General Hospital wins a sixth straight Daytime Emmy, and the Kelly Clarkson Show takes its final bow
The 53rd Daytime Emmys handed out history and a few surprises at the Hollywood Palladium on Friday, including a posthumous victory for a show that already went off the air.
In brief
General Hospital wins a sixth straight Daytime Emmy, and the Kelly Clarkson Show takes its final bow
Friday night at the Hollywood Palladium, the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards did something daytime television rarely manages: it got people talking. The ceremony delivered emotional reunions, comeback victories, and an unusual twist, two of television's biggest talk-show prizes went to programs that have already ended. The room was full. The results were, in a few cases, genuinely surprising.
The biggest number on the board was six. ABC's medical soap General Hospital notched its sixth consecutive Best Daytime Drama Series victory, bringing its total to 19 wins in the category. That is both records, per Billboard. No daytime drama has ever done it six years in a row, and no show of any kind has won the top drama prize 19 times. The marquee win bested fellow nominees Peacock's Days of Our Lives and the CBS duo of The Young and the Restless and newcomer Beyond the Gates, according to Deadline.
General Hospital's Genie Francis was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, marking nearly 50 years since she joined the soap opera as Laura Spencer in 1977 at just 14. That's the kind of number that stops a room. Francis has been on the show, on and off, for most of American daytime history.
The series also picked up victories for its writing team and for guest performer Jeff Kober, who pulled off a rare double nomination year by also landing a Primetime Emmy nod for The Pitt.
Kelly Clarkson wins five Emmys for a show that's already gone
The stranger story of the night belonged to The Kelly Clarkson Show. The program won outstanding daytime talk series months after it ended its seven-season run in August. Five trophies total, the most of any show at the ceremony. The program secured wins for best daytime talk series, directing for a daytime studio non-fiction series, hairstyling and makeup, art direction, and sound mixing and editing, according to Newsy Today.
There's a bittersweet irony there that even NBC probably couldn't script. Clarkson won in one or both of the top talk categories in six of the show's seven seasons, and has now collected nine Daytime Emmys in seven years, five in the talk series category and four for talk series host, compared to three Grammys in a recording career that has lasted more than 20 years, according to Billboard.
She lost, however, in the host category. Sherri Shepherd was awarded Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host, according to NewsBytesApp. Shepherd hosts Sherri, which is still on the air. Clarkson's show is not. The Emmy voters clearly separated the two questions.
A freshman soap and a soap veteran both break through
CBS newcomer Beyond the Gates also won four Emmys in its first year of eligibility, tied with General Hospital for second on the night's total tally, according to Variety. The show only launched in 2024, making its haul at Friday's ceremony one of the stronger freshman performances in recent Daytime Emmy history.
Beyond the Gates star Tamara Tunie won her first-ever Emmy for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series in the actress category, per TV Insider. Ambyr Michelle became the first-ever acting winner for Beyond the Gates, triumphing as daytime's Best Emerging Talent, according to Gold Derby.
On the actor side, The Bold and the Beautiful's Scott Clifton secured the win for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series, per TV Insider.
The acting winners kicked off with Beth Maitland of The Young and the Restless claiming Best Supporting Actress, her first trophy in 41 years, according to Gold Derby. Forty-one years. That is a very long wait.
Meanwhile, off the red carpet
The Daytime Emmys weren't the only industry news dropping Friday. Actor Margaret Qualley and Grammy winner Jack Antonoff filed for divorce after three years of marriage, according to court records cited by ABC News. The case was filed in Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn and is listed as an uncontested matrimonial action.
Antonoff and Qualley had separated in July, with the couple calling it a "mutual decision," according to People. Antonoff is a 14-time Grammy-winning songwriter and producer who has worked with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Sabrina Carpenter. Lana Del Rey famously wrote a song called "Margaret" about Qualley in 2023, named after Antonoff's then-fiancée. That song is still on streaming platforms. The marriage it documented is now officially over in a Brooklyn courtroom.
Speculation about the separation had been stirred when Antonoff went stag to the rehearsal dinner of Taylor Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce over the July 4 weekend, with his sister Rachel Antonoff attending the ceremony itself as his plus-one, according to the Washington Times. Through her team, Qualley denied ever cheating on Antonoff, with a statement adding there was only respect and partnership in the relationship, per TMZ.
Friday's Daytime Emmy ceremony was broadcast live on YouTube, a sign of where daytime television's audience actually lives in 2026.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
