Paul Telfer won the award for Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series at the 52nd Daytime Emmy Awards, held Friday, October 17, in Pasadena, California. The recognition marks his first win and second nomination for his portrayal of Xander Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives.
Telfer, 45, joined Days of Our Lives in 2015 and has appeared in over 700 episodes. He previously received a nomination for the same role in 2020. With this year’s win, he beat out fellow nominees Dominic Zamprogna (General Hospital), Eric Martsolf (Days of Our Lives), Greg Rikaart (Days of Our Lives), and Peter Bergman (The Young and the Restless). Telfer was the youngest of the five nominees.
In his acceptance speech, Telfer began by thanking his wife, actress Carmen Cusack. “I just really would love to thank my wife, Carmen [Cusack], who can’t be here with me tonight,” he said. “I really also want to thank everybody on Days of Our Lives.”
He acknowledged the support of the cast and crew, as well as his fellow nominees. He also reflected on his family’s unexpected connection to the genre, saying, “I just really need to say that the last thing I ever expected, talking about family and Days of Our Lives being a family . . . the last thing I ever expected was for my 80-year-old father to become a fan of soap operas.” He added that his late mother, a longtime fan of the genre, particularly loved villains. “She’s been gone for over 20 years, and so to win this for a soap opera, playing a villain, is really wonderful.”
Telfer had previously expressed his gratitude in an Instagram post after learning of the nomination. He called it an “absolutely lovely surprise” and wrote, “Forever grateful to work with these incredible performers who make me so much better at what I do.” He also congratulated fellow Days of Our Lives nominees Martsolf and Rikaart, writing, “Just an honor to be nominated alongside you both.”
Eric Martsolf, 54, was nominated for his role as Brady Black on Days of Our Lives, a character he has played since 2008 in more than 1,800 episodes. This was his third nomination in the Lead Actor category and fifth overall. He previously won a Daytime Emmy in 2014 for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Speaking to Woman’s World, Martsolf said, “I think work ethic has a lot to do with it. Although I still don’t feel like I’m working for a living, which was John Aniston’s biggest thing, too. I love my job, so sitting down and dissecting material is fun for me.”
Greg Rikaart, 48, received his second Lead Actor nomination for his role as Leo Stark on Days of Our Lives, following his 2019 nod. He previously won a Daytime Emmy in 2005 for his longtime role as Kevin Fisher on The Young and the Restless. Rikaart joined Days in 2018 for what was intended as a short arc. “I had drank the Kool-Aid and was just happy to have a job,” he told PEOPLE.
Dominic Zamprogna, 46, was the sole General Hospital nominee in the category. He has portrayed Dante Falconeri since 2009, appearing in over 1,600 episodes. This year marked his fifth overall Emmy nomination and second in the Lead Actor category. “I gotta say, I would like to win. But nominated is really cool!” he told Woman’s World.
Peter Bergman, a veteran of the genre, earned his 24th nomination for playing Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless, a role he has held since 1989. He has won three times previously: in 1991, 1992, and 2002. In a 2019 interview with CBS News, Bergman acknowledged his 30th anniversary on the show but said he didn’t want “anyone making a big deal” about it.
The 2025 Daytime Emmy Awards were streamed live on watch.theemmys.tv and the Emmys app.