Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series

[5][6][7] In 2015, Alina Adams of Entertainment Weekly attributed the addition and evolution of the category to the increasing audience for, and presence of, independent soap opera web series.

[4] The associated category Outstanding Performer in a New Approaches Drama Series was added for the 42nd Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2015, with Martha Byrne the first recipient for her role as Alexis Jordan/Joanne Edwards on Anacostia.

[8][9][10] In 2016, this was split into two categories, Outstanding Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series and Outstanding Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series,[11] with Mary Beth Evans and Kristos Andrews winning for their mother-son roles of Sara and Peter Garrett on The Bay.

The award recognized producers, directors, and writers credited on a minimum of 19 percent of total episodes first aired in the applicable year.

In December 2021, the ATAS and the NATAS announced a major realignment of the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies.

Crystal Chappell won the first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Short Format Daytime in 2011 as an executive producer of Venice: The Series . She won again for Venice in 2014, when the category had been renamed Outstanding New Approaches Drama Series.
Martha Byrne was the first recipient of the newly established Performer in a New Approaches Drama Series award in 2015.