A previous category "Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming" was added once in 1968 with individuals like Days of Our Lives star Macdonald Carey nominated.

Due to voting rules of the time, judges could opt to either award one or no Emmy, and in the end they decided that no one nominated was deserving of the golden statuette.

This snub outraged then-Another World writer Agnes Nixon, causing her to write in The New York Times, "...after viewing the recent fiasco of the Emmy awards, it may well be considered a mark of distinction to have been ignored by this group.

"[1] Longtime General Hospital star John Beradino became a leading voice to have daytime talent honored with special recognition for their work.

The first separate awards show made just for daytime programming was broadcast in 1974 from the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center in New York.

For years, the gala was held in New York, usually at nearby Radio City Music Hall, with occasional broadcasts from Madison Square Garden.

[6] In 2013, in response to All My Children being moved from broadcast to streaming television, NATAS began accepting nominations to web-only series.

[8] In October 2019, as part of several initiatives regarding gender identity, the NATAS decided to replace both the younger actor and actress in a drama categories with a single gender-neutral one for 2020.

[9] The 47th Daytime Emmy Awards were postponed to June 26, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the traditional in-person ceremony being replaced by a television special featuring remote appearances, and the announcement of winners in leading categories.

[10] In December 2021, the ATAS and NATAS announced major realignments to the Emmy Awards, accounting for the growth of streaming services by aligning their categories and the ceremonies' scopes around factors such as the themes and frequency of such programming, rather than dayparts.

[16] Among the Daytime Emmy rules, a show must originally air on American television during the eligibility period between January 1 and December 31.

Historically, in order to be considered a national daytime show, the program was required to air between 2 a.m. and 6 p.m., and to at least 50 percent of the country.