2025 was a banner year for soap operas, marked by bold storytelling, standout performances, and the arrival of the first brand-new daytime soap since 1999. When Beyond the Gates premiered in February, it didn’t just make history—it made noise. And the rest of the genre rose to meet the moment.
There were weddings and funerals, kidnappings and comebacks, secret children and secret identities, concerts, recasts, villains you loved to hate, and at least one character who probably needed a therapist by midweek. In other words: soaps doing what soaps have always done best.
Here’s our rundown of the very best of daytime in 2025.
Best Performances
Jane Elliot as Tracy Quartermaine
General Hospital
A master class in veteran storytelling. Sharp, funny, ruthless, and unexpectedly tender—Tracy reminded us why legacy characters still matter.
Tamara Tunie as Anita Dupree
Beyond the Gates
Tunie brought gravitas, warmth, and authority to daytime’s newest matriarch. A star turn that anchored an entire canvas.
Karla Mosley as Dani Dupree
Beyond the Gates
Raw, layered, and fearless. Mosley gave Dani depth, vulnerability, and fire—sometimes all in the same scene.
Eric Martsolf as Brady Black
Days of Our Lives
Brady’s long, messy road hit hard in 2025, thanks to Martsolf’s grounded, emotional work.
Best Guest Star
Erika Slezak as Ronnie Bard
General Hospital
A daytime legend returning in style. The screen lit up every time she appeared.
Best Couple
Anita and Vernon Dupree
Beyond the Gates
Romance with history, maturity, and chemistry. Proof that love stories don’t need to be young to be compelling.
Best Weddings
Dani Dupree & Andre Richardson
Beyond the Gates
High emotion, high drama, and real stakes—everything a soap wedding should be.
Christine Blair & Danny Romalotti
The Young and the Restless
A long-awaited payoff that rewarded loyal viewers and honored the past.
Best Younger Actors
Alice Halsey as Rachel Black
Days of Our Lives
Wise beyond her years, Halsey delivered consistently strong, natural performances.
Finn Carr as Rocco Falconeri
General Hospital
Carr handled emotionally complex material with ease, making Rocco one to watch.
Best Recast
Rory Gibson as Michael Corinthos
General Hospital
A seamless transition that respected the character’s history while pushing him forward.
Best Kidnapping
Sharon & Phyllis
The Young and the Restless
Classic soap peril done right—tense, emotional, and character-driven.
Best Product Placement
Procter & Gamble products
Beyond the Gates
So organic it almost felt nostalgic—like soaps remembered their roots.
Best Delusional Character
Luna Nazawa
The Bold and the Beautiful
Unhinged in the best soap way—equal parts fascinating and frightening.
Best Troublemaker
Leslie Thomas
Beyond the Gates
The kind of chaos agent soaps thrive on. Stirred the pot and never apologized.
Best Villain
Drew Cain
General Hospital
Morally slippery, emotionally dangerous, and impossible to ignore.
Best Podcasts
Maurice Benard’s State of Mind
Honest conversations that go deeper than the drama.
Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig & Greg Rikaart
Smart, fun, and made by people who truly get daytime.
Best Flashbacks
60th Anniversary Week
Days of Our Lives
A loving tribute to six decades of storytelling—nostalgia done right.
Best Friendship
Tracy, Sharon & Anita
Beyond the Gates
Layered, lived-in, and believable. Friendships like this are soap gold.
Best Concert
The Articulettes
Beyond the Gates
A standout moment that felt fresh, fun, and distinctly modern.
Best Reveal
Leslie exposes Eva as Ted’s daughter at Ted & Nicole’s party
Beyond the Gates
Timed to perfection. Gasps were earned.
Best Trend
The rise of vertical dramas
Short-form storytelling is expanding the audience—and the future—for soaps.
Best Babysitters
Javier & Leo
Days of Our Lives
Proof that even childcare can be entertaining in Salem.
Best Soaps
General Hospital
The gold standard in 2025. Consistently watchable, emotionally grounded, and unafraid to let character drive the drama week after week.
Beyond the Gates
A powerhouse debut. Anchored by four seasoned veterans and supported by the strongest top-to-bottom cast in daytime, the show arrived fully formed—and didn’t look back.
Bottom line:
2025 reminded us why soap operas endure. They evolve, they surprise, and when they’re good, they’re very good. If this year is any indication, daytime drama still has plenty of life left—and plenty more stories to tell.
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