The Daytime Emmys have found a new home. In a saga that has had more twists and turns than some of the soaps themselves, the Daytime Emmys have found a new home, a new schedule, and a new venue. The broadcast of the 36th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards will take place on The CW Television Network on Sunday, August 30, 2009, from the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.

"The Daytime Emmy Awards are one of the cornerstones of our business," said Frank Radice, president and chief marketing officer, NATAS. "There wouldn't be a television awards season without them. From the extravagant red carpet to the great entertainment, the viewer will experience the show through new approaches, which will make this year's show more robust and relevant than ever before."

At first glance, having the Daytime Emmys air on the CW might not seem to make sense. After all, the "other" network doesn't air any soaps in its lineup. It does, however, air many programs that are soap-friendly. In its daytime lineup, many CW affiliates across the country air court and talks shows, which are all eligible for Emmy consideration. At night, the CW caters to younger viewers with its primetime lineup of shows like Gossip Girl and America's Next Top Model. It is that same demographic that so many soaps are seeking, the younger viewers that advertisers crave.

"We are thrilled to be working with NATAS, MGM and the CW on this year's special presentation," stated Jim Romanovich, ATI's President of Worldwide Media and Entertainment. "As the producers of many successful event specials, including the World Magic Awards, and as fans of the daytime genre, it is our quest to make this a fast-paced, fun-filled entertainment special that celebrates the best of daytime."

Insiders say that NATAS also had a Plan B, just in case the negotiations with the CW fell through.

Last month, DVDs of the "pre-nominees" work had being sent to Emmy voters for evaluation. Ballots will follow about a week later and are due back by April 20. This year's judging is comprised of just one round of voting, so whoever receives the highest judging scores over the next few weeks will be the Emmy winners. Those results will remain sealed until Emmy Night.

This year's nominees will also be announced later than normal. On May 14, during the final hour of NBC's Today, the nominees in about a dozen top categories will be announced. Another group of nominees will be announced during a special evening reception at the Hearst Building in New York that same day. The full list of nominees will be available shortly thereafter.

Although the Primetime Emmys just announced that they're expanding the number of nominees in many top categories to six or seven, the Daytime Emmys will continue to feature the traditional five. There are possible changes on deck. NATAS is exploring ways to alter or entirely ditch the controversial pre-nom system that requires each soap's cast to nominate in-house two actors per category to be judged by voters who view the sample DVDs. Next year it may be possible for all actors to put themselves up for nomination and be evaluated by the judges.