Daytime Emmys 2020 Younger Performer
Credit: Image: Howard Wise, Jill Johnson/JPI, Craig Sjodin/ABC

Heartbreaking performances in the outstanding younger performer category.

Last month, we announced the 47th Daytime Emmy nominations, which included nominees for Outstanding Younger Performer from Days of our Lives’ Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire) and Thia Megia (Haley), General Hospital’s Katelyn MacMullen (WIllow) and Eden McCoy (Joss), and Young & Restless’ Sasha Calle (Lola). The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) did not release the actor’s full Emmy submission reels this year. However, the Daytime Emmys posted short highlight clips of the scenes submitted by the nominated actors on social media. Based on them, we’ll predict who might take home the award…

2019 submitted scenes

Days of our Lives’ Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire) submitted scenes from the July 1, 2019 episode in which Claire held Ciara hostage and lashed out at her for taking everything from her, and later tried to burn the cabin down with both inside. Thia Megia (Haley) submitted scenes from the June 14, 2019 episode in which Haley said goodbye to JJ as she was being deported.

General Hospital’s Katelyn MacMullen (Willow) submitted a scene from the May 6, 2019 episode where Willow told Kristina the truth about Dawn of Day, hoping to break the hold the cult had on her. Eden McCoy (Joss) submitted a scene from the April 11, 2019 episode in which Joss learned Oscar’s time was short and asked him how he wanted to live out the rest of his life.

Young & Restless’ Sasha Calle’s (Lola) clip is from March 25, 2019 when Sasha woke from transplant surgery and learned Kyle had married Summer in order for her to agree to be her donor.

Winner prediction

All five young actresses were exceptional in their scenes, and we can only make our predictions based on these very short shared clips, not the full reels submitted. However, we can also draw on the stories surrounding them. This one is incredibly tough to call, as the storylines each actress was involved in were as powerful as their performances. Based on the clips alone I would say Olivia Rose Keegan will win for masterfully playing a crazed Claire finally having a psychotic break after all she had done to her aunt Ciara.

However, all the other actresses were phenomenal, so anyone could possibly take home the trophy. Haley’s (Thia Megia) heartbreaking goodbye to JJ upon being deported for being in the country illegally was heartbreaking and a timely story. Katelyn MacMullen (Willow) has been a powerhouse on General Hospital this year, and if any of her submitted scenes also include learning the truth about her son and Wiley, she could easily walk home with the award. Likewise, Joss’ (Eden McCoy’s) loss over her boyfriend Oscar to cancer was a tearjerker. And audiences felt for Calle’s Lola after she learned the devastating truth about the man she loved.

Be sure to watch the Daytime Emmys will air on Friday June 26 at 8:00 PM ET on CBS. You can view all the nominees by looking at the gallery below. Also be sure to sign up for Soaps.com’s newsletter as not to miss any of the upcoming Daytime Emmy coverage and interviews.