Sir David Attenborough, 99, breaks record as oldest Daytime Emmy winner

Sir David Attenborough set a new record on Friday, surpassing Dick Van Dyke to become the oldest-ever Daytime Emmy winner. The 99-year-old earned the award for Outstanding Daytime Personality, Non-Daily, as host of Netflix's "Secret Lives of Orangutans." Although Attenborough was not present at the ceremony, the British naturalist's celebrated career as a writer, host, and narrator spans more than eight decades.

Van Dyke, 98, previously made history in 2024 as the oldest actor to win a Daytime Emmy for his guest role in the daytime drama "Days of Our Lives."

At the 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Paul Telfer of "Days of Our Lives" and Nancy Lee Grahn of "General Hospital" won the lead acting honors. ABC's "General Hospital" dominated the evening, taking home six major awards, including Best Drama Series.

Grahn earned her third Daytime Emmy for her long-running role as Alexis Davis on "General Hospital," a character she has portrayed since 1996. Known for using her platform to address political issues, Grahn carried a silver clutch inscribed with the words, "Democracy dies in silence."

"Our democracy is worth fighting for, the people in it are worth caring about, and whether you have a platform or not, now is the time to show up, stand up, and speak up for human decency and democracy," she urged the audience, repeatedly shouting, "Stand up!"

Supporting acting awards went to Jonathan Jackson of "General Hospital" and first-time nominee Susan Walters of "The Young and the Restless."

"General Hospital" also won awards for Alley Mills as Guest Performer in a Daytime Drama, along with honors for its writing and directing teams. This marked Mills' second career Emmy for her role as Heather Webber. The 74-year-old, best known for playing the mother on "The Wonder Years," told the audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, "Right now, we're living in really dark times. Everything's crazy. We just have to keep our spirits up."

Walters, who plays Diane Jenkins on CBS' "The Young and the Restless," has appeared in the role during three separate stints.

Drew Barrymore earned her first Daytime Emmy as Host of a Daytime Talk Series for her New York-based show, beating nominees Kelly Clarkson, Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb, and Jennifer Hudson. "Live With Kelly and Mark" won the award for Daytime Talk Series.

Lisa Yamada of CBS' "The Bold and the Beautiful" won the Emerging Talent award, which replaced the previous younger actor and actress categories. The 23-year-old, who stars as the murderous Luna Nozawa, said with emotion, "Acting has been my dream since I became aware of it, and that dream is coming true right now. I'm ugly crying."

The evening's most jubilant winner was Kardea Brown, recognized as Culinary Host for Food Network's "Delicious Miss Brown," now in its tenth season. The show also won the award for Culinary Instructional Series.

"Is this real?" Brown exclaimed, tears streaking her mascara-stained cheeks. "These are tears of joy. As a young Black woman from Charleston, South Carolina, I never imagined this could happen, but I know one person who did—God."

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