Soap Star Paul Telfer Wins Big at 2025 Daytime Emmys

On October 17, 2025, the 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony took place in Pasadena, California. The big winner of the night was Paul Telfer, who took home the award for Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series for his role on Days of Our Lives.

Telfer, 45, is the youngest of the nominees in the category. This marked his second nomination, following a nod in 2020, and his first win. In his acceptance speech, Telfer thanked his wife, Carmen Cusack, who was unable to attend, as well as the cast and crew of Days of Our Lives, the beloved soap opera he has been a part of since 2015.

One of the most heartwarming moments of Telfer's speech was when he expressed his surprise that his 80-year-old father had become a fan of soap operas, whereas his late mother had always loved the genre, especially villains. Telfer said it was "really wonderful" to win this award for playing a villain on a soap opera.

The other nominees in the Lead Actor category included Dominic Zamprogna of General Hospital, Eric Martsolf and Greg Rikaart of Days of Our Lives, and Peter Bergman of The Young and the Restless. Bergman, the most seasoned veteran of the group, has been nominated 24 times for his role as Jack Abbott and has won the award three times in the past.