An Emmy, Finally!

Daytime soap star Susan Lucci says she never believed she'd win a Daytime Emmy. She proved herself wrong Friday night.

After 18 nominations and 18 losses in 18 years, Lucci finally came up a winner. She got a Daytime Emmy award for best actress for portraying the villainous Erica Kane on All My Children.

She sobbed as she received a standing ovation.

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

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.

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

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 Â"come on downÂ" for his award.

Â"I wish I had a refrigerator for every one of you,Â" 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.

Jonathan Jackson, who plays Lucky Spencer on General Hospital, won for best younger actor in a soap opera for the third time. It was the second win for Heather Tom of The Young and the Restless in the younger actress category.

Sharon Case of The Young and the Restless won her first award in the best supporting actress category. Stuart Damon of General Hospital won his first award in the seventh year he'd been nominated.

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

Â"We'd like to thank everyone for helping us celebrate the passion, beauty and joy of science,Â" Nye said.

The CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless earned 21 nominations for Daytime Emmy Awards.

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