The 8th Daytime Emmy Awards were held on Thursday, May 21, 1981, to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from March 6, 1980 to March 5, 1981. The eighth awards did not include the cameo category from the previous year, so only five awards were given, like in previous years. The ceremony was telecast from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, preempting '' General Hospital'' and ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that netwo ...

''. Winners in each category are in bold.

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series

*'' All My Children'' *'' General Hospital'' *'' Ryan's Hope''

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series

* James Mitchell (''Palmer Cortlandt, All My Children'') *

Douglass Watson Larkin Douglass Watson III (February 24, 1921 — May 1, 1989) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Mac Cory on the daytime soap opera '' Another World''. Life and career Watson was born in Jackson, Georgia, the son ...

(''Mac Cory, Another World'') *

Larry Bryggman Larry Bryggman (born December 21, 1938) is an American actor. He is known for ''Spy Game'' (2001), ''Die Hard: With a Vengeance'' (1995) and ''As the World Turns'' (1956). Early life Bryggman was born in Concord, California on December 21, 1938 ...

(''John Dixon,

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other s ...

'') *

Henderson Forsythe Henderson Forsythe (September 11, 1917 – April 17, 2006) was an American actor. Forsythe was known for his role as Dr. David Stewart #2 on the soap opera ''As the World Turns'', a role he played for 32 years, and for his work on the New York sta ...

(''David Stewart,

'') * Anthony Geary (''Luke Spencer, General Hospital'')

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

Julia Barr Julia Barr (born Julia Rose Buchheit on February 8, 1949 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an American actress. Barr is most famous for her role on the soap opera ''All My Children'', playing the character of Brooke English. She played the role fro ...

(''Brooke English, All My Children'') *

Susan Lucci Susan Victoria Lucci (born December 23, 1946) is an American actress, television host, author and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama ''All My Children'' during that show's entire network run from 1970 ...

(''

Erica Kane Erica Kane is a fictional character from the American ABC Daytime soap opera ''All My Children''. The character was portrayed by actress Susan Lucci from her debut on January 16, 1970, until the last broadcast television episode on September 23, ...

, All My Children'') *

Judith Light Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...

(''

Karen Wolek Karen Wolek is a fictional character appearing on the American soap opera ''One Life to Live'' between May 1976 and February 1983. The role was most notably performed by Judith Light beginning in November 1977. Karen ultimately departs for an of ...

, One Life to Live'') *

Robin Strasser Robin Victory in Europe Strasser (born May 7, 1945) is an American actress, best known for her role as Dorian Lord on the ABC daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live''. Life and career Strasser's middle name is a tribute to her being born the da ...

(''

Dorian Lord Dorian Lord is a fictional character and matriarch of the Cramer family on the American daytime drama ''One Life to Live'', played most notably and for the longest duration by actress Robin Strasser. Strasser was cast by series creator Agnes Ni ...

, One Life to Live'') *

Helen Gallagher Helen Gallagher (born July 19, 1926) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She is the recipient of three Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award. Early years Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in Scarsdale, New York, and the ...

(''Maeve Ryan, Ryan's Hope'')

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series

* Matthew Cowles (Billy Clyde Tuggle, '' All My Children'') * William Mooney (Paul Martin, '' All My Children'') *

Justin Deas Justin Deas (born March 30, 1948, in Connellsville, Pennsylvania) is an American actor. He is known primarily for his work on daytime soap operas. Personal life Deas received his Bachelor of Arts from the College of William & Mary. Deas married ...

( Tom Hughes, ''

'') *

Richard Backus Richard Backus (born March 28, 1945) is an American actor and television writer. He has been nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards for writing and one for acting. Biography Richard Backus was born in Goffstown, New Hampshire on March 28, 1945 ...

(Barry Ryan, '' Ryan's Hope'') *

Larry Haines Larry Haines (born Larry Hecht; August 3, 1918 – July 17, 2008) was an American actor. Early years Haines was born on August 3, 1918 in Mount Vernon, New York. (Some sources say August 18, 1918, in the same city). He had been active in dramat ...

(Stu Bergman, ''

Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show fo ...

'')

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

*Elizabeth Lawrence, (Myra Sloane, '' All My Children'') *

Lois Kibbee Lois Kibbee (July 13, 1922 – October 18, 1993) was an American actress. Kibbee was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. The daughter of actor Milton Kibbee and the niece of actor Guy Kibbee, Kibbee played in a number of television and film roles. ...

, (Geraldine Whitney Saxon, ''

'') *

Jane Elliot Jane Elliot is an American actress, best known for her role as Tracy Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital''. Life and career Elliot was born in New York City. She was married to Luis Rojas and has three children, Adr ...

(

Tracy Quartermaine Tracy Quartermaine is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. She is played by actress Jane Elliot, who originated the role in 1978 and has played her intermittently since that time, primarily on ''GH'' and briefly on ...

, '' General Hospital'') * Randall Edwards (Delia Ryan, '' Ryan's Hope'') *

Jacklyn Zeman Jacklyn Zeman (born March 6, 1953) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Barbara "Bobbie" Spencer on ''General Hospital''. She is sometimes credited as Jackie Zeman. Early life and education Zeman was born in Englewood, New Jersey ...

(

Bobbie Spencer Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer, RN is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman. She debuted in December 1977, after playing Lana McClain on the sister-soap ''One Life to Live''. Zeman went o ...

, '' General Hospital'')

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Writing

* ''Guiding Light'':

Douglas Marland Douglas Marland (born Marland Messner; May 5, 1934 – March 6, 1993) was an American writer, known for his work as the head writer of several soap operas. Career Marland began his career as an actor, appearing on the Irna Phillips series ''The B ...

, Robert Dwywer, Nancy Franklin & Harding Lemay * ''All My Children'':

Agnes Nixon Agnes Nixon ( Eckhardt; December 10, 1922 – September 28, 2016) was an American television writer and producer, and the creator of the ABC soap operas ''One Life to Live'', ''All My Children'', as well as ''Loving'' and its spin-off '' The Ci ...

Wisner Washam Wisner McCamey Washam (born September 8, 1931) is an American soap opera writer, best known as the head writer of ''All My Children'', from 1981 to 1987. Early life and career A native of North Carolina, he graduated from the University of Nor ...

, Jack Wood * ''General Hospital'' * ''One Life to Live''

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Directing

* ''All My Children'' * ''General Hospital'' * ''One Life to Live''

Outstanding Game Show

*'' The $20,000 Pyramid'' – A Bob Stewart Production for ABC *''

Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. It features two families who compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, th ...

'' – A Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production for ABC *''

The Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show Television pilot, piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debut ...

'' – A Heatter-Quigley Production for NBC

Outstanding Game Show Host

Peter Marshall Peter Marshall may refer to: Entertainment * Peter Marshall (entertainer) (born 1926), American game show host of ''The Hollywood Squares'', 1966–1981 * Peter Marshall (author, born 1939) (1939–1972), British novelist whose works include ''Th ...

(''The Hollywood Squares'') *

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting '' American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 19 ...

(''The $20,000 Pyramid'') *

Richard Dawson Richard Dawson (born Colin Lionel Emm; 20 November 1932 – 2 June 2012) was a British-born American actor, comedian, game-show host and panelist in the United States. Dawson was well known for playing Corporal Peter Newkirk in ''Hogan's Heroe ...

(''Family Feud'')

References

* {{EmmyAwardsbyYear

008 008, OO8, O08, or 0O8 may refer to: * The Streetwear Brand @008us , inspired by Ian Fleming & Virgil Abloh *"030", the fictional 030 Agent of MI6 * '' 038: Operation Exterminate'', a 1965 Italian action film * '' Explosivo 030'' a 1940 Argentine c ...