What are the pre-noms? In daytime television, the cast and crew at each of the nine daytime dramas votes on who they think deserves an Emmy. The actual Emmy nominees are then selected from that talent pool. This event is also known as "In Studio Drama Series."

There are a number of rules that Producer's must adhere. First, there cannot be any more than five nominees, however, that is after applying the 1/3 rule. The one-third rule essentially says that the number of Daytime Emmy nominees cannot be more than one-third the number of entrants. So, if there were none entrants for one category, then there cannot be anymore than three nominees resulting from those entries.

Second, the entrants are required to send a promotional DVD and commentary not to exceed two hundred words per clip along with his or her entry. The video should be no longer than twenty minutes in length and cannot contain more than two episodes.

Finally, there is the required fee. For members of NATAS or ATAST, the fee ranges from $75 for one entrant to $200 for a set of four or more entrants. The fees are doubled for non-members.

There are sixty-seven categories of which a Daytime series can be nominated. The Daytime Emmy process goes through three steps before a winner can be announced. For Day of Our Lives, the 35th Annual In Studio Drama Series nominees are:

Outstanding Lead Actress Pre-Nominees
Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Alison Sweeney (Sami)

Outstanding Lead Actor Pre-Nominees
Stephen Nichols (Steve), Thaao Penghlis (Tony), Peter Reckell (Bo), and James Scott (EJ)

Outstanding Supporting Actress Pre-Nominees
Martha Madison (Belle), Mary-Beth Evans (Kayla), and Judi Evans (ex-Bonnie, Adrienne)

Outstanding Supporting Actor Pre-Nominees
Bryan Dattilo (Lucas), Jay Kenneth Johnson (Philip), and Joseph Mascolo (Stephano)

Outstanding Younger Actress Pre-Nominees
Shelley Hennig (Stephanie), Rachel Melvin (Chelsea), Kristin Renton (Morgan)


Outstanding Younger Actor Pre-Nominees
Blake Berris (Nick), Darin Brooks (Max), and Mathew Florida (Ford)

For more information on the Daytime Emmy process or news, visit Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards