The 23rd Daytime Emmy Awards were held on May 22, 1996, on CBS to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from the previous year (1995). At this ceremony, Erika Slezak set a then record with five Emmy Awards for Lead Actress. She would beat her own record in 2005. The telecast aired two-hours. The Creative Arts Emmy celebration took place on May 18, 1996.
Winners in each category are in bold.
Outstanding Drama Series
All My Children
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos, General Hospital) Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott, The Young and the Restless) Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, The Young and the Restless) David Canary (Adam Chandler/Stuart Chandler, All My Children) Charles Keating (Carl Hutchins, Another World)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jensen Buchanan (Vicky Hudson, Another World) Linda Dano (Felicia Gallant, Another World) Susan Lucci (Erica Kane, All My Children) Erika Slezak (Victoria Lord, One Life to Live) Jess Walton (Jill Abbott, The Young and the Restless)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Frank Beaty (Brent Lawrence, Guiding Light) Ian Buchanan (James Warwick, The Bold and the Beautiful) Stuart Damon (Alan Quartermaine, General Hospital) David Forsyth (John Hudson, Another World) Michael Sutton (Stone Cates, General Hospital) Jerry verDorn (Ross Marler, Guiding Light)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Rosalind Cash (Mary Mae Ward, General Hospital) Anna Holbrook (Sharlene Frame Hudson, Another World) Victoria Rowell (Drucilla Winters, The Young and the Restless) Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Romalotti, The Young and the Restless) Tonya Lee Williams (Olivia Hastings, The Young and the Restless)
Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
Nathan Fillion (Joey Buchanan, One Life to Live) Jonathan Jackson (Lucky Spencer, General Hospital) Kevin Mambo (Marcus Williams, Guiding Light) Shemar Moore (Malcolm Winters, The Young and the Restless) Joshua Morrow (Nicholas Newman, The Young and the Restless)
Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
Kimberly J. Brown (Marah Lewis, Guiding Light) Martha Byrne (Lily Walsh Grimaldi, As the World Turns) Sharon Case (Sharon Collins, The Young and the Restless) Kimberly McCullough (Robin Scorpio, General Hospital) Heather Tom (Victoria Newman, The Young and the Restless)
Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team
All My Children
Another World
As the World Turns
One Life to Live
Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team
All My Children
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Graphics and Title Design
Michael Saz and Andrew Carl Wilk (Really Wild Animals) Linda Paris (CNN Newsroom) Ian Dawson, and Marco Bacich, John Ridgway, Jerry Steele and Chris Williamson (Day & Date) Paul Newman, and Billy Pittard (One Life to Live) Suzanne Kiley and Billy Pittard (Ricki Lake) Suzanne Kiley, Thalia Kalodimos, Ed Sullivan and Harriet Seitler (The Oprah Winfrey Show)
Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series
David Grossman, Gary Halvorson and Shelley Jensen (Adventures in Wonderland) Mark Mannucci, Ed Wiseman and Larry La (Reading Rainbow) Andrew Carl Wilk (Really Wild Animals) Gary Shimokawa, Steve Feldman, Emily Squires, Ted May, Lisa Simon and John Ferraro (Sesame Street) Tom Trbovich, Ed Wiseman (The Puzzle Place) Hugh Martin (Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?)
Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series
Erren Gottlieb, Bill Nye, James McKenna, Scott Schaefer, Adam Gross and Seth Gross (Bill Nye, the Science Guy) Mark Waxman, Barry Friedman, Casey Keller, Richard Albrecht and Phil Walsh (Beakman's World) Mallory Tarcher, Shari Lewis, Aubrey Tadman, Ken Steele, Tibby Rothman, Lan O'Kun and Bernard Rothman (Lamb Chop's Play-Along) Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) Mark Eisman, Andrew Gutelle, Ronnie Krauss, Jill Gluckson, Lee Hunkins, Susan Kim (Reading Rainbow) Norman Stiles, John Weidman, Lou Berger, Belinda Ward, Cathi Turow, Ian Ellis James, Adam Rudman, Nancy Sans, Sonia Manzano, Joey Mazzarino, Mo Willems, Emily Perl Kingsley, Christine Ferraro, David Korr, Jeff Moss, Judy Freudberg, Josh Selig, Sara Compton, Molly Boylan, Luis Santeiro, Tony Geiss (Sesame Street)