The 12th Annual Soap Opera Digest Awards were held on February 14, 1996 at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles. Hosted by Jane Leeves (Daphne, FRAISER), Shawn Christian (Mike, ATWT), Drake Hogestyn (John, DAYS) and Keith Hamilton Cobb (Noah, AMC), the show aired live on NBC.

The 1988 Editor’s Award recipient Susan Lucci (Erica, AMC) presented soap legend Agnes Nixon with the Editor’s Award.