8th Daytime Emmy Awards

The 8th Daytime Emmy Awards were held in 1981 to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from the previous year (1980). The eighth awards did not include the cameo category from the previous year, so only five awards were given, like in previous years.

Winners in each category are in bold.

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series

*"All My Children"
*"General Hospital"
*"Ryan's Hope"

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series

*James Mitchell ("All My Children")
*Douglass Watson ("Another World")
*Larry Bryggman ("As the World Turns")
*Henderson Forsythe ("As the World Turns")
*Anthony Geary ("General Hospital")

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

*Julia Barr ("All My Children")
*Susan Lucci ("All My Children")
*Judith Light ("One Life to Live")
*Robin Strasser ("One Life to Live")
*Helen Gallagher ("Ryan's Hope")

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series

*Matthew Cowles ("All My Children")
*William Mooney ("All My Children")
*Justin Deas ("As the World Turns")
*Richard Backus ("Ryan's Hope")
*Larry Haines ("Search for Tomorrow")

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

*Elizabeth Lawrence ("All My Children")
*Lois Kibbee ("The Edge of Night")
*Jane Elliot ("General Hospital")
*Randall Edwards ("Ryan's Hope")
*Jacklyn Zeman ("General Hospital")

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Writing

* Guiding Light
* "All My Children"
* "General Hospital"
* "One Life To Live"

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Directing

* "All My Children"
* General Hospital
* "One Life to Live"

Outstanding Game Show

*The $20,000 Pyramid - A Bob Stewart Production for ABC
*Family Feud - A Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production for ABC
*The Hollywood Squares - A Heatter-Quigley Production for NBC

Outstanding Game Show Host

*Peter Marshall ("The Hollywood Squares")
*Dick Clark ("The $20,000 Pyramid")
*Richard Dawson ("Family Feud")