AHS Awards To Add New Categories For Acting In Soaps & Telenovelas
From top left to right: karla mosley, Marquita Goings, Kyle Shilling, Marco rios, lisa yamada, Diane parish & Aaron Thiara- Quantrell Colbert/channel 5/Bill Inoshita//bbc
The AHS Awards will be adding two new categories to the lineup of its fourth annual ceremony, taking place next year.
The newest categories will expand the recognition given to talent from soap operas and telenovelas, introducing specific acting awards for these genres, the first of their kind. Whereas the genre previously had only a single award for Best TV Series - Soap/Telenovela, sometimes with multiple series tying for first place in previous years, next year’s ceremony will introduce additional categories: Best TV Series Actor - Soap/Telenovela and Best TV Series Actress - Soap/Telenovela. As well as adding three awards for offerings from soaps and telenovelas, this change expands the number of awards for scripted TV to nine, including drama and comedy genres.
The decision to add the new categories is a testament to the diversity within the soap opera genre. A notable example of this includes the fact that beyond the legacy American soaps, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless, CBS debuted a new series, Beyond the Gates, which premiered this past February and is the first US daytime soap opera created and executively produced entirely by an African American team.
Across the pond, the UK soaps Casualty, Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks have made strides in diverse representation. As Australia’s Home & Away and Neighbours expand their representation, and New Zealand’s Shortland Street continues to represent their nation’s diversity. These soaps continued to draw praise for their efforts in showing greater representation. The AHS Awards thereby seek to recognize not only the best examples of soaps and telenovelas but also the most memorable and dramatic performances from their large and diverse casts.
The nominees, which are selected each year by A Hot Set journalists, may be taken from cast members of any multi-episode weekly soaps or telenovelas featuring people of color from all countries. In addition, the soaps and telenovelas in question must either be ongoing with no breaks or have been continuously airing for at least six months to a year.
The AHS Awards takes place virtually, has been held each year since 2023, and seeks to recognize outstanding talent among people of color across film, television, and new media. The nominees for the 4th Annual AHS Awards will be announced in January of 2026, and winners will be revealed the following month.
