Soap Star Lucci Finally Wins Emmy

By DAVID BAUDER (AP Television Writer)

NEW YORK (AP) _ After 19 nominations and 18 losses, hard-luck soap star Susan Lucci finally came up a winner.

Lucci, whose status as a longtime loser often overshadowed her work, won the Daytime Emmy award for best actress Friday for portraying the villainous Erica Kane on ``All My Children.''

She sobbed as she received a standing ovation.

``Thank you very much. I truly never believed that this would happen,'' she said.

Lucci's long-sought victory overshadowed a record-setting performance by ``General Hospital,'' which won eight awards. Rosie O'Donnell swept the major talk show awards.

Lucci was clearly the sentimental favorite, and was thought to have her best chance this year for her performances in a hospital vigil over her TV daughter, Bianca. When music played to get her to stop talking as she accepted the award, she plowed right through to thank her fans.

``I'm going to go back to that studio Monday and I'm going to play Erica Kane for all it is worth,'' she said.

The awards for ``General Hospital'' included its sixth for best soap opera. Anthony Geary, who won best actor in 1982 when his character Luke Spencer was a national sensation, won the award again. Jonathan Jackson, who plays his son Lucky, won his third award as best younger actor. Stuart Damon won best supporting actor.

A tearful O'Donnell won her third straight honor as best talk show host and also for best talk show. It was a boost for O'Donnell, who had a tense fight with actor Tom Selleck over gun control on her show this week.

She twice paid tribute to Oprah Winfrey, who shared the award with her last year. Winfrey, who has won seven of the awards, took herself out of the running after getting a lifetime achievement award last year.

``I one day hope to move through life with the grace and dignity of that woman _ Oprah Winfrey,'' said O'Donnell, as tears streamed down her face.

The 26th annual Daytime Emmy Awards were given out during a ceremony at New York's Theater at Madison Square Garden, televised on CBS.

Bob Barker, host of ``The Price is Right,'' was given a lifetime achievement award and ended a personal Emmy boycott. He's stayed away for the past two years, miffed that one of the two major game show awards were given away off-camera. This year, the awards for best game show and game show host were part of the telecast.

Barker has been on ``The Price is Right'' since 1972, and was host of ``Truth or Consequences'' for 18 years before that. He's been named best game show host a record 10 times.

O'Donnell ordered Barker, who's taped more than 5,000 shows in his career, to ``come on down'' for his award.

``I wish I had a refrigerator for every one of you,'' Barker said.

He didn't win a record 11th award, however. Ben Stein and Jimmy Kimmel, hosts of Comedy Central's irreverent ``Win Ben Stein's Money,'' won their first Emmys. It was also named best game show, beating more established fare like ``Jeopardy'' and ``Wheel of Fortune.''

``The Young and the Restless'' won a total of six awards, including Heather Tom as younger actress and Sharon Case as supporting actress.

``Disney Presents Bill Nye the Science Guy'' won its first award for best childrens' series.

``We'd like to thank everyone for helping us celebrate the passion, beauty and joy _ the PB&J _ of science,'' Nye said.

The Emmys snubbed top-rated Jerry Springer and his raucous talk show. The winners are selected by members of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.