Genie Francis to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced today that Daytime Emmy® Award-winning actor Genie Francis will receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Honor at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards, taking place October 30 in Hollywood, California.
In February 2027, Francis will mark the 50th anniversary of her daytime television debut on “General Hospital,” which airs weekdays on ABC and streams on Hulu. She first appeared as teenage “Laura Vining” on “GH” in 1977, and the role quickly catapulted her to unprecedented stardom. She secured her place in pop culture history when an estimated 30 million viewers tuned in to watch the iconic 1981 wedding of Laura and Luke Spencer. Today, “Laura” remains a beloved pillar of strength and female empowerment — and even serves as the mayor of Port Charles. One of daytime television’s most beloved and enduring stars, Francis has also appeared on ABC’s “All My Children” as Ceara Connor, NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” as Diana Colville, and CBS’s “The Young and the Restless” as Genevieve Atkinson.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Genie Francis’s remarkable career,” said Adam Sharp, President and CEO, NATAS. “From Port Charles and beyond, she has left an indelible mark on the landscape of daytime television, and she continues to tackle bold topics as a courageous storyteller to this day.”
Genie Francis shared, “I want to offer my deepest gratitude to the leadership of NATAS for honoring me with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This February marks 50 years since I first portrayed Laura on General Hospital. Stepping onto that set at just 14, I could never have imagined the extraordinary journey that lay ahead. I am deeply grateful to have been welcomed onto your television screens and into your homes for five decades; for the love, support, and loyalty I’ve been given; and for the privilege of being a small part of your lives.” She continued, “thank you to NATAS, my colleagues, the daytime community and, most of all, the viewers. My career in daytime television has truly been the adventure of a lifetime, and I am deeply honored by this recognition.”
In addition to daytime, Francis began her career at the age of 13 guest starring on “Family.”Thereafter, she has enjoyed a diverse acting career, with notable roles in the miniseries “North and South” and “Bare Essence,” as well as “The Note” which was a 3 M.O.W. franchise. Following, there were numerous television guest starring roles ranging from “Third Rock From the Sun,” “Murder She Wrote,” the final episode of “Perry Mason” and “Roswell.” Her stage work includes productions of “Crimes of the Heart,” the world premier of “Defying Gravity” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the off-Broadway production of “The Baby Dance” at the Lucille Lortel Theatre which marked her New York City stage debut. Francis and her husband, Jonathan Frakes, have been married for nearly 40 years, and have two adult children, Jameson and Eliza.
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming. This year’s Gold & Silver Circle Inductees and ceremony presenters will be announced at a later date. Tickets will go on sale September 9, 2026.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be a single ceremony in 2026, produced by NATAS Productions. Adam Sharp and Lara Gates are executive producers, with Leon Knoles returning to direct for a fifth straight year. Rachel Schwartz serves as Head of Daytime, and the firm of Lutz & Carr, LLP, provides accounting services for the competition.
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