Heather Tom Hosts Lead Actress Emmy Nominees Dinner

In what has become an annual Daytime Emmy tradition, the ladies nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress get together for a luncheon, hosted by the previous year’s winner, which in this case was Heather Tom (Katie, B&B). Here, Tom shares a peek at this year’s gathering.

“It ended up being a dinner this year,” reveals hostess Tom. “Finding a time where everybody could get together was not easy, but it never is. These are very busy ladies. We did find a time but it just meant we had to have it at 5 o'clock rather than a luncheon, so it became a ladies early dinner.” Clockwise from l.: Finola Hughes (Anna, GH), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis GH), Heather Tom (Katie, B&B), Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B), and Genie Francis (Laura, GH)

“My favorite thing about the luncheon is to sit and hang with some really wonderful women,” smiles Tom. “We don't talk about the Emmys at all. We talk about kids, and life, and all kinds of stuff. It's really nice.”

Tom was thrilled to spend time with all of the nominees, but especially Genie Francis (Laura, GH), revealing, “I never met Genie! In all of these years, I never actually officially met her. It was so funny because I've been doing [daytime] for decades, and she has, obviously, been doing this for decades, as well. It was great to sit down with her and chat and learn something about somebody who I feel I already knew but I really don't [r]. She’s wonderful.”

“NATAS [National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences] provided these beautiful Kate Spade gift bags, with Pellegrino and 4Roses Bourbon and a whole lot of other great things. It was so nice of them to do that, and it really made our gathering even more special. My husband [James Achor] was very excited to see the 4Roses Bourbon when I goth home. He was like, 'Wow, this is good stuff!' It was a quality gift bag through and through — totally unexpected and so, so sweet.”

“No matter who wins, I think the ladies would all agree that getting together, and spending this time together as a group, is one of the highlights of the Daytime Emmys for us!”