Y&R Stars Hope For A Tie

In a scene from the top-rated daytime drama The Young and the Restless, Katherine Chancellor is once again fighting her battle with alcoholism. Will Nikki be able to save her? Will Katherine find happiness?

But that's not the real plot twist this week. Jeanne Cooper has played Katherine Chancellor for more than 25 years, and Melody Thomas Scott has played Nikki for 20 years. Both are nominated for daytime Emmys in the category of Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series. The ceremony will air on May 21, in primetime, on CBS. CBS This Morning. Co-Anchor Mark McEwen interviewed them.

Jeanne Cooper has been on The Young and the Restless for almost 26 years. She joined the Y&R cast in 1973 as Katherine Chancellor, grand dame of Genoa City. This year she received her 5th Daytime Emmy nomination.

Melody Thomas Scott joined the cast of The Young And The Restless in February 1979 as Nikki Newman and this year marks her 20th anniversary on the show.

Jeanne and Melody were nominated in the Lead Actress category with All My Children's Susan Lucci, As The World Turn's Elizabeth Hubbard, and Guiding Light's Kim Zimmer.

What is it like being nominated against someone else on The Young And The Restless?

"Melody Thomas Scott and I are dear friends. She calls me mom. Her kids call me grand-mom. We actually celebrated our nominations on the phone together," says Jeanne.

When Y&R Executive Producer and Melody's husband, Edward Scott called her with the news, Jeanne says she started screaming. He said, 'by the way, Mel got nominated too,' and I hit the top of the ceiling screaming and yelling. My grandson comes running down the hall, 'are you all right?' I said, 'Melody got nominated. Isn't that great'?"

Also nominated in her category is All My Children's Susan Lucci, raising the possibility that after 19 nominations Lucci will finally take home an award.

This year, The Young and the Restless set a record by receiving 21 Daytime Emmy nominations. It has been the #1 rated show in daytime television for the past ten years.

The Daytime Emmys air Friday, May 21 on CBS at 9-11 p.m. ET/PT, 8-10 PM CT. For more on this year's Daytime Emmys, see CBS TV's Emmy Site.