The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 12th Daytime Emmy Awards, held in 1985 and it is given to honor a young actress below the age of 25, who has delivered an outstanding performance in a role while working within the daytime drama industry. The awards ceremony had not been aired on television for the prior two years, having been criticized for voting integrity. The award was originally called Outstanding Ingenue in a Drama Series, the criteria of the new category were deemed confusing; performers of differing ages were nominated and critics argued some were of  supporting or lead actress standards. Adding to the confusion, the first winner, Tracey E. Bregman, and the Outstanding Supporting Actress winner that year, Beth Maitland, played characters near to the same age. The category was renamed Outstanding Juvenile Female in a Drama Series in 1989 and began using its current title in 1991. The criteria were later altered, requiring that the actress be aged 25 or below.