Beemer, DAYS sweep 11th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards

A clean sweep for Brandon Beemer gave the B&B stud his first win as Best Hunk in the 11th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards, announced live Wednesday.

Beemer won all five categories in which he was nominated. In addition to the top award, he also won trophies for Best Pecs, Best Abs, Best Butt, and Best Eyes. The abs & eyes awards are his fourth consecutive wins in both of those categories.

Hearing about his wins, a wry Beemer told TVGuide Canada's Nelson Branco, "It's extremely flattering. Soap fans are so loyal. I was very impressed with the voter turnout because my competition was, um, stiff. As long as I make people happy, especially in these dark times, I'll continue to take my shirt off while acting my heart out."

Aside from Beemer's wins, everything else went to Sony's soaps, DAYS and Y&R. The well-organized DAYS voting bloc, in particular, managed a first-ever shutout of nominations leader ABC. (ABC voters managed a reverse rout in 2005.)

DAYS claimed the Hunkiest Soap title for the sixth time and saw five of its stars win individual awards: Shawn Christian (Best Hunk Over 40 & Best Arms), Mark Hapka (Hunkiest Newcomer & Best Face), Eric Martsolf (Best Chest), Galen Gering (his fourth Best Hair win) and James Scott (Best Smile & Best Voice).

The wins for Scott and Beemer moved both into a tie for the most Soaphunks.net Awards ever. Each actor has a career 13 wins from 18 nominations.

Voters also ended the staggering droughts of two Y&R hunks this year as Thad Luckinbill & Shemar Moore both won their first awards. Luckinbill's win as Most Shamefully Clothed was his first in 18 nominations (a record). Memo to Y&R: Get Luckinbill naked now! Moore's win as Most Missed Soap Hunk was his first in 13 attempts and was no doubt aided by Darius McCrary's recent casting as Malcolm Winters.

Those wins now move GH's Tyler Christopher into the role of the Soaphunks.net Susan Lucci, as now he holds 12 career nominations but no wins.

Complete voting results can be viewed at the Soaphunks.net Award archive.

Awards roundtable!

The ballot for the 11th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards has been up for about a week now, and just like last year, three of my site's contributors (Jason, DC, and Soapgal) held a roundtable in which they discussed the nominations, explained why certain nominees got their votes, and predicted the winners in each race. We'll see how smart they were on Wednesday, December 16, when the winners are revealed live at soaphunks.net/chat at 10pm ET/7pm ET.

If you haven't voted yet, please do so at soaphunks.net/vote by this weekend. Hencewith, the transcript of their online meeting:

Jason: Well, what did you guys think of this year's Soaphunks.net Awards ballot?

Soapgal: I liked it. I really can't think of anyone who was snubbed.

DC: Well, overall I thought it was pretty fair. Nice selection of candidates. Probably a snub here or there but we'll get into that in individual categories.

Jason: There were a couple that were missed, but they've been nominated and/or won in the past. I know some talk about Jason Thompson not being nominated at all, for example.

Soapgal: I guess that's true.

DC: Definitely a snub in my book, but I love him.

Jason: So hard to fit everyone in.

Soapgal: Yeah.

Jason: Anyway, whose face was the best for you guys?

Soapgal: I chose Greg Vaughan.

DC: I teetered between Greg Vaughan and Daniel Goddard for a long while before choosing. I did finally vote for Greg Vaughan.

Jason: Big surprise, I know, but so did I. I really studied the evidence though, and thought his face was best.

Soapgal: I did, too.

Jason: And who do you think will actually win?

DC: Let's see...James Scott is nominated so I think he'll win. That seems to be the usual consensus amongst site visitors.

Soapgal: Exactly. Unless the James Scott people boycott

Jason: I actually think Greg has a shot. My money's on him.

DC: James Scott tends to be a safe bet but I would love for Vaughan to pull out a victory. Or even Goddard or Mark Hapka.

Soapgal: I wonder how popular Mark Hapka is.

Soapgal: I always worry about the CBS guys. They never seem to win these contests, except Brandon Beemer and he was on days before B&B.

DC: I do too. DAYS does have a pretty big online base so maybe he'll pull out some victories. CBS is usually the loser when it comes to online followings. Hopefully voters will review the evidence and that would eliminate all of that.

Soapgal: True.

Jason: But in a category with Scott, he may cancel Hapka out.

DC: That is a definite possibility.

BEST FACE	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Greg Vaughan	Greg Vaughan
DC	Greg Vaughan	James Scott
Soapgal	Greg Vaughan	James Scott

Jason: So, what about eyes?

Soapgal: Big surprise, I went with Mark Lawson.

Jason: LOL, this one was tough, but I went with Beemer.

DC: I also voted Mark Lawson.

DC: I thought it would be tougher but when I looked at Lawson's evidence, I was just really drawn in by his eyes. Very sexy.

Soapgal: Me, too.

Jason: I could see any of them winning (they're all worthy), but I think the Beemer fans will be out in force this year. I think he'll win this category.

Soapgal: You're probably right.

DC: I think Mark Lawson will actually win this one. I'm basing that solely on evidence and the fact that he's a previous winner so he has the support to get it done.

Soapgal: It's gonna be close because Burton and Martsolf also have big fanbases.

DC: I wonder about the Martsolf fans. They've fallen off a bit since he joined DAYS.

Soapgal: I didn't know that. That surprises me.

DC: He hasn't done very well recently. Adonis comes to mind.

Jason: Did you know that a win in this category would be Beemer's 4th in a row?

Soapgal: Wow, I didn't know that.

DC: I didn't realize that. I'm still going with Lawson.

Jason: And Soapgal, you predict Beemer?

Soapgal: Yeah.

Jason: Me too.

BEST EYES	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
DC	Mark Lawson	Mark Lawson
Soapgal	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer

Jason: Which voice sent your hearts a-flutter?

Soapgal: Why, Aiden, of course!

DC: DUH, me too.

Jason: For me as well. Love the clip of him and the car.

DC: Sadly, it may be his last nomination ever since AMC let him go.

Jason: Yes, that is sad. I think James Scott has this in the bag, though.

Soapgal: Yeah, no doubt.

Jason: This is the 4th year for Best Voice, and James Scott has never lost it.

DC: Yes, Scott is the reigning champ for "Best Voice" but I will hold out a little hope.

Jason: Me too.

BEST VOICE	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Aiden Turner	James Scott
DC	Aiden Turner	James Scott
Soapgal	Aiden Turner	James Scott

Jason: I always enjoy Best Smile. Who did you guys vote for?

Soapgal: I voted for Goddard, but none of these guys really excite me that much.

DC: Pretty sure I voted for Daniel Goddard as well. It wasn't a tough choice for me at all.

Jason: I voted for Brandon Barash, a new favorite of mine. He's got a great smile.

Soapgal: I like the inclusion of the non-hunky Scott Clifton.

DC: Non-hunky in your opinion. LOL

Soapgal: True, DC. I guess I mean that he's not built.

DC: He's put together pretty well if you ask me. Although I don't think his smile stands up to the competition. It came down to Shawn Christian & Goddard for me. I thought both were great and I also think James Scott has a great "bad boy" smile.

Jason: Goddard finished second last year (behind Thompson), so he could take it. Who do you guys think?

Soapgal: I say James Scott. He does seem to smile more on DAYS these days. Pardon the pun. It’s also possible Christian or Barash could take it

Jason: I'm predicting James Scott to win, too. We all agree?

DC: Unfortunately

Soapgal: Yes.

BEST SMILE	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Barash	James Scott
DC	Daniel Goddard	James Scott
Soapgal	Daniel Goddard	James Scott

Jason: Whose follicles are the finest for you?

Soapgal: David Fumero for me. Love the curly hair.

DC: Another pretty easy one for me. I voted Thad Luckinbill. Daniel Goddard's hair is rather average in the scheme of daytime and I think the other three stink.

Soapgal: LOL

Jason: I went with Barash again, after the evidence.

DC: I think one problem I had with this category was the fact that Goddard, Barash, & Gering pretty much have the same haircut these days. Fumero's is also very similar.

Jason: I think the DAYS people will vote Gering here.

Soapgal: I wonder. How popular is he these days?

DC: He’s another Passions’ alum that doesn't seem to be as popular on DAYS (like Marstolf).

Soapgal: That's what I thought too, DC.

DC: My prediction is that Goddard will win. Although I think Fumero has a shot.

Soapgal: I think Barash is going to win.

BEST HAIR	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Barash	Galen Gering
DC	Thad Luckinbill	Daniel Goddard
Soapgal	David Fumero	Brandon Barash

Jason: And what about Best Arms?

DC: Best Arms for me went to Mark Lawson.

Soapgal: Well, I had to abandon my love for Lawson and go Tyler Christopher.

DC: Wow, this one was actually very tough. If you go by the evidence.

Soapgal: Yes, it was.

Jason: I thought I had this category figured out with Fumero, and then the evidence for Mark Lawson was just way too compelling.

DC: I had to adjust my thinking to, "Whose arms would I most like wrapped around me every day forever?" Mark Lawson is the answer.

Soapgal: That's the logic i should have used, DC! Then I definitely would have voted for Mark Lawson.

Jason: Who do you think will win? I’m saying Lawson here.

Soapgal: Steve Burton.

DC: That's tough. I want Lawson to win, but Steve Burton is also nominated and he's very popular.

Soapgal: Exactly my thoughts, DC.

Jason: That's true. Burton won last year, too

DC: In my heart I want Lawson to win this. But if I want a correct prediction, I say Burton.

BEST ARMS	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Lawson	Mark Lawson
DC	Mark Lawson	Steve Burton
Soapgal	Tyler Christopher	Steve Burton

Jason: Best Buttocks?

Soapgal: Zamprogna, thanks to the evidence.

DC: Okay, I voted for Brandon Beemer but I have to give major props to Joshua Morrow. He was nominated and WON this award NINE years ago and his butt is still amazing today!

Jason: I voted Beemer, too. He and Zamprogna both truly showed their bare butts. And who do you predict?

Soapgal: Beemer.

Jason: I'd say Beemer hands down here.

DC: I think Beemer will win also.

BEST BUTT	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
DC	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
Soapgal	Dominic Zamprogna	Brandon Beemer

Jason: Whose abs did you guys pick?

Soapgal: Mark Lawson. Even though I did look at the evidence, my open mindedness ended here.

DC: Mr. Beemer got my vote here.

Jason: Beemer for me,too. He's won it 3 years in a row now.

DC: His abs are fantastic.

Soapgal: He'll probably make it four.

Jason: I think he will, too.

DC: And deservedly so. I agree.

Jason: Even when James Scott was winning everything else, Beemer still beat him in this category.

Soapgal: Wow!

BEST ABS	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
DC	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
Soapgal	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer

Jason: And what about Pecs?

Soapgal: Lawson again.

DC: I actually voted for Billy Miller in this category. I think his pecs are plump & juicy

Soapgal: LOL

Jason: I'm pretty sure I voted for Beemer here, too. I hope voters looked at the "manboobs" here. This category always confuses people.

DC: Soapy should post a 15 minute video with a real-live soap hunk to show the proper body parts for the awards.

Soapgal: That would be awesome.

Jason: I hear Adrian Bellani's available. LOL

Soapgal: LOL

DC: He would be good for pecs. Billy Miller's remind me of Bellani's pecs. It's the first thing that jumps out at you on their lovely bodies.

Soapgal: I'll give props to Soapy for including the 40+ Michael Lowry.

Jason: Me too. Your predictions here?

Soapgal: Beemer.

Jason: I voted Beemer, but predict Lawson.

Soapgal: I voted Lawson but predict Beemer! LOL

DC: Hmmm…I predict Mark Lawson. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Beemer took it.

BEST PECS	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Beemer	Mark Lawson
DC	Billy Miller	Mark Lawson
Soapgal	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer

Jason: And the entire chest?

Soapgal: Lawson.

Jason: Rare that this category is not dominated by Best Hunk nominees, since it usually is. Martsolf's 4th consecutive nom for Chest, and he has never won.

DC: This has always been a sore point with me. If Brandon Beemer has the Best Abs and the Best Pecs, why doesn't he have the Best Chest? Not even a good enough one to get nominated? I mean what is it...bad shoulders? An ugly rib cage?

Jason: I agree with you, DC.

Soapgal: I asked soapy about that, and he said he wanted to spread the nominations around a bit.

DC: This was relatively hard for me because I think Morrow, Christian, & Lawson all have very hot chests. I’m pretty sure I voted for Mark Lawson in the end.

Jason: I voted Lawson here, since I gave the love in the other two categories to Beemer.

Soapgal: This was a very competitive category.

DC: I do think Lawson will end up as the man to beat here.

Soapgal: I think Christian has a great chance. I’m predicting him.

Jason: Lawson won last year, too. I predict he’ll repeat.

BEST CHEST	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Lawson	Mark Lawson
DC	Mark Lawson	Mark Lawson
Soapgal	Mark Lawson	Shawn Christian

Jason: Next is Most Shamefully Clothed. Many think this means the hunks who wear bad outfits, but it means they don't get shirtless enough. No contest for me here. Thad Luckinbill is totally hot, and we RARELY see it.

Soapgal: I thought soapy was wise to include an explanation here. Texas Battle for me, even though he doesn't stand a chance of winning.

DC: This was I think the category with the most possible nominees EVER. A ton of guys just aren't shirtless as much anymore.

Soapgal: That's true, DC.

DC: I wanted to vote for Texas Battle soooo badly. And I wanted to vote for Jake Silbermann soooo badly. So, I fell back on my old faithful Thad Luckinbill whose killer body is being ABUSED by not being shirtless. I could have easily seen half the cast of GH in this category. Half of ATWT cast WAS nominated here in what sadly may be their last hurrah thanks to cancellation.

Soapgal: Well, they'll be eligible next year, too.

Jason: No matter what, a CBS guy will win. ATWT's only 3 nominations are all in this category. Luckinbill has 2 nods this year, one here. If he loses both, he'll then widen his Lucci lead with 18 noms, no wins.

Soapgal: I didn't think about everyone being a CBS guy.

DC: I hope ABC/NBC fans still vote here.

Soapgal: I think this may be Thad's year. "The streak is over" /Shemar Moore

DC: I think the Nuke fans will dominate here. They may split the vote but it would still be enough to overtake Thad I think. Silbermann most likely will take it.

Soapgal: That's true.

Jason: If Thad wins, I want to be the one to announce this category's winner, so I can use the Shemar Moore line!

DC: If Thad's streak is broken I will STREAK!

Jason: I think the streak may be over for Luckinbill, too. I'm predicting him.

MOST SHAMEFULLY CLOTHED	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Thad Luckinbill	Thad Luckinbill
DC	Thad Luckinbill	Jake Silbermann
Soapgal	Texas Battle	Thad Luckinbill

Jason: Which newcomer did you find hunkiest? The evidence convinced me to go with Mark Hapka here, though I think Nicholas Rodriguez is quite hot.

DC: I voted for Adam Mayfield, who I think is just so cute and very hunky. He's also been objectified quite nicely on AMC.

Soapgal: Nick Rodriguez, but this was a pretty weak category, IMO.

DC: I do agree about Mark Hapka being very hunky, too.

Soapgal: Yeah, Mark's pretty cute.

Jason: I agree, Soapgal. None of the 5 are truly as "hunky" as in previous years.

DC: I think they're all hunky in their own way. Of course, everyone's definition of hunky can be different.

Jason: I just mean it's nice not to have an "obvious" winner in this category like in many past years though, like last year with Mark Lawson.

DC: I wasn't so sure Lawson would win last year, but I was so glad he did. I will predict that Mark Hapka will take this. He seems to be the more "obvious" of the choices.

Soapgal: Plus, he's on DAYS. I’ll go with Hapka, too.

Jason: I'm predicting Claywell will win here, with the popularity of Kish.

Soapgal: Good point.

DC: I would love for Claywell or Hapka or Mayfield to win.

HUNKIEST NEWCOMER	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Hapka	Brett Claywell
DC	Adam Mayfield	Mark Hapka
Soapgal	Nicholas Rodriguez	Mark Hapka

Jason: So, which hunk do you miss the most?

DC: TWO WORDS: Colin. Egglesfield! I love him like I love food, and I miss him so much.

Jason: All of these guys have visibility with various primetime projects.

Soapgal: Eddie Cibrian for me.

Jason: Eric Winter has been owning this category but Soapy held his name out this year.

DC: I also think this was the BEST set of noms in this category EVER. It was the first time that I loved all 5.

Soapgal: Wow, DC.

Jason: You know, I really thought about who I see a lot and who I wish was back on daytime. I went with Justin Hartley.

DC: Justin Hartley was a definite #2 for me.

Jason: I think bad press of late for Cibrian may affect him. I see Shemar Moore taking it.

DC: I do agree on Cibrian. I think Justin Hartley will win though.

Soapgal: Has Shemar ever won a soaphunks.net award before?

DC: Shemar is another guy that's never been very popular with awards on the site.

Jason: 13 noms, no wins. Runner up to Luckinbill.

DC: Which is a crying shame.

Soapgal: Yes, it is. I guess I'd predict Hartley then, too.

Jason: I'm standing by my prediction. It'll be a year of firsts. Susan Lucci can present Shemar with his award.

DC: LOL

MOST MISSED SOAP HUNK	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Justin Hartley	Shemar Moore
DC	Colin Egglesfield	Justin Hartley
Soapgal	Eddie Cibrian	Justin Hartley

Jason: So, which over 40 guy is hunkiest for you?

Soapgal: This vote was for you, Jason. I went with Rick Hearst.

DC: This was never one of my favorite categories...until Shawn Christian entered it! That man is gorgeous.

Soapgal: LOL

Jason: I was ecstatic Soapy remembered Rick Hearst this time. But, he doesn't seem to have been as hunky on B&B. The evidence made me vote for Christian.

DC: All your complaining about Rick Hearst not being nominated and you didn't even VOTE for him?

Jason: I was just happy he was nominated.

DC: Shawn Christian IS the Best Hunk Over 40. He will win. There's not even any competition that can rival his hotness.

Jason: And I think Christian is a lock to win as well.

Soapgal: Me too.

Jason: Do you think Diamont's beard will help or hurt him?

Soapgal: I say it hurts him.

Jason: We shall see.

BEST HUNK OVER 40	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Shawn Christian	Shawn Christian
DC	Shawn Christian	Shawn Christian
Soapgal	Rick Hearst	Shawn Christian

Jason: Moving on to Hunkiest Soap. For me, the soap that is overcrowded with hunks is OLTL. No contest.

Soapgal: Absolutely.

DC: Pretty sure I went with OLTL as well.

Jason: It won pretty easily as I remember from last year, beating out 5 time winner DAYS.

Soapgal: It should win again.

Jason: I think so, too.

DC: OLTL is definitely going to win.

HUNKIEST SOAP	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	One Life to Live	One Life to Live
DC	One Life to Live	One Life to Live
Soapgal	One Life to Live	One Life to Live

Jason: We're down to the biggie now...Best Hunk...

Soapgal: MARK LAWSON

Jason: Man, what a challenge this was...Beemer, though an 8-time winner, has never won. Lawson won last year. If Fumero wins, he'll re-take the record with 3 wins all-time/

DC: I went into the Awards season thinking, knowing, believing I would vote for Brandon Beemer. Then I looked at the evidence video of Mark Lawson. And I voted for him without a second thought. There's just something about Mark Lawson. He's gorgeous, sexy and his character has become SUPER sexy. On top of that he's got a killer body. Best Hunk all the way.

Soapgal: DC, get out of my head about Mark Lawson!

Jason: That's what happened for me as well, DC.

DC: I really think this should be Brandon Beemer's year. I'll predict Beemer for victory but I couldn't vote against Mark Lawson after watching the video.

Soapgal: I think you’re right, DC.

Jason: Since Beemer's been everywhere, I think he'll win. The man's been shirtless, in underwear, and even showing off his naked bum.

DC: I really think Mark Lawson needs a nude role STAT!

Jason: Amen!

Soapgal: OMG, I would die.

DC: Don't die THEN. You could watch it over and over!

Soapgal: Yeah, like I do with his OLTL clips!

BEST HUNK	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer
DC	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer
Soapgal	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer

Jason: Thanks you guys. This was fun and interesting, just like last year.

DC: I enjoyed myself.

Soapgal: Me, too.

Jason: I hope anyone reading this that hasn't voted won't be swayed too much. *COUGH* Lawson *COUGH*

Soapgal: LOL

DC: LOL! I doubt we'll change too many minds. I learned doing my own ballot that you love who you love!

Jason: Guess we'll find out on December 16th! Thanks again, and have a good night!

11th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards: Polls open!

It's December 1st, so voting for the 11th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards officially started at midnight ET. You can access the ballot at soaphunks.net/vote.

As always, we have gone to great lengths to provide evidence for each nomination to help make you a more informed voter. "Review the Evidence" links are all over the ballot. Click them before voting! This is one ballot that you will want to spend some time on!

And as usual, in the top category of Best Hunk, we have For Your Consideration videos of all of the five nominees' hunky achievements from 2009. Behold the beauty, then go vote!

11th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards announced!

With six nods each, DAYS' Shawn Christian and OLTL's Mark Lawson led all nominees Wednesday as the 11th Annual Soaphunks.net Award nominations were announced live at soaphunks.net. 80 nominations were announced covering 16 categories.

Both Christian and Lawson placed in the top category, Best Hunk, along with B&B's Brandon Beemer, OLTL's David Fumero, and Y&R's Daniel Goddard.

Lawson won Best Hunk last year, while Fumero won in both 2001 & 2002. Beemer is now only the third person to be nominated for the top award in three consecutive years. This is Christian's second career Best Hunk nod, and Goddard's debut appearance here marks Y&R's first inclusion in the top category since 2005.

A total of 39 soap hunks received nominations this year, a tie for the second-most ever. With 18 nominations, OLTL led all shows for the second consecutive year, helping ABC lead the
networks with 33 nominations. CBS scored 28 nods, and NBC nabbed 19.

Other points of interest:

• The good news for CBS: B&B once again broke its own record for nominations, with nine nods spread amongst Beemer, Don Diamont (scoring his 26th career mention), Texas Battle, and Rick Hearst. Similarly, sister soap Y&R had its second-best year ever, with 14 nominations. (The CBS flagship soap received 17 nominations in 2000.)


• The bad news for CBS: ATWT posted its worst showing in six years, scoring only three nominations. What's worse: the de-hunkified sudser saw all three of those nods (Van Hansis, Billy Magnussen, & Jake Silbermann) in the Most Shamefully Clothed Category. Memo to ATWT's powers-that-be: Shirts! Off! More!

• The nominations for Murray Bartlett and Lawrence St. Victor mark the final nods for GL, bringing its series total to 28 nominations...and no wins.

• Will you guys ever give the boy a trophy? The Soaphunks.net Susan Lucci, Y&R's Thad Luckinbill, is back with two more nominations, extending his unfortunate lead in the no-wins race, with 18 career nominations but no wins.


• AMC's Cameron Mathison, suddenly finding himself eligible for Best Hunk Over 40 honors, picked up two more nominations this year, widening his lead as the most nominated soap hunk ever, with 37 career nominations.

The entire list of nominations can be streamed online, while the text version is also available. Complete year-by-year history of the awards is also available online.

As always, voting begins December 1 at soaphunks.net.

Soaphunks.net Awards nominations soon: Have your voice heard!

Nominations for the 11th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards will be announced at 11:11pm ET on 11/11, and before all those elevens hit, you can have your chance to shamefully influence the nominations. Unlike Adonis, the summertime contest here at soaphunks.net that often boils down to a popularity contest among rabid fanbases, the nominees for the annual Soaphunks.net Awards are personally decided by the-powers-that-be here at this site...namely, me. You can review the past 10 years of nominees and winners here.

I try to be as fair as possible and nominate without regard to anything other than qualifications in 2009. But as I'm human, it's possible I could miss someone who is worthy. Therefore, I turn to soaphunks.net fans and ask them to send me suggestions for who should--and shouldn't--make this year's list of nominees.

I am truly interested in hearing what you guys are thinking in each of the categories. Feel free to e-mail me with suggestions of whom you feel is a must-have in a certain category...or someone who had better not be there. Please remember that I am looking for thoughtful suggestions across all soaps and multiple soap hunks, so any submissions I receive that say "So-and-so should be in every category" will be quickly set aside.

The same 16 categories will be up-for-grabs this year, and should reflect hunkiness for 2009 only. Don't suggest someone who was a great hunk in 1998 but now, well, isn't. Feel free to review the caps from the entire year on each actor's page on soaphunks.net, as I often use site caps as evidence of worthiness in each category. Please note: GL may have been cancelled, but since it aired for more than half of the calendar year, it and its male stars are eligible.

Here's a quick cheat sheet for all the categories:

• Best Hunk: The top award. In order to cut the mustard in this category, a nominee must have had noticeable shirtlessness on their soap in 2009. If I would have to call Sherlock Holmes to find 2009 shirtless footage of your favorite, you probably don't need to bother suggesting him. Remember, this isn't Favorite Actor; it's Best Soap Hunk.


• Hunkiest Soap: Tell me what soap you think had both the widest array of hunks in the cast, and/or what soap had the most shirtlessness per capita in 2009.


• Best Hunk Over 40: You can consult my site's actor pages for many birthdates. As long as he turns 40 before November 11, he's eligible. This category gets more crowded every year!


• Most Missed Soap Hunk: Which former soap hunk would you give up your first-born to have return to daytime? They can be recent exits, or long-ago departures. Here, I tend to gravitate towards nominating guys who have achieved success in some other arena during 2009, such as a primetime show.


• Hunkiest Newcomer: Which newbies caught your eye in 2009? To be eligible, freshmen had to have their first major appearance in 2009, or perhaps the very end of 2008.


• Most Shamefully Clothed: We know he has a great body under all those clothes, but his soap never proves it! Permanently stuck in their shirts throughout 2009, the Most Shamefully Clothed nominees could have saved their shows a fortune in wardrobe costs.


• Best Chest: Sometimes there is confusion about the difference between the next two categories. Best Chest is really better called Best Torso. As in, "everything on the front," from the neck to the waist.


• Best Pecs: Manboobs alone.


• Best Abs: Always a competitive category, Best Abs contenders are pretty easy to spot...just look at his stomach. If you can easily count to six, he's a keeper.


• Best Butt: To successfully evaluate a fine derriere, one must have proper evidence. I am especially picky in the Best Butt category that I have pic/vid evidence to back up the nominations.


• Best Arms: Bulging biceps get them in every time.


• Best Voice: Whose voice alone makes you melt? Not necessarily reserved for guys with accents, but those are often hard to top. I will pay particular attention to American suggestions here, though.


• Best Face/Best Eyes/Best Smile/Best Hair: These should be pretty self-explanatory.

I look forward to hearing everyone's suggestions. Submit them to me by October 15, 2009, and thanks!

~~soapy

OLTL's Mark Lawson wins Best Hunk

OLTL's Mark Lawson won the 2008 Best Hunk award Thursday night as the 10th Annual Soaphunks.net Award winners were announced, marking the first time in history that a newcomer has won the top award in his freshman year. Of his leading (and record-tying) eight nominations, Lawson also won the awards for Hunkiest Newcomer and Best Chest.

Also winning three trophies was B&B's Brandon Beemer, who won all of his categories except the top one. Beemer took Best Pecs, Best Abs, and Best Eyes, meaning he repeated all of his wins from 2007 while on DAYS. Beemer's wins in 2008 mark the first awards in history for B&B, which finally scored after receiving 28 total nominations.

Lawson and Beemer were the only soap hunks to win more than one trophy in 2008.

OLTL was named the year's Hunkiest Soap, the first time that sudser has won that award after six tries. It was only the second time ever that an ABC soap won Hunkiest Soap, following AMC's win in 2005.

In his first year ever as a nominee, classic soap hunk Shawn Christian of DAYS won for Best Hunk Over 40, meaning that for the first time, a single soap has now produced a winner in every single category of the Soaphunks.net Awards, as DAYS claimed a prize in the only category in which it was lacking a win.

DAYS also took the award for Most Missed Soap Hunk for its alum (and 2003 Best Hunk winner) Eric Winter. Winter has logged appearances on several primetime series this year, and he also won this category last year.

In a somewhat amazing turn of events, DAYS' James Scott, the Best Hunk winner the past two years, only converted one of his three nominations into a win in 2008. Scott easily won again for Best Voice, three-peating in a category that only he has won since its debut in 2006. Scott may have only nabbed one win this year, but one was enough to tie him with AMC's Cameron Mathison for the most Soaphunks.net Award wins ever, with 11 each.

In the narrowest margin of victory in Soaphunks.net Award history, ATWT's Van Hansis won Best Butt by one vote over Y&R's Joshua Morrow (22.73% to 22.59%). Similarly, OLTL's John-Paul Lavoisier eked out a razor-thin win for Best Hair over PAS' three-time champ Galen Gering (28.04% to 27.90%). The win was Lavoisier's first since 2002. Gering's narrow loss also meant that PAS would officially finish its awards run with no new wins, giving it a series total of 96 nominations and 22 wins.

GH scored a trophy for three of its hunks. Two-time Adonis runner-up and 2005 Best Hunk winner Greg Vaughan upset James Scott to win Most Shamefully Clothed for the second time. His co-star Steve Burton flexed his muscles in the Best Arms category with his second career win, following a victory for Best Pecs in 2003. Jason Thompson won Best Smile, an award he previously won in 2006.

Thompson fell in his other category, Best Face, to ATWT's now-fired Dylan Bruce. Bruce's win marks the first time that a CBS actor has won in that category.

Overall, OLTL won a leading five awards, followed by B&B, DAYS, and GH with three each. ATWT won two, while AMC, GL, PAS, and Y&R were shut out.

Among networks, ABC had eight wins, with CBS taking five and NBC three.

And yes, once again, Y&R's Thad Luckinbill went home empty-handed. His two losses leave him with 16 career nominations and no wins.

For the complete race-by-race results this year, visit http://soaphunks.net/awards-year.php?year=2008.

Awards roundtable!

The ballot for the 10th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards has been up for a week now, so I thought it would be fun to have three of my site's contributors (Jason, DC, and Soapgal) hold a roundtable in which they discuss the nominations, explain why certain nominees got their votes, and predict the winners in each race. I was not present for this threesome, so the trio could speak freely and honestly. We'll see how smart they were on Thursday, December 18, when the winners are revealed live at soaphunks.net/chat.

If you haven't voted yet, please do so at soaphunks.net/vote by Thursday, December 11. Henecewith, the transcript of their online meeting:

Jason: So, did you both vote?
DC: Yes.
Soapgal: Not quite. I made my choices, but I haven't submitted my ballot yet.
Jason: The evidence swayed me in some instances.
Jason: Who I thought I would vote for didn't end up necessarily holding true.
Soapgal: Ah.
DC: The evidence swayed me in some categories too, but I still pretty much went with favorites in most instances.
Soapgal: Me too.

Jason: So, what did you think of the Best Face category?
Soapgal: Some great choices, but I went with Dylan Bruce.
Jason: I was torn on this one after the evidence. I ended up voting for Brandon Barash.
DC: For me, it was really between John-Paul Lavoisier and Jason Thompson. I think they both have great smiles, which show off their faces well. In the end I went with Thompson. The dimples swayed me.
Soapgal: Yes. It came down to Dylan Bruce and Jason Thompson for me, too.
Jason: Wow, so we all three voted for someone different. Who do you think will ultimately win that one?
DC: That's hard to say, too.
Soapgal: Yeah. I think Brandon Barash has a good chance, as does Jason Thompson.
DC: I think Jason Thompson is the most popular around the Net, but this could be a nice toss-up category.
Soapgal: True.
Jason: I am thinking one of the GH guys will win, probably Jason Thompson.
DC: Right. GH has a nice fanbase who vote for their guys.
Soapgal: Exactly.
DC: I think it might come down to Brandon Barash or Jason Thompson.
Soapgal: I agree.
Jason: But you guys can't predict between the two of them?
Soapgal: If i had to choose one, I'd say Jason Thompson.
DC: Well if I had to predict only one, I would say Jason Thompson.

BEST FACE	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Barash	Jason Thompson
DC	Jason Thompson	Jason Thompson
Soapgal	Dylan Bruce	Jason Thompson

Jason: What about Best Eyes?
Soapgal: My pick was Sterling Sulieman. I like picking one who doesn't have blue or green eyes.
DC: Oh, my pick here was easy after looking at the evidence. I went in thinking I was going to vote for Mark Lawson, whom I adore...but then the guy below him popped up. Sterling Sulieman has the cutest eyes of the bunch and got my vote.
Jason: The guy with the most stunning eyes for me continues to be Brandon Beemer, even after looking at the evidence.
Jason: I think all five deserve to be there, but Beemer got my vote.
DC: They are all great nominees.
Soapgal: I agree. All five have great eyes.
Jason: It's hard to say who will win here. It could be the Steve Burton supporters, since he's not nominated in many categories.
Jason: I'd say it's between Burton and Beemer, but this time my pick (Beemer!) will come out on top.
DC: I agree with you there. If Mark Lawson's got the support, he could pull off a win here, but if I had to absolutely predict, I would go with Steve Burton.
Soapgal: True. I also think Beemer has a great chance, given his DAYS and B&B fans.
Jason: Is Beemer your prediction then, Soapgal?
Soapgal: Yeah, why not?

BEST EYES	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
DC	Sterling Sulieman	Steve Burton
Soapgal	Sterling Sulieman	Brandon Beemer

Jason: I have a feeling we may all be in agreement about Best Voice.
Soapgal: Really?
DC: LOL, anyone who knows me knows that my No. 1 favorite soap hunk is in this category, so he was going to get my vote. It helps that his sexy voice is one of the reasons I love him. Aiden Turner is my choice.
Jason: LOL...Yes, I know you two have an affection for a certain Brit, who has NOT won an Adonis title.
Soapgal: That's right!
Soapgal: Jason, is he your pick also?
Jason: Yep, I was the evidence gatherer for this category, so I listened to all five guys drone on for a long time. Ultimately, Aiden Turner's voice is sexiest to me.
Soapgal: Woohoo! DC, we converted him!
DC: Yes! Hopefully it will catch on with other voters this year! Although I doubt it.
Jason: I would be awfully surprised if the general public doesn't vote for James Scott, however. Especially given that he's not nominated in as many categories as some people expected. I hope he'll still be around in daytime to be on the ballot next year!
Soapgal: Yeah, if James Scott doesn't win this in a landslide, I'd be shocked.
DC: Oh, James Scott is definitely my prediction.
Soapgal: I hope Aiden at least comes in second.
DC: Aiden usually comes in second behind James here. James Scott has a wonderful voice, I should mention that. It's always a worthy win for him.
Soapgal: True, he is deserving.

BEST VOICE	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Aiden Turner	James Scott
DC	Aiden Turner	James Scott
Soapgal	Aiden Turner	James Scott

Jason: Who has the smile that makes your hearts melt?
DC: Well Jason, that's Aiden Turner again, but he's not in this category!
Soapgal: Amen!
Jason: Okay, we've moved on people!
Soapgal: LOL.
DC: This was another category that really swayed me from the evidence. I thought I was gonna go with Jason Thompson's dimples again, but I ended up voting for Daniel Goddard, although this was another one that I thought had really deserving nominees.
Soapgal: I ended up going with Jason Thompson. The dimples did it for me. And yes, I agree DC.
Jason: DC, the same thing happened for me!
Jason: I thought sure I'd vote for Jason Thompson, but I ended up voting for Daniel Goddard based on evidence.
DC: Daniel Goddard has a smile that makes you want to smile...it's hard to describe.
Jason: We must have found a convincing picture or two!
Soapgal: LOL.
DC: He's got that sweet yet mischevious thing down.
Jason: My guess is that Dimples Thompson will ultimately win, however.
DC: I don't know. I think we could get a dark horse winner here.
Jason: I think that when people think smile, they think Jason Thompson.
Soapgal: He has a great chance, but I wouldn't underestimate Shawn Christian.
Jason: Who are you thinking, DC?
DC: I was thinking Shawn Christian could sneak in and take this one.
Soapgal: Yeah, he may have lots of DAYS fan support.
Jason: Interesting! We shall see.
DC: It would be a great win for Goddard, but Christian is my prediction.
Soapgal: Yeah, he's my prediction, too.

BEST SMILE	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Daniel Goddard	Jason Thompson
DC	Daniel Goddard	Shawn Christian
Soapgal	Jason Thompson	Shawn Christian

Jason: What about Best Hair? In this category, the evidence did not change my mind. John-Paul Lavoisier has the best locks in my humble opinion.
Soapgal: Mine too, despite the way his hair looks right now.
DC: It was immediately down to two for me, because two of my favorites are here, Lavoisier & Thad Luckinbill, who ironically have similar hairstyles these days. I went with Luckinbill who is the better underdog, despite his Susan Lucci awards status on soaphunks.net. 16 nominations and no wins ever!
Soapgal: LOL, so true.
Jason: Yes, I wanted to give a pity vote to Thad Luckinbill, just because he's the Susan Lucci of soaphunks.net, but I decided to vote totally based on evidence all the way through. And that meant JPL.
DC: I love his hair anyway, but I gave him a sentimental nod over my other favorite JPL
Jason: I think Galen Gering could be the dark horse here. He's my prediction for the winner.
Soapgal: That would be interesting. he would have some days fans
Jason: And some Passions love lingering around. Who do you predict, Soapgal?
Soapgal: true. he's my pick to win, too
Jason: Gering?
Soapgal: Yep.
DC: JPL is my prediction, despite the other nominees (two DAYS guys here).

BEST HAIR	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	John-Paul Lavoisier	Galen Gering
DC	Thad Luckinbill	John-Paul Lavoisier
Soapgal	John-Paul Lavoisier	Galen Gering

Jason: Gun Show time! Who did you vote for in Best Arms? Lots of competition here, but Mark Lawson got my vote.
Soapgal: David Fumero for me!
DC: I voted for Mark Lawson here. No-brainer for me. With or without the evidence, I think Lawson's arms look amazing.
Jason: I agree, DC.
DC: BUT I think that this category is anybody's game and I think we'll have a surprise winner.
Soapgal: I hope so. I think Steve Burton will win. Eric Martsolf has a great chance, too.
Jason: I think Steve Burton once again could take it, and his guns are better than any firearm that Jason Morgan carries.
Soapgal: LOL.
DC: I'm going to predict Mark Lawson here.

BEST ARMS	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Lawson	Steve Burton
DC	Mark Lawson	Mark Lawson
Soapgal	David Fumero	Steve Burton

Jason: One of my favorite categories is next, Best Butt!
Soapgal: It's one of my favorites this year, too. LOL
Jason: No contest for me here. John-Paul Lavoisier in those blue briefs? YUM! A derriere to die for!
Soapgal: Aiden Turner for me!
DC: I actually voted against Aiden here (shocker)!
Jason: Wow!
Soapgal: Wow indeed!
DC: The tushie of John-Paul Lavoisier cannot be denied, and the evidence reflects that perfectly. He brings new meaning to the word bubble butt.
Jason: I agree, and I predict Sexy Rexy for the win as well.
DC: This is definitely gonna be a shocker, since there's no large fanbase nominee (no DAYS or GH). Also no nude nominee, which has helped some in the past.
Soapgal: I think JPL has the best chance, also.
DC: I predict JPL as well.
Jason: We all agree once again!
DC: That increases the possibility of us all being wrong. LOL
Soapgal: LOL

BEST BUTT	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	John-Paul Lavoisier	John-Paul Lavoisier
DC	John-Paul Lavoisier	John-Paul Lavoisier
Soapgal	Aiden Turner	John-Paul Lavoisier

Jason: So, whose abs would you wash your clothes on?
DC: For abs, I voted for Dylan Bruce..."wow" was the word that came to mind the first time I ever saw him shirtless and ever since.
Soapgal: Dylan Bruce got my vote, but this is one of those categories where they're all equally qualified.
DC: I agree, soapgal. But despite his amazing abs, I doubt Dylan Bruce will win. I have a feeling it will come down to Brandon Beemer or Mark Lawson.
Soapgal: Yeah and it's a shame. Dylan is (was) a fine, fine soap hunk.
DC: Agreed.
Jason: I relied solely on the evidence for this category. And, ultimately, I found Brandon Beemer to have a slight edge when it came to abs.
Soapgal: I think Beemer will win this category.
Jason: I also predict Beemer.
DC: Abs is one of those subjective categories because of the shape and tone of abs as a whole. It can be a matter of opinion.
Jason: That's very true, DC.
DC: But I predict Beemer as well.

BEST ABS	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
DC	Dylan Bruce	Brandon Beemer
Soapgal	Dylan Bruce	Brandon Beemer

Jason: Best Pecs was equally as tough for me. And again, the evidence for Brandon Beemer was the most convincing for me.
DC: Pecs, I went totally on the evidence and Brandon Beemer got my vote here.
Soapgal: Mine, too!
Jason: Wow! I do think Eric Martsolf has a decent chance with voters.
DC: Agreed.
Soapgal: I feel the same way about Best Pecs as you did about Best Abs, DC.
DC: Martsolf has the best chance, but I'm going to predict Beemer.
Jason: I think Beemer will win in the end.
Soapgal: I prefer the shape of Beemer's to the others' pecs, although they all have great ones.
And I think beemer will win, too.
Jason: Again, subjective.

BEST PECS	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
DC	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer
Soapgal	Brandon Beemer	Brandon Beemer

Jason: For the entire torso category, Best Chest, Beemer wasn't an option. I came to the ballot thinking I'd vote for Shawn Christian. But, ultimately, after reviewing the evidence, I felt compelled to vote for Mark Lawson.
DC: I came to the ballot thinking I would vote Mark Lawson, and I did!
Soapgal: My choice is Dylan Bruce.
DC: I don't fault you at all, Soapgal. Bruce was my second choice. And Shawn Christian was third.
Jason: However, I think James Scott will win, unless his supporters just don't vote.
DC: For sure one of those last two (alphabetically) will win this category, unless voters are swayed by evidence.
Soapgal: I agree that James Scott will win, and i think that's a shame. I think he is by far the least deserving in this particular category.
Jason: Yes, based on the evidence, I agree.
DC: James has nice tone, but compared to the others he should have no chance, except for the X Factor of fan votes.
Soapgal: Exactly, DC.
Jason: I actually thought Brandon Beemer should have been nominated over Scott. Or JPL.
DC: Beemer is a glaring omission in this category, I agree.
Soapgal: And yes, Jason, I would have picked Beemer over Scott, as well.
DC: Especially since he was nominated for Best Pecs and Best Abs.
Jason: I have a feeling that Scott got a consolation nomination here from a certain man whose name rhymes with Dopey, to make up for him not being up for Best Hunk this year.
Soapgal: LOL Jason!
DC: He's the "most improved" chest over the last year, for sure. I wouldn't say "Best" out of this group but definitely Most Improved.
Jason: Very good point, DC.
Soapgal: True. the others already had great chests.

BEST CHEST	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Lawson	James Scott
DC	Mark Lawson	James Scott
Soapgal	Dylan Bruce	James Scott

Jason: The only nomination for my guy, Greg Vaughan, came in the next category, Most Shamefully Clothed. Guess who got my vote?
Soapgal: He got mine too, Jason.
DC: This was extremely tough! I LOVE four out of the five nominees, and I really like the fifth.
And I knew James Scott would win no matter what my choice would be.
Soapgal: True.
DC: Given all that, I was left with a grueling choice.
Jason: Something Soapy said put it in perspective for me to decide that Greg Vaughan really was most deserving.
Soapgal: What was it?
Jason: "According to Greg's fans, he's so hot that it's a travesty he's not shirtless every day."
Soapgal: True.
Jason: So, I looked at ratio of hotness to shirtlessness. And for me, that's Greg Vaughan.
Soapgal: That makes sense.
Jason: Greg Vaughan is for me like Don Diamont or Adrian Bellani is for Soapy.
DC: That could be said for most, if not all, of these guys. To put it into perspective for anyone who reads this, your hotness meter on Greg Vaughan is the size of the universe, too. So ratios would have tipped in his favor no matter what for you.
Jason: LOL
Soapgal: LOL, DC.
Jason: Plus, it's his ONLY category, an outrage!
DC: I know Greg Vaughan has fans out there to vote for him, so I passed him up. James Scott I passed up since I figure he'll win anyway. And that left Jason Cook, Jake Silbermann, and Thad Luckinbill. Luckinbill never wins, so I decided to go with another of my favorites, Jake Silbermann, since this was his only nomination as well.
Jason: Very fair of you, DC.
Soapgal: Yes.
DC: And if you win Hunkiest Newcomer in your first year, you should stay naked for your second year, which he didn't.
Soapgal: True. Thanks to his storylines, he didn't have much chance for nakedness this year.
DC: Agreed. And the fact that he won Hunkiest Newcomer last year gives me a little hope that he could be competitive here.

MOST SHAMEFULLY CLOTHED	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Greg Vaughan	James Scott
DC	Jake Silbermann	James Scott
Soapgal	Greg Vaughan	James Scott

Jason: Speaking of Hunkiest Newcomer, who in '08 got your vote?
DC: Mark Lawson, hands down. He has a body that doesn't quit.
Jason: Same here.
Soapgal: I decided to spread it around a bit and go for Texas Battle.
Jason: Another good choice.
DC: I can't argue that one. I think it was a pack of deserving nominees here.
Jason: If Lawson weren't in this category, Battle would have won the battle for my vote.
Soapgal: LOL.
DC: But when I first saw Mark Lawson (shirtless to boot), I said, "Where have you been all my life?!"
Soapgal: LOL, DC.
Jason: And I predict Lawson for the win, also.
DC: I predict a Lawson victory as well.
DC: I think it hurt Texas Battle in my mind that I knew of him before he hit the soaps.
Soapgal: I agree, Jason, about Mark Lawson winning the category. A well-deserved win, in my opinion. He did tie the all-time record for nominations in a year, which is something for a newcomer.

HUNKIEST NEWCOMER	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Lawson	Mark Lawson
DC	Mark Lawson	Mark Lawson
Soapgal	Texas Battle	Mark Lawson

Jason: What about Most Missed?
Soapgal: Easy choice for me, despite my love for more than one nominee. Eddie Cibrian hands down.
DC: Justin Hartley for sure. If he were to come back to daytime and be shirtless as much as he is only once a week, I would be a happy camper.
Jason: I seriously considered all five guys here. But I agree with you, DC. Justin Hartley got my vote, with Eddie Cibrian a very close second.
Soapgal: Hartley probably will win, I think.
DC: Eddie Cibrian & Eric Winter are often nominated here, so I think i glossed over them. I contemplated Justin Bruening for a long time, but Justin Hartley is just too gorgeous.
Jason: I think Justin Hartley will win as well.
Jason: The PASSIONS fans loved him and miss him a lot.
DC: I think Hartley will take it. He's my prediction, and I really hope he pulls it out.
Soapgal: He's my prediction, too.
Jason: And even non-PASSIONS fans know who he is and can see his hotness!
DC: True, but the same can be said for Mr. Cibrian.
Soapgal: Yes it can!
Jason: Yeah, but not as many SUBE fans. That's my thinking.
DC: I think his pure hotness overcomes the "soap" part of the category.

MOST MISSED SOAP HUNK	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Justin Hartley	Justin Hartley
DC	Justin Hartley	Justin Hartley
Soapgal	Eddie Cibrian	Justin Hartley

Jason: The next category makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
DC: LOL. Must be Best Hunk Over 40
Jason: Rick Hearst should have been nominated for Best Hunk Over 40. I'm very upset Soapy did not nominate him.
Soapgal: I agree.
Jason: I'm more upset about that than Greg Vaughan only being nominated in one category, if you can believe that.
Soapgal: That is hard to believe, Jason.
DC: I can't wait to hear who you voted for.
Soapgal: Despite that omission, I think this is a pretty tough category.
DC: For me, this was another no-brainer. Even if Rick Hearst had been nominated (or the equally deserving Christian LeBlanc from Y&R), I still would have voted for Shawn Christian.
Soapgal: Shawn is very deserving, but I went with Kamar De Los Reyes. His body has been looking mighty fine this year.
Jason: De Los Reyes is looking hunkier than last year, but still not as hot as Shawn Christian. It was between him and Tuc Watkins for me, since there was no write-in section.
Soapgal: LOL.
DC: LOL, thank goodness for that. We'd have the same winner in every category!
Jason: I don't care for Grayson McCouch at all myself, and I think Don Diamont is past his prime.
DC: So far past that he's been fired. Sorry, Soapy.
Soapgal: Do you mean fired from the show, DC?
DC: Yes.
Jason: Oh, Soapgal's been out of town and hadn't heard. You'll have to read Soapy's blog when we're finished here, Soapgal.
Soapgal: Yeah, that's news to me.
Jason: I figured Soapy would have told you that.
DC: I did too.
Soapgal: Yeah, I can't believe he didn't mention it.
DC: Hmmm, he got over that quickly. I'll remind him if he starts moaning about it at the results show.
Soapgal: LOL.
DC: Without naming names, three of these five nominees I don't see the appeal of at all.
Jason: I predict Shawn Christian for the win, by the way. He's grown a big fan base really quickly, plus he still probably will get votes from his ATWT days.
DC: I predict Shawn Christian will get a supremely deserved win here.
Soapgal: I agree, although i wonder if the Grayson McCouch fans might show up. They are very devoted.
DC: That could happen, Soapgal. I didn't think about that. I wonder if they've stuck with him since his return.
Jason: I hate his hair this year.
Soapgal: Yeah, his hair is looking kinda crazy.

BEST HUNK OVER 40	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Shawn Christian	Shawn Christian
DC	Shawn Christian	Shawn Christian
Soapgal	Kamar De Los Reyes	Shawn Christian

Jason: What about Hunkiest Soap?
Soapgal: OLTL life got my vote.
Jason: No contest for me, more hunks on OLTL than any other soap on the air right now.
DC: I went with ATWT. It came down to ATWT or OLTL.
Jason: That surprises me, DC.
DC: ATWT for me has the most appealing soap hunks of the bunch, even OLTL, which has a couple that I absolutely love. It was tough.
DC: I found that OLTL basically had two that I was completely over the moon for, and the rest were kinda blah to me.
Jason: I still think DAYS will win.
DC: I agree. DAYS will win.
Soapgal: I agree, too.
DC: ATWT for me, though had about six guys that I think are great looking, even if I don't find all of them "over the moon" wow.

HUNKIEST SOAP	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	One Life to Live	Days of our Lives
DC	As the World Turns	Days of our Lives
Soapgal	One Life to Live	Days of our Lives

Jason: And now for the biggie! Who is the Best Hunk for 2008, in your opinions?
DC: I voted for John-Paul Lavoisier, who I don't think has a chance at all of actually winning. Even though I love him and I think he deserves it, not just because he has a great body, but because he showed it off often for most of this year. He had good, frontburner storylines and he did some great acting and he really showed his leading man qualities.
Soapgal: I totally agree, DC. JPL was probably my second choice. However, even though I didn't vote for him in any other category, I voted for Mark Lawson here!
Jason: I love watching the For Your Consideration videos on the ballot, and one part of one video made this choice easy for me. The Mark Lawson video, where the camera zooms in on his abs and chest. That is the picture of "hunk" for me.
DC: A prediction will be tough. I think it will be a tough obstacle for Mark Lawson, especially since he's up against show competition.
Jason: All five deserve to be here.
DC: I agree with that.
Soapgal: Agreed.
Jason: And I'm stumped about who will win.
Soapgal: I think either Brandon Beemer or Eric Martsolf will win.
DC: I think Brandon Beemer will win.
Jason: I will go with Brandon Beemer as well.
DC: It will be a great win if he does. I will have no complaints. This is a very deserving bunch.
Jason: Soapgal, you want to make it unanimous?
Soapgal: Sure, why not. Brandon Beemer will win.

BEST HUNK	WHO SHOULD WIN	WHO WILL WIN
Jason	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer
DC	John-Paul Lavoisier	Brandon Beemer
Soapgal	Mark Lawson	Brandon Beemer

Jason: And now we will be completely humiliated in front of the entire world when we get all of these predictions wrong. LOL!
Soapgal: LOL.
DC: LOL.
DC: Well, I can guarantee some will be correct. Some of mine, I HOPE are wrong!
Jason: I really hope people actually look at the evidence, after saying they did.
Soapgal: Me too.
DC: I hope so too, especially if they are unfamiliar with some of the guys. It really does help.
Jason: And unfamiliar with a given soap.
Jason: I know little about Y&R these days, but Daniel Goddard got my vote!
DC: I know a lot of voters find it hard to vote for someone they've never "seen in motion." Lots of soaphunks.net voters vote with their hearts and have that connection with people they see all the time, no matter what they look like.
Soapgal: True.
DC: And sometimes people's opinions of physical attributes is colored by their opinion of the person.
Jason: This has been a very interesting chat.
DC: I agree.
Soapgal: Yes, me too.
Jason: Thanks for your insights guys.
Soapgal: My pleasure.
DC: Thanks, it was fun!
Jason: Let's hope there are enough soap hunks around next year to fill the ballot!
Soapgal: LOL, I'm sure there will be!

Soapy in mourning: Diamont out at Y&R

Anyone who knows me knows how it pains me to type this one. Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Y&R's Don Diamont has been ousted from daytime's No. 1 soap. Details of his exit are said to be very "hush hush" at this time.

Diamont has been with the sudser for over 20 years. He first aired in 1985, after a two-year run on DAYS. He stayed with the show until 1996, returning in 1998 through now. During his tenure, Diamont has amassed 25 Soaphunks.net Award nominations and eight wins. In addition, in a 2005 poll at this site, he was named the Sexiest Soap Hunk of All Time.

If you didn't already know it, Diamont is personally my all-time favorite soap hunk, and the primary reason I created soaphunks.net a decade ago was to share and collect pictures of him.

Sigh.

Egglesfield back in at AMC

Just months after being unceremoniously bumped to recurring status, AMC's Colin Egglesfield appears to now be headed back to the soap. It's unclear whether this puts the 2006 Hunkiest Newcomer Soaphunks.net Award winner back on contract, but regardless, Egglesfield will certainly be onscreen a lot more often into 2009.

The polls are open!

It's December 1st, so voting for the 10th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards officially started at midnight ET. You can access the ballot at soaphunks.net/vote.

As has been the case the last few years, we have bent over backwards to provide evidence for each nomination to help make you a more informed voter. "Review the Evidence" links are all over the ballot. Click them before voting!

And as usual, in the top category of Best Hunk, we have For Your Consideration videos of all of the five nominees' hunkitude from 2008. Behold the beauty, then go vote!

10th Annual Soaphunks.net Award Nominations Announced!

OLTL newcomer Mark Lawson scored a record-tying eight nods Wednesday as the 10th Annual Soaphunks.net Award nominations were unveiled at soaphunks.net. 80 nominations were announced covering 16 categories.

Lawson's eight nominations include the top category, Best Hunk, and tie him with Mark Collier's record-setting number of mentions from 2004.

Also up for Best Hunk and scoring four nominations each were B&B's Brandon Beemer, DAYS' Shawn Christian, OLTL's John-Paul Lavoisier, and PASSIONS' Eric Martsolf, who helped that now-cancelled soap to its final haul of eight total nominations, for a series total of 96 nominations.

Christian's nod marks the first time in awards history that a contender for Best Hunk Over 40 also landed in the overall top category. Beemer, Lavoisier, and Martsolf each have one
previous Best Hunk nomination, though none of them has ever won it. Beemer is the only nominee to have also been in the top category last year.

DAYS' James Scott, who won Best Hunk in 2006 and 2007, in addition to summertime Adonis titles both years, was left out of the race this year, though he did score three other mentions,
including Best Chest and Most Shamefully Clothed. (His relative lack of onscreen shirtlessness in 2008 was to blame.)

A total of 42 soap hunks received nominations this year, five more than in 2006 or 2007. With 20 nominations, OLTL led all shows for the first time in history, helping ABC lead the
networks with 33 nominations. (ABC was in last place in 2007 on that count.) CBS scored 28 nods, and NBC nabbed 11. DirecTV's network The 101, which aired the final season of
PASSIONS after it left NBC, got credit for that show's eight nominations in 2008.

Other points of interest:

• B&B had its best year ever in the nominations, thanks to strong showings by Beemer and newcomer Texas Battle. The show managed seven nominations.


• ATWT's Jon Prescott scored a Hunkiest Newcomer nomination, despite the fact that he has already been released from the sudser. Perhaps even more noteworthy was the strong showing of his former co-star, Dylan Bruce. He has also been let go from the soap, but managed four total nominations, tying him for second place this year.


• The two nominations for Y&R's Thad Luckinbill (Best Hair & Most Shamefully Clothed) extend his unfortunate lead in the no-wins race, with 16 career nominations but no trophies.


• GL crashed and burned this year, scoring a worst-ever single nomination (Murray Bartlett for Best Voice).
  
• Like it or not, the absence of James Scott (and GH's Greg Vaughan) in the Best Hunk category sets up the most unpredictable Best Hunk race in years.

The entire list of nominations can be streamed online, while the text version is also available. Complete year-by-year history of the awards is also available online.

As always, voting begins December 1 at soaphunks.net.

Ouch! Metcalfe falls on his award-winning butt

PAS alum and three-time Soaphunks.net Award winner Jesse Metcalfe's good luck almost ran out last week. According to US Magazine, the hottie recently was partying at a World Music Awards after-party in Monaco when he fell 40 feet off of a balcony and was knocked unconscious. He is currently in a wheelchair, and can barely walk. Ouch! Metcalfe is expected to recover--slowly.

More sands in the hourglass: DAYS renewed, though Johnson apparently out

After months of speculation, NBC and Sony Pictures TV have reached a deal to keep DAYS on the air, possibly through Sept. 2011. That's good news for Soaphunks.net visitors, as DAYS has won the award for Hunkiest Soap five out of the eight years that the award has been given. Keep growing studs like James Scott and Shawn Christian for as long as you can, Salem!

The downside of DAYS' remaining on the network is that the show has announced that it will be making some "onscreen changes," which include asking its talent to take a pay cut. Sadly, contract negotiations between the soap and hunk Jay Kenneth Johnson have broken down, and the actor has cleared out his dressing room. DAYS is looking to recast the role.

Johnson recently finished in ninth place in the Adonis 2008 contest.

Light's on for Aleksander

GL fans who have been missing the popular character of Phillip Spaulding can rest easy. Word has it that four-time Soaphunks.net Award nominee Grant Aleksander will soon be returning to heat things up in Springfield.

Michael Fairman interviews the hunks...and gives us a shout-out

Even though I thought you guys should have beeen checking out Michael Fairman's great soap interview site already, now I really do! :)

In the past couple of weeks, Fairman has debuted interviews with two of daytime's hottest current hunks: two-time Adonis winner James Scott from DAYS and five-time Soaphunks.net Award winner Brandon Beemer of B&B.

In addition to being great reads on regular soap level, Fairman also pumps Beemer for workout info and generally asks all about what it's like being so damned hunky. And in Scott's interview, hear why he hates having his photo taken (sacrilege!) and look for Fairman's shout-out to soaphunks.net...thanks, Michael!

• Michael Fairman's Interview with James Scott
• Michael Fairman's Interview with Brandon Beemer

Passions hunks headed to DAYS

DAYS has scored a double-sided casting coup, scooping up two of the most popular hunks from the now-cancelled PASSIONS.

Daytime Confidential is reporting that Soaphunks.net Award winner and Adonis 2006 Eric Martsolf has been named as the recast for Brady Black, a role that was made famous by Kyle Lowder, now on B&B.

Also nabbed for a Salem stint was four-time Soaphunks.net Award winner Galen Gering. Less information is available about Gering's character at this time, although he is slated to play an FBI agent who has involvement with Nicole (Arianne Zucker).

Both of these actors are known, of course, for extreme bouts of shirtlessness.

Okay DAYS, this is really good news. Now just scoop up Adrian Bellani and complete the trifecta!

Shamefully influence the nominations!

Nominations for the 10th Annual Soaphunks.net Awards will be announced in mid-November, and now's your chance to corrupt the system by sending me your suggestions for who should--and shouldn't--make this year's list of nominees.

Of course, the final decision comes from yours truly, but I am interested in hearing what you guys are thinking in each of the categories. Feel free to e-mail me with suggestions of whom you feel is a must-have in a certain category...or someone who had better not be there.

You have pretty much free reign to say whatever you want, but one thing: please do not write me demanding "John Doe in every category!!!!!" I am looking for thoughtful suggestions across all soaps and multiple soap hunks, not just top-to-bottom fanwanking for one guy.

The categories will be the same this year, and should reflect the Hunk Factor for 2008 only. If your guy hasn't paraded around shirtless since 1997, they probably aren't the best suggestion to make.

A quick run-down:

• Best Hunk: The top award. The nominees in this category must have an at least decent track record of losing that shirt onscreen in 2008. This isn't Favorite Actor; it's Best Soap Hunk.
• Hunkiest Soap: Tell me what soap you think had both the widest array of hunks in the cast, and/or what soap had the most shirtlessness per capita in '08.
• Best Hunk Over 40: You can consult my site's actor pages for many birthdates. As long as he turns 40 by November, he's eligible.
• Most Missed Soap Hunk: Which former soap hunk would you give up your first-born to have return to daytime? They can be recent exits, or long-ago departures.
• Hunkiest Newcomer: Which newbies caught your eye in 2008? To be eligible, freshmen had to have their first major appearance in 2008, or the tail end of 2007.
• Most Shamefully Clothed: Also known as the Steve Burton Unremovable Shirt Award. Who needs to be shirtless all the time, but never is?
• Best Chest: This is everything from the neck to the hips. Sort of like Best Pecs + Best Abs = Best Chest.
• Best Pecs: Just the manboobs.
• Best Abs: Can you do laundry on this man's six pack?
• Best Butt: Can be evidenced in non-soap pictures/videos, if available.
• Best Arms: Got your tickets for the gun show?
• Best Voice: Whose voice alone could melt butter? Not necessarily reserved for guys with accents, but those are often hard to top. I will pay particular attention to American suggestions here, though.
• Best Face/Best Eyes/Best Smile/Best Hair: These should be pretty self-explanatory.

I look forward to hearing everyone's suggestions. Submit them to me by the end of October 2008, and thanks!

~~soapy

Own a piece of 'Passions'

Passions, the supernatural sudser that had a small but devoted following and which showcased its hunks unlike any other soap, will have its official last airing on Aug. 11 on DirecTV.

In sort of a fire sale mentality, more than 750 costumes and props from the series will be auctioned off online on Aug. 9, via icollector.com, eBay, and Premiere Props. Items up for sale include several shirts worn by Adonis 2006 winner Eric Martsolf, although I don't recall ever seeing the stud wear a shirt during his entire run in Harmony. Check out the entire list of items here, and get registered to buy here.

Passions, we'll miss you here at soaphunks.net. For those keeping score, the former NBC sudser amassed 88 Soaphunks.net Award nominations and 22 wins during its run. (And, yes, it is still eligible for more during the 2008 awards this December.)

Egglesfield bumped at AMC

Bummer. The character of Joshua Madden, for which AMC concocted one of the biggest ret-cons in soap opera history, has been backburnered so badly that the soap has bumped his portrayer to recurring status.

That means that the hunkalicious Colin Egglesfield is, for all intents and purposes, off of AMC. What a waste!

Egglesfield was an immediate hit with soap hunk watchers, amassing seven Soaphunks.net Award nominations and winning the 2005 prize for Hunkiest Newcomer. That award may be starting to become a curse: of the seven hunks to win it, only two (OLTL's John-Paul Lavoisier and ATWT's Jake Silbermann) are still with their respective soaps.

Soaphunks.net turns 10 today!

Where has the decade gone?

It's official: today is soaphunks.net's 10th birthday. Once upon a time sitting in my old bedroom, I decided the Internet needed a place for easy access to pictures of Don Diamont and Drake Hogestyn (among a few others - lol) and whipped up a very small, very bare bones Web site. This, folks, was June 5, 1998.

Ten years later, the site has grown exponentially and become more popular than I could have ever imagined. With five very successful summertime Adonis contests, and nine editions of the Soaphunks.net Awards, plus 6,326 pictures and 144 video clips and plenty of other special features, such as the 100 Most Memorable Moments in Soap History, the site has always been a blast to bring to you.

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has helped me with the site over the years, and to all of you for visiting and making it so popular. The site always has been and always will be free, thanks to the support of generous donations from people like you.

Look for a 10th anniversary update with new pictures and video clips to be uploaded this weekend.

And again, thanks.

soapy

Beemer beams to B&B

The rumors are true, and recent DAYS cast-off Brandon Beemer is set to join B&B later this month in an as-yet-unnamed role. Whispers had been circulating online ever since the actor's DAYS departure that he might be headed to either B&B or OLTL. The length of Beemer's stay is also unclear at this time.

Beemer has been a very popular feature at soaphunks.net since his debut, racking up 9 Soaphunks.net Award nominations and 5 wins, plus a 6th place finish in Adonis 2007.

Things are Cook-ing at GH

This just in from SOAPNet.com:

SOAPnet.com can exclusively confirm that Jason Cook is joining the cast of GH. Jason is best known as Shawn Brady, the DAYS character he played from 1999 to 2006. Shawn was one half of Shawn and Belle, known by longtime fans as "Shelle" -- the pair who put the "super" back in supercouple in fictional Salem. And just who played Belle? That's right: Kirsten Storms, aka resident GH fashionista Maxie Jones. Jason will be playing a doctor who joins the staff at Port Charles's infamous hospital; no first airdate has been set, but he'll likely start appearing in June. We CAN tell you his character will be crossing paths with Maxie very early on. Could there be a "Shelle" redux? You'll have to stay tuned for more details!

During his DAYS tenure, Cook received nine Soaphunks.net Award nominations, winning four. He also finished 10th in the Adonis 2004 contest; a June start date on GH would render him ineligible for Adonis 2008.