| 8th Daytime Emmy Awards | |
| Date: | May 21, 1981 |
| Location: | Grand Hyatt New York |
| Presenter: | National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences |
| Host: | Dick Clark |
| Award1 Type: | Outstanding Drama Series |
| Award1 Winner: | General Hospital |
| Award2 Type: | Outstanding Game Show |
| Award2 Winner: | The $20,000 Pyramid |
| Network: | ABC |
| Previous: | 7th |
| Next: | 9th |
The 8th Daytime Emmy Awards were held on Thursday, May 21, 1981, to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from March 6, 1980 to March 5, 1981. The eighth awards did not include the cameo category from the previous year, so only five awards were given, like in previous years.
The ceremony was telecast from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on ABC, preempting General Hospital and The Edge of Night.
Winners in each category are in bold.