1979-1989
- 1979 (6th) - Suzanne Rogers as Maggie Horton, Days of our Lives
- Rachel Ames as Audrey March, General Hospital
- Susan Brown as Gail Adamson Baldwin, General Hospital
- Lois Kibbee as Geraldine Whitney Saxon, The Edge of Night
- Frances Reid as Alice Horton, Days of our Lives
- 1980 (7th) - Francesca James as Kelly Cole Tyler, All My Children
- Deidre Hall as Marlena Evans, Days of our Lives
- Lois Kibbee as Geraldine Whitney Saxon, The Edge of Night
- Valerie Mahaffey as Ashley Bennett, The Doctors
- 1981 (8th) - Jane Elliot as Tracy Quartermaine, General Hospital
- Randall Edwards as Delia Coleridge, Ryan's Hope
- Lois Kibbee as Geraldine Whitney Saxon, The Edge of Night
- Elizabeth Lawrence as Myra Murdoch, All My Children
- Jacklyn Zeman as Bobbie Spencer, General Hospital
- 1982 (9th) - Dorothy Lyman as Opal Gardner, All My Children
- Elizabeth Lawrence as Myra Murdoch, All My Children
- Meg Mundy as Mona Aldrich Croft, The Doctors
- Louise Shaffer as Rae Woodard, Ryan's Hope
- 1983 (10th) - Louise Shaffer as Rae Woodard, Ryan's Hope
- Kim Delaney as Jenny Gardner, All My Children
- Eileen Herlie as Myrtle Fargate, All My Children
- Robin Mattson as Heather Webber, General Hospital
- Brynn Thayer as Jenny Wolek, One Life to Live
- Marcy Walker as Liza Colby, All My Children
- 1984 (11th) - Judi Evans as Beth Raines, Guiding Light
- Loanne Bishop as Rose Kelly, General Hospital
- Christine Ebersole as Maxie McDermont, One Life to Live
- Eileen Herlie as Myrtle Fargate, All My Children
- Lois Kibbee as Geraldine Whitney Saxon, The Edge of Night
- Marcy Walker as Liza Colby, All My Children
- 1985 (12th) - Beth Maitland as Traci Abbott, The Young and the Restless
- Norma Connolly as Ruby Anderson, General Hospital
- Eileen Herlie as Myrtle Fargate, All My Children
- Maeve Kinkead as Vanessa Chamberlain, Guiding Light
- Elizabeth Lawrence as Myra Murdoch, All My Children
- 1986 (13th) - Leann Hunley as Anna DiMera, Days of our Lives
- Judith Anderson as Minx Lockridge, Santa Barbara
- Uta Hagen as Hortense, One Life to Live
- Eileen Herlie as Myrtle Fargate, All My Children
- Kathleen Widdoes as Emma Snyder, As the World Turns
- 1987 (14th) - Kathleen Noone as Ellen Dalton, All My Children
- Lisa Brown as Iva Snyder, As the World Turns
- Robin Mattson as Gina Capwell, Santa Barbara
- Peggy McCay as Caroline Brady, Days of our Lives
- Kathleen Widdoes as Emma Snyder, As the World Turns
- 1988 (15th) - Ellen Wheeler as Cindy Parker, All My Children
- Lisa Brown as Iva Snyder, As the World Turns
- Eileen Fulton as Lisa McColl, As the World Turns
- Maeve Kinkead as Vanessa Chamberlain, Guiding Light
- Robin Mattson as Gina Capwell, Santa Barbara
- Arleen Sorkin as Calliope Jones, Days of our Lives
- 1989 (16th) - TIE:
- Nancy Lee Grahn as Julia Wainwright, Santa Barbara
- Debbi Morgan as Angela Baxter Hubbard, All My Children
- Jane Elliot as Anjelica Deveraux, Days of our Lives
- Robin Mattson as Gina Capwell, Santa Barbara
- Arleen Sorkin as Calliope Jones, Days of our Lives
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