The Kelly Clarkson Show walked away from the 2026 Daytime Emmys with outstanding daytime talk series, plus a trio of wins for directing, sound mixing/editing and art direction. But the host category went to Sherri Shepherd, giving the night its biggest surprise and Clarkson a win-loss split that had everybody talking. Clarkson, who wasn’t at the ceremony, has now collected nine Daytime Emmys across seven seasons, including five for talk series and four for hosting.
That recent Birdgate incident at a Brooklyn curiosity shop had no bearing on the results. Voting closed June 10, four months before it happened, so the viral moment was never part of the conversation. Other big winners included General Hospital, which took outstanding daytime drama series for the sixth consecutive year and 19th time overall, while Genie Francis received a lifetime achievement honor and Star Jones won her first Daytime Emmy. The ceremony streamed on the NATAS YouTube channel for the second straight year.
The takeaway is simple: daytime TV still delivers big personalities and bigger trophy hauls, and the Emmys keep moving further from traditional television. So which show are you rooting for next year, and do you think awards should still air on TV? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.