The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced that Daytime Emmy®Award-nominated and multi-award-winning actress Melody Thomas Scott, Daytime Emmy-winning producer Edward J. Scott and public television host and cookbook author Lidia Bastianich will be the Lifetime Achievement Honorees at the 51ST ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS.
The honors will be presented in person on June 7 and June 8 at the historic Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles.
The 51ST ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY® AWARDS will broadcast LIVE Friday, June 7 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.
Adam Sharp, president and CEO, NATAS said,“We’ve long wanted to honor the legendary daytime duo of Melody Thomas Scott and her husband Edward J. Scott.
With a combined 93 years of contributions to our community, they are true institutions in the world of Daytime television.
In addition, Lidia Bastianich’s astounding success combines her love of cooking while simultaneously entertaining millions each day. It is an honor for us to say ‘grazie’ for the many fine meals borne from her TV kitchen and cookbook pages.”
Melody Thomas Scott and Edward J. Scott said, “We are honored and humbled to receive this recognition from NATAS.
Throughout our decades-long careers in front of and behind the cameras, we have had the opportunity to work not only with each other, but also with an incredibly talented pool of people who excel in their crafts and are passionate about the art we create in daytime television.
We are grateful to have worked side by side with them and to be included with such esteemed recipients who have made their mark in our industry. We look forward to spending another wonderful evening celebrating the Daytime community!”
Lidia Bastianich said, “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized and receive the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for having shared my passion for food with TV audiences for over 25 years.
Cooking together and sharing food remain a common denominator of all cultures. Food nurtures, it connects diverse people and it brings families, friends and strangers together.
There is no better place to be on this earth, especially in these trying times, than sharing food at a table with others. That simple idea has been the basis of my life’s work. Hence, as I say in my shows, ‘Tutti a Tavola a Mangiare!’ Mille Grazie to NATAS for this honor.”
The 51ST ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS is produced by NATAS and Associated Television International (ATI), which produced Daytime Emmy Award ceremonies on The CW in 2009 and on CBS in 2010, 2011, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Adam Sharp and Lisa Armstrong are executive producers from NATAS, while David McKenzie is executive producer from ATI.
NATAS celebrates excellence in TV through various prestigious awards programs, including Children’s & Family Emmys, Sports Emmys, Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards, News and Documentary Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and its renowned Daytime Emmys competition.
This showcases its ability to adapt to the evolving television industry and remain at the forefront of the awards competition landscape
Melody Thomas Scott stars as Nikki Newman on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. She recently celebrated 45 years in the role, having joined the show in February 1979.
Scott’s character has matured from the girl from the wrong side of the tracks to the serial’s luminous and resourceful leading lady.
After garnering a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1999,
Scott made her motion picture debut at age eight when Lidia’s From Our Family Table to Yours which was released in October 2023, a companion to her new 26-part public television series, Lidia’s Kitchen. She is also the author of the English and Italian version of her memoir: My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food.
