HOLLYWOOD - This is the dawning of the age of Kelly Ripa.The All My Children actress and Live with Regis and Kelly co-host could walk away with two Emmys this year. Ripa was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the ABC soap, and her morning chat show with Regis Philbin received a nod for Best Talk Show.
Ripa's husband, actor Mark Consuelos, was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role on AMC. Ripa and Consuelos met while working on the show, where they play married couple Hayley and Mateo Santos.
In all, AMC leads the way with a total of 21 nominations. Star Susan Lucci, who finally won an Emmy in 1999 after being nominated 21 times, is up for Best Lead Actress. But the actress is facing stiff competition: She's up against co-star Finola Hughes, The Bold and the Beautiful's Susan Flannery and As the World Turns' Martha Byrne and Colleen Zenk Pinter.
With 55 nominations, CBS leads the way in overall network nods. ABC and PBS are close behind with 49 nominations each.
Nominations were announced at a special ceremony hosted by Maury Povich in the Rainbow Room restaurant on Thursday. Highlights of the nomination announcements were broadcast live on CBS' The Early Show.
The 29th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards presentation will be broadcast from Madison Square Garden on May 17 on CBS.
Here is a list of the major nominations:
Drama Series:
All My Children (ABC) As the World Turns (CBS) One Life to Live (ABC) The Young and the Restless (CBS) Lead Actress, Drama Series:
Susan Lucci, All My Children (ABC) Martha Byrne, As the World Turns (CBS) Susan Flannery, The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS) Finola Hughes, All My Children (ABC) Colleen Zenk Pinter, As the World Turns (CBS) Lead Actor, Drama Series:
Peter Bergman, The Young & the Restless (CBS) Jack Scalia, All My Children (ABC) Vincent Irizarry, All My Children (ABC) Hunt Block, As the World Turns (CBS) Robert Newman, Guiding Light (CBS)