The Young and the Restless: Camryn Grimes Says Her Emmy Nomination ‘Came Out of Left Field’ (Excl)
When Young and Restless star Camryn Grimes (Mariah) learned that she had received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress at the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards, she was taken by surprise. The actress opened up to Soap Opera Digest about why the accolade means so much to her this year.
Why This Nomination Came as Such a Surprise
When Y&R publicist Matt Kane called Grimes early Tuesday morning with the good news, she thought he was contacting her about something else entirely. “I had sent an email the day before about a tattoo approval,” the actress shares with a chuckle. “And so I thought it was very funny that he was calling me so early about the tattoo approval.” She’d also forgotten when, exactly, the Emmy nominations were going to be announced, adding, “I didn’t even consider myself in contention in any capacity, so it just wasn’t on my radar.”
Grimes previously received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in 2000 during her initial Y&R run playing Cassie Newman from 1997-2007. After returning to the soap in 2013 to play Cassie’s twin, Mariah Copeland, she took home the Supporting Actress trophy in 2018.
“This is so different than the year that I won [in 2018],” Grimes says. “That year, I had a story, and it was a big story, and I knew I was gonna submit. And you never know, but I was like, ‘Oh, this could be my year.’I did good work.’ There are years that you’re working for it, or you feel strongly that it is a good year and you’re in contention… and this is the opposite of that. And I’m grateful to have a year like this year. It’s two sides of it.”
“Sometimes you need like, a pat on the back, and this kind of felt like a pat on the back to be fair,” Grimes adds with a laugh. “Like, ‘Hey, you’re still doing it!’ I don’t know… I’m struggling to find all of the words because I’m still playing catch-up and I’m still trying to sort and navigate this.”
Crafting the Emmy Submission Reel
While Grimes had some powerful material with Mariah’s breakdown and kidnapping of Dominic (Ethan Ray Clark), that was in early 2026 and therefore not eligible for submission until the 2027 Daytime Emmys. The material that ultimately comprised her reel was from the beginning of her alter ego’s struggle with PTSD in late 2025.
“It’s technically the year before that’s in contention,” Grimes explains. “So it’s further back than people realize.” It’s also why she says the nomination came “out of left field,” adding, “That’s why it’s even more of a surprise.”
With some advice from Y&R publicist Kane and her husband, Brock Powell, Grimes was able to put together a reel that contained scenes with Sharon Case (Sharon) in the coffee house as well as some opposite Ray Wise, who is also up for Outstanding Guest Performance this year for his portrayal of the villainous Ian Ward.
Though Grimes allows that some years, “you want to tell a linear story because you have a lot of story to tell and you have a lot of ground to cover,” this time around, she says she “wanted the scenes to kind of speak for themselves. The merit of the scenes, individually, were sort of the focus.”
Celebrating With the Other Nominees
Grimes was also thrilled to report to work at the studio the day after the Emmy nominations were announced, given that Y&R led the pack this year with 18 nods. “There’s so much celebration going around because there’s so many nominations across the board,” she reported. “So everybody’s congratulating each other. You know, we got it for directing, lighting, the props department, hair and makeup, and our wardrobe.
“It’s always really fun when it’s a year where your show gets a lot of nominations, and everybody’s in a good mood,” Grimes continues. “It feels like everybody gets to join in the fun and the celebration.”
She’s also looking forward to joining everyone else at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony on October 30, and appreciates having a few months to get ready. “I didn’t even think I would be going to the Emmys, much less nominated,” Grimes chuckles, “Now I’m like, well, there’s a lot of time in between the nominations and the actual day, so that’s a lot of time to prepare.”
That extra time will also come in handy as Grimes will not only be dressing up for Emmy night but also the following day to enjoy October 31 with her husband and their two-year-old son, Bridger. “I’m going to have to make sure that I’ve got Halloween costumes ready to go for the next night,” the mom declares, “and everything is set up nice so the weekend goes smooth.”
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