Nancy Lee Grahn Wins an Emmy for Lead Performance

Nancy Lee Grahn Wins an Emmy for Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama, General Hospital Returns

Leading Star Title

Nancy Lee Grahn won the Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress award at the 2025 Daytime Emmy Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on October 17th.

She beat out Eileen Davidson, Laura Wright, Melissa Claire Egan, Michelle Stafford, and Sharon Case. This win once again confirmed her strong standing in the soap industry.

Stars Defeated

This category includes Eileen Davidson as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless, Laura Wright as Carly Spencer on General Hospital, Melissa Claire Egan as Chelsea Lawson, Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers, and Sharon Case as Sharon Newman. Each actress entertained audiences for decades.

Emotional Acceptance Speech

On stage, Nancy Lee Grahn said, “Ladies, we’ll share it, we’ll pass it around. We’re all friends.”

She explained that the role of Alexis Davis allowed her to be constantly present in her daughter Kate’s life.

The warmth and professional passion evident in her words made the ceremony special.

Balancing Mother and Career

Grahn recalled, “At 39, I wanted to be a mom… so I called General Hospital.”

The statement captures the depth of emotion in how an actor found the opportunity to balance parenthood and acting.

“ABC gave me a home, so I could give Kate a home,” her thanks filled the Coliseum with love.

Iconic Moments from GH

Nancy Lee Grahn, who has played Alexis Davis since 1996, has made her mark in over 2,000 episodes.

This was her 11th Emmy nomination, and a trophy had already been waiting for her in 2012.

She described the difficulties of daytime TV in an Instagram post, saying, “130 pages of dialogue, 60 scenes, sometimes a rehearsal…”

Eileen Davidson’s Shine

Eileen Davidson, who has appeared on The Young and the Restless since 1983 as Ashley Abbott, proved her talent by winning an Emmy in 2018 and a trophy for Days of Our Lives in 2014.

Her three seasons on RHOBH also established her in reality TV. Upon receiving the nomination, she praised her co-stars.

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The Journey of Veteran Laura Wright

Laura Wright, who has played Carly Spencer on General Hospital since 2005, has appeared in over 2,700 episodes.

Wright, who received eight nominations and won the trophy in 2011, said that staying in this field is a special achievement and continues to be a challenge every year.

Other Strong Nominees

Melissa Claire Egan celebrated her eighth nomination as Chelsea Lawson, Michelle Stafford earned her 14th nomination as Phyllis Summers and two previous trophies (1997, 2004), while Sharon Case celebrated her seventh nomination after 3,400 episodes and a 1999 Emmy.

Each said that nomination in this category is an honor.

Finale and Live Broadcast

The 2025 Daytime Emmys streamed live on watch.theemmys.tv and the Emmys app.

This soap opera extravaganza was worth watching from home, where every win, every unusual storyline celebrated the hard work of daytime television.