WHICH LEAD PERFORMERS WILL HOIST THIS YEAR'S DAYTIME EMMY?

The biggest Daytime Emmy categories of the evening are always the lead ones.

In the past such daytime icons as Erika Slezak, Anthony Geary, and yes, Susan Lucci, have hoisted that golden trophy.

Who will join these legends as Emmy winners?

The categories are tough and filled with previous winners such as Geary, Finola Hughes, Maura West and Kristoff St. John, who could become the first actor to win an Emmy in all three acting categories.

Here are the nominees, what they submitted and who I would vote for and not necessarily who I think might win.

Outstanding Lead Actor -

TYLER CHRISTOPHER (Nikolas, General Hospital.) Hugely powerful reel dealing with the aftermath of Spencer's accident. Wish, though, Christopher had submitted an additional reel to show his range, as Nikolas went from the sympathetic character we see in this reel to a cold, conniving evildoer as the year progressed.

ANTHONY GEARY (Luke, General Hospital.) Submitted the 52nd anniversary episode where he played his father as well as Luke. As Luke is dealing with finally remembering how his mother was killed - Luke did it - Geary was spectacular, in both roles. Will Geary's exit comments as he left his legendary role in the summer affect voters? He basically lambasted the genre and his iconic co-star Genie Francis (Laura) in the process and it didn't sit well with me or many in the industry. Politics aside, will that cost him his ninth Emmy? And should it? That said, this reel was brilliant.

JUSTIN HARTLEY (Adam, The Young and the Restless.) Between he and Eric Braeden (Victor), Hartley's TV father, who was not nominated and should have been, they gave the overall performances of the year. However, the Emmys are given out on the basis of one - or two - reels, so this is what Hartley has to contend with. The big reveal that Adam wasn't dead was one of the pivotal moments of Y&R last year and Hartley is subdued, but yet terrifically nuanced with the reveal. And Melissa Clair Egan is equally sublime as Chelsea and should have received her own Emmy nomination. She was the perfect counterpart to Hartley in this reel. The chemistry the two possess only enhances this reel. Another brilliant submission choice.

CHRISTIAN LeBLANC (Michael, The Young and the Restless.) Two reels, the first of which Michael finally deals with having cancer and the second where he hires a prostitute to have sex and ends up telling her why he wants to divorce his wife. Second reel is especially poignant and much stronger than the first.

KRISTOFF ST. JOHN (Neil, The Young and the Restless.) Clocking in at just over five minutes, the shortest of all the reels. The amount of time, though, doesn't diminish the impact of St. John's performance as he confronts his son and wife over their affair. Both episodes deal with the betrayal and maybe he should have submitted a different second reel to show his range.

While I personally am over Geary and his antics, there is no question that he is perfection in his reel and he will probably win, but I'm disgusted with how he treated the show and co-star that made him a star, so in a column where I don't predict the winner, but would say, instead, who I would vote for, here goes:

1. Justin Hartley
2. Anthony Geary
3. Tyler Christopher
4. Christian LeBlanc
5. Kristoff St. John

Am wondering if Emmy voters will vote the same way for the same reasons? We will find out on May 1.

Outstanding Lead Actress -

TRACEY BREGMAN (Lauren, The Young and the Restless.) One brief, under five minute reel, that packs a powerful punch as Lauren confronts her husband with her own feelings about his cancer.

KASSIE DePAIVA (Eve, Days of Our Lives.) Two episodes dealing with the death of her daughter, Paige where DePaiva is brilliant at showing Eve's grief and despair. Originally, I thought she should have submitted one reel dealing with the death and the other that was the climax of the Eve/Paige/JJ storyline, but after watching those episodes in Missy Reeves' supporting submission and True O'Brien's younger actress reel, I think Kassie made the right choice, as she owned these two submitted episodes, whereas she was more supporting - yet still outstanding - in their reels.

MARY BETH EVANS (Kayla, Days of Our Lives.) Surprise nominee, only because she was more of a supporting actress for the past year. She was particularly strong in her first reel, but really supporting as she helped Bo deal with his brain tumor. Her second reel was when she and Patch were locked in the closet at the hospital and almost seemed out of place because of the strength of the first reel.

FINOLA HUGHES (Anna, General Hospital.) Like DePaiva and West, Hughes had a wealth of episodes to choose from. Her first reel was the day Duke died, powerful in itself, though I would have gone with the following day's episode, which was meatier and had a superb scene with Obrecht. The second reel was simply Hughes going to town at her psychiatrist's office and perfectly recaps the Duke/Anna love story and Anna's murder of Carlos. All three left the door slightly ajar for the others to win, but, still, this was Hughes at her best.

MAURA WEST (Ava, General Hospital.) The defending champ in this category and, in my opinion, the finest actress currently still in the industry, West could have clinched another win just by submitting her scenes interrogating Sonny in the courtroom during the custody battle. I thought it was odd that she didn't submit that to complement her hugely powerful first reel where she learned she was dying and begged Silas to kill her. Instead, she submitted the episode where it was revealed how Ava survived, rather than died, and West played Denise in the reel, too. In the end, it was a good second reel, as it completely held my attention and told a complete story arc in 17 minutes.  West is absolutely sublime.


Had the above-mentioned Egan and Karla Mosely (Maya, The Bold and the Beautiful) been in this race, the outcome might be entirely different, but, that said, here is my final vote.

This race could go one of three ways and I'd be happy with anyone winning the Emmy.

1. Finola Hughes
2. Kassie DePaiva
3. Maura West
4. Mary Beth Evans
5. Tracey Bregman

Pick 'em. 1-2-or-3, they're all that good!