Matt Clark on the CBS show. He first received an award in 1994 for his role as Todd Manning on One Life to Live. “I’m really, really happy,” Howarth said. “I love being an actor. I’m so happy that I get to do this thing that we all get to do together, that we cooperate.”
Maitland received the award for her role as Traci Abbott on The Young and the Restless. She originated the character in 1982, the same year she first won a supporting actress award. She has portrayed the role intermittently since then. “I was equally as gobsmacked back then as a young actress, and I can’t tell you how meaningful it is to be here,” Maitland said. She praised her fellow nominees, noting that daytime television offers relief in a chaotic world.
Tracee Ellis Ross won in the travel and adventure category for her Roku series Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross. Ross, who was a five-time Primetime Emmy nominee for black-ish, thanked the countries of Morocco, Mexico, and Spain featured in the show. “Wow, how fun is this?” Ross said. “I'm an Emmy winner!”
Ambyr Michelle of Beyond the Gates won the award for emerging talent in a daytime drama. This marked the second year the category was presented. Michelle described the trophy as a promise fulfilled. Jeff Kober of ABC’s General Hospital won for guest performance in a daytime drama, while the series also took home the writing award.
Two talk show hosts who are no longer in production accepted awards by proxy. Sherri Shepherd won for her Fox series Sherri, which ended its four-season run in May. Kelly Clarkson won for her NBC program, which wrapped its seventh season in August. Neither was present at the Hollywood Palladium ceremony. The event was streamed live for the second consecutive year after five years of broadcast on CBS. Other winners included Giada De Laurentiis for non-daily personality and Ina Garten for culinary host.
