Daytime Emmy Awards 2016: Why Fans Can’t Watch The Ceremony On TV Or Online

If you were planning to tune in to the 43rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Sunday, your schedule just got less busy. The awards ceremony, which honors the best in daytime television, will not be televised in 2016.

The March announcement of the Daytime Emmy nominations also included the revelation that the awards would not be on TV. National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) President Bob Mauro said that it wouldn’t be possible this year, but that doesn’t mean the Daytime Emmys have left television for good.

“After months of negotiations to find show sponsorship, the NATAS Executive Board has decided that the current climate for awards shows prohibits the possibility of a telecast this year,” Mauro said in a statement. “With that said, we will be putting on a world-class awards celebration honoring the best and brightest of daytime television and look forward to an exciting show. All efforts regarding returning the annual gala to television in 2017 are underway.”

The decision means fans won’t get to see some of their favorite stars win awards. Lifetime achievement awards are set to go to “Sesame Street” actress Sonia Manzano and “Scooby-Doo” voice actor Frank Welker. Meanwhile, soap opera stars have to wait to discover who takes home the highest achievements in their industry.

“Young and the Restless” star Tracey E. Bregman, “Days of Our Lives” stars Kassie Depaiva and Mary Evans as well as “General Hospital” stars Finola Hughes and Maura West are up for best actress in a drama. Meanwhile, the leading actor category finds “General Hospital” stars Tyler Christopher and Anthony Geary (who retired last year) nominated alongside “Young and the Restless” actors Justin Hartley, Christian LeBlanc and Kristoff St. John. West and Geary won the top honors last year, but will they be able to do it again this year?

Soap opera fans are likely disappointed that they won’t get to see the 2016 Daytime Emmys, but it seems the decision was a money issue. NATAS senior vice president David Michaels told TV Insider that the organization paid for the entire production, which aired on Pop, last year. The non-profit couldn’t afford to do that again. However, Michaels added that there will still be plenty of red carpet fun that fans can see online.

“There will definitely be a lot of pre-show activity that will be available to them,” he said. “We’ll have an outdoor red carpet area at the Western Bonaventure hotel in Los Angeles that is just as big and beautiful as the one at Warner Bros. So that part of the awards will be as exciting as ever.”

ParachuteTV is expected to live-stream the red carpet and give fans behind-the-scenes access. Keep an eye on the official Daytime Emmys Facebook and Twitter on Sunday, May 1, for live updates from the ceremony.