Daytime Emmy Awards 2012 winners: 'General Hospital' wins big as Anthony Geary takes home record seventh award

The 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were handed out on Saturday, June 23, broadcast live from the Los Angeles Beverly Hilton on HLN. Going into the night, "General Hospital" led the pack with 23 nominations. The casts and producers of canceled series "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" celebrated the shows' final bow at the Daytime Emmys, of which they've been a staple for decades.

Instead of holding the Lead Actor in a Drama award for the end of the ceremony, the show kicked off with a bang by honoring "General Hospital" star Anthony Geary with his record seventh award. Geary made a tongue-in-cheek reference to soaps' struggle to stay on the air in these trying times, joking that "GH" was nearly canceled for "Celebrity Boob Jobs Gone Wrong." Later, "The Bold and the Beautiful" star Heather Tom became the first actress to ever win in all three actress categories -- Younger, Supporting, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama.

Outstanding Supporting Actor went to "General Hospital" fan favorite (and Geary's on-screen son) Jonathan Jackson, who will appear on primetime this fall on ABC's highly anticipated sitcom "Nashville." Nancy Lee Grahn won the Outstanding Supporting Actress award for her work on "General Hospital," though she wasn't available to pick up the trophy.

The Daytime Emmys have special categories for "younger" actors, and 21-year-old Chandler Massey scored a big win for "Days of Our Lives." His character, Will Horton, came out as gay this year. Taking home the prize for the first time but nominated for the fourth year, 24-year-old Christel Khalil from "The Young and The Restless" won the Outstanding Younger Actress award.

After such a successful night, it came as very little surprise that "General Hospital" won the biggest award of the evening, for Outstanding Drama Series.
Outstanding Talk Show Host: Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa (Live With Regis and Kelly)

Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team: General Hospital

Outstanding Younger Actress In A Drama Series: Christel Khalil (Young and the Restless)

Outstanding Drama Series: General Hospital