Who Should Receive Daytime Emmy Nominations? — See Our Picks for the Best of 2016!

Laura Wright is always a powerhouse, but this year on GH, Carly went through the ringer dealing with her son's bipolar disorder and his sudden death. The fallout from this explosion destroyed Carly's marriage to Sonny, and Wright found every nuance to her character's struggle with overwhelming grief.

Jason Thompson had big shoes to fill when he took over the role of Billy on Y&R, but he hit the ground running. Losing Victoria sent Billy into Phyllis' arms, despite the fact that she was married to his brother! Thompson's performance let viewers know how even though Billy loved Jack, he couldn't resist his feelings for Phyllis, and you ended up feeling bad for the guy!

Kate Mansi left DAYS on a high note this year as Abigail was tormented by visions of Ben that led her to actually kidnap the guy, stab him, and set him on fire! Checking herself into Shady Brook, Abigail continued to be haunted by Ben, and in her confusion ended up burning her own face when she tried to light him up again! The role has been recast, but Mansi is going to be a hard act to follow!

Throughout Morgan's bipolar storyline on GH, fans were already naming portrayer Bryan Craig as the one to beat. The young actor portrayed Morgan's downward spiral brilliantly, even though the storyline ended with the character's sudden death!

Heather Tom already has a few Emmys on her mantel, and she could add another after this year's work on B&B that saw Katie's jealousy of her sister cause her to turn to the bottle. But it was her long climb back to sobriety and struggle to reclaim her inner strength that really let Tom shine!

William deVry had a lot of juicy material to work with this past year on GH as Julian seemingly gave up the mob to find true love and finally marry Alexis. But while his eventual return to the dark side may have upset loyal fans, deVry's performances could land him on the nominees list!

While it initially seemed like Quinn was a one-note villain on B&B, the soap threw viewers a curve ball when she vowed to turn over a new leaf, and fell in love with Eric. As her character switched from scheming to sweet and back again over and over, portrayer Rena Sofer played it all with such skill nobody could be sure which was the real Quinn!

After Victor's machinations landed him behind bars on Y&R, that didn't stop him from plotting revenge. But something interesting happened over the course of the story as he actually proved that a leopard can change its spots. Eric Braeden is a master of his craft, and deftly portrayed Victor's realization that white hats can also look just as good.

Jennifer's struggle to fight her painkiller addiction on DAYS gave Melissa Reeves unbelievable material to work with, especially when given a special episode focused on her struggle. The emotions were raw, real, and difficult to watch.

Although Sonny started the year off on the right track, trying to use legal means to take down his enemies on GH, things took a tragic turn when his son, Morgan, was killed in an explosion. With his life falling apart around him and blaming himself for his boy's death, Sonny had reached the end of his rope. Which is exactly when portrayer Maurice Benard did some of his best work ever. The roller coaster ride of emotions has been exhilarating for viewers, and should earn Benard plenty of accolades!

GH's Alexis had plenty of highs and lows over the year, but after the joy of her marriage to Julian, his return to the mob — and his attempt to murder her! — sent her plummeting into despair. The once-strong woman found herself at her lowest point, seeking solace in liquor. Nancy Lee Grahn can do everything from comedy to tragedy, and proved it in every single performance!

Chelsea had a rough year on Y&R, trying to support husband Adam while he was wrongly accused of murder, and eventually agreeing to go on the run with him and their son when he was put in prison. Melissa Claire Egan played the beleaguered heroine's struggle without ever losing her inner strength, even when Adam was seemingly killed in an explosion.

Nick lost the woman he loved, Sage, but ended up regaining the son he thought he lost (even though he doesn't realize that it's not his) this year on Y&R. And Joshua Morrow's honest portrayal of his character's grief and subsequent joy has been just incredible to watch.

From powerhouse scenes like Phyllis' courtroom outburst to quieter moments where she was overwhelmed with guilt for sleeping with her husband's brother, Gina Tognoni blew viewers away with her emotional performances. This could be the year she adds a third Daytime Emmy to her shelf!

Watching Peter Bergman portray Jack's descent into the dark side after discovering his wife's affair with his brother has been mesmerizing to watch. Especially when he would throw in subtle hints that Jack still had feelings for Phyllis despite her betrayal. It's given an edge to Jack's quest for vengeance and we can't look away!

Just as it appeared the weight of the secrets that Sharon was keeping would be the end of her, they were revealed, and proved the drama was only just beginning! And Sharon Case expertly portrayed her alter ego's guilt and sorrow as she continued to justify lying to those she loved.

Steve Burton had an incredibly emotional storyline to usher him off the canvas at Y&R as Dylan discovered that Sharon had been lying to him and the child he believed to be his son wasn't. With his heart broken, Dylan sought solace in his work, and watching Burton portray this man trying desperately to stay strong as he was falling to pieces inside was a treat for fans! (Even as they lamented the actor's exit from the soap!)

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