Soap tops Daytime Emmy nominees

Comedy star Ellen Degeneres hosts a hit US TV talk show

Soap opera The Young and the Restless leads the field for the US TV Daytime Emmy Awards with 18 nominations.

The show is shortlisted for outstanding drama series, with cast members nominated for the outstanding supporting actress and actor prizes.

Rival soap Guiding Light is up for 14 prizes while other multiple nominees include talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show with 11 and Sesame Street with 10.

The awards will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 28 April.

Other leading soap nominees include As the World Turns and General Hospital, both with 12, and The Bold and the Beautiful with nine.

As the World Turns, General Hospital and Guiding Light will battle with The Young and the Restless in the drama series category.

Puppeteer honoured

Soaps All My Children and Days of our Lives are up for six prizes.

Caroll Spinney has voiced Big Bird in more than 4000 episodes

Five-time Emmy winner Davad Canary from All My Children is among the leading actor nominees.

Daytime talk show The View received 10 nominations, The Oprah Winfrey Show is up for eight awards while lifestyle guru Martha Stewart's Martha is shortlisted for six.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Jeopardy are up for the outstanding gameshow prize.

The annual lifetime achievement award is to be presented to puppeteer Carroll Spinney, who has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch in Sesame Street since 1969, in recognition of his work for children.

The CBS network received the most nominations with 59, followed by ABC on 37.

Daytime Emmy awards are presented to programmes broadcast between 2am and 6pm. The ceremony is now in its 33rd year.