2026 BAFTA TV Awards: Full Nominee List and How to Watch

✦ Edited and fact-checked by Randy Harward, our Entertainment Editor with 25 years covering entertainment.

The 2026 BAFTA Television Awards are shaping up to be one of the most talked-about ceremonies in recent memory—and not just because Netflix’s “Adolescence” is gunning for a clean sweep. From a stacked International category loaded with U.S. streaming favorites to a public vote that closes before the month is out, there’s plenty to track before May 10.

Here’s everything you need to know, including nominees and how to catch both ceremonies live.

What are the 2026 BAFTA TV Awards?

The BAFTA Television Awards are the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ annual celebration of the best in TV. Think of them as the UK equivalent of the Emmys, except this year, they’re being hosted at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, and the lineup of nominees has a lot to say about where prestige television is heading.

There are actually two separate ceremonies to keep on your radar. The BAFTA Television Craft Awards—honoring editors, directors, composers, and the full behind-the-scenes crew—take place on Sunday, April 26, hosted by comedian Maisie Adam. The main BAFTA Television Awards follow on Sunday, May 10, hosted by “Taskmaster” presenter Greg Davies.

Davies takes over from Alan Cumming, who hosted the 2025 Television Awards before moving to this year’s Film Awards ceremony.

How to watch the 2026 BAFTA TV Awards

The BAFTA Television Awards will broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, May 10. If you’re watching from the UK, that’s your straightforward route.

For U.S. viewers, no dedicated American broadcaster for the Television Awards has been confirmed at this time, since the E! deal announced for 2026 covered the Film Awards in February, not the TV ceremony. Check back closer to May 10 for any updates. In the meantime, BAFTA has confirmed that red carpet coverage and ceremony highlights will be available on the official BAFTA YouTube channel, accessible globally.

Keeping tabs on upcoming award shows in general? We’ve got a full calendar to keep you locked in all season long.

2026 BAFTA TV Awards nominees

A total of 124 programs received nominations across both ceremonies this year. Here’s a look at the key competitive categories.

Leading Actor

• Stephen Graham—”Adolescence” (Netflix)
• Colin Firth—”Lockerbie: A Search for Truth” (Sky Atlantic/Peacock)
• Matt Smith—”The Death of Bunny Munro” (Sky Atlantic)
• Taron Egerton—”Smoke” (Apple TV)
• Ellis Howard—”What it Feels Like for a Girl” (BBC Three)
• James Nelson-Joyce—”This City is Ours” (BBC One)

Leading Actress

• Erin Doherty—”A Thousand Blows” (Disney+)
• Aimee Lou Wood—”Film Club” (BBC Three)
• Jodie Whittaker – Toxic Town (Netflix)
• Narges Rashidi – Prisoner 951 (BBC One)
• Sheridan Smith – I Fought The Law (ITV1)
• Siân Brooke – Blue Lights (BBC One)

Supporting Actor

• Ashley Walters—”Adolescence” (Netflix)
• Owen Cooper—”Adolescence” (Netflix)
• Paddy Considine—”MobLand” (Hulu)
• Fehinti Balogun—”Down Cemetery Road” (Apple TV)
• Joshua Mcguire—”The Gold” (BBC One)
• Rafael Mathé—”The Death of Bunny Munro” (Sky Atlantic)

Supporting Actress

• Christine Tremarco—”Adolescence” (Netflix)
• Erin Doherty—”Adolescence” (Netflix)
• Aimee Lou Wood—”The White Lotus” (Sky Atlantic/HBO)
• Chyna Mcqueen—”Get Millie Black” (Channel 4)
• Emilia Jones—”Task” (Sky Atlantic/HBO)
• Rose Ayling-Ellis—”Reunion” (BBC One)

International

• “The Bear” (Disney+/Hulu)
• “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
• “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
• “Severance” (Apple TV)
• “The Studio” (Apple TV)
• “The White Lotus” (Sky Atlantic/HBO)

The International category is the one U.S. streaming audiences tend to watch most closely, and this year it’s genuinely competitive. Apple TV alone lands three nominees there—”Severance,” “Pluribus,” and “The Studio”—as part of the platform’s 15 total nominations across nine programs. That haul also includes four craft nominations for “Slow Horses” and a Leading Actor nod for Taron Egerton in “Smoke.”

To see every category’s hopefuls, check out the full list of BAFTA Television Awards nominees.

For the full picture on what’s worth streaming right now, our roundup of the most iconic TV shows is a solid place to start.

The “Adolescence” factor

If there’s a consensus frontrunner heading into May 10, it’s “Adolescence.” The Netflix drama—which follows the fallout when a British teenager becomes entangled in the toxic corners of online culture—leads all programs with 11 nominations, spanning Leading Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress (multiple nominees), and more.

Creator-star Stephen Graham is nominated for Leading Actor, while Ashley Walters, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty, and Owen Cooper all received Supporting nominations for their work in the series. Industry observers and bookmakers widely regard an “Adolescence” sweep in its nominated categories as the most likely outcome, based on its run through the Emmys and Golden Globes.

The show’s BAFTA moment comes with an interesting footnote: despite premiering more than a year ago, its recognition now aligns with BAFTA’s January-to-December qualifying window, which helps explain the timing.

Its dominance has also prompted a broader conversation about the BBC’s place in the current TV landscape. The BBC leads all broadcasters with 73 total nominations—but the series generating the most cultural heat this year were produced by Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV. It’s the kind of tension that makes the Emmy Awards conversation feel relevant all over again.

First-time nominees and double nominations

One of the more compelling subplots of this year’s ceremony is just how many new faces are in contention. Of the 44 nominees across the performance categories, 21 are receiving their first-ever BAFTA Television performance nomination. That group includes Ashley Walters and Owen Cooper (“Adolescence”), Jodie Whittaker (“Toxic Town”), Fehinti Balogun (“Down Cemetery Road”), and Paddy Considine (“MobLand”).

Two performers are pulling double duty in the nominee pool. Erin Doherty landed Leading Actress nominations for both “Adolescence” (Netflix) and “A Thousand Blows” (Disney+)—a rare BAFTA double that speaks to the kind of year she’s had. Aimee Lou Wood is in the mix for Leading Actress in “Film Club” (BBC) and Supporting Actress in “The White Lotus” (Sky Atlantic).

On the entertainment side, the Best Entertainment Performance category is notably missing the familiar faces of Ant & Dec this year. Claudia Winkleman (“The Celebrity Traitors”) has emerged as a frontrunner in their absence, which some industry observers are reading as a sign of shifting tastes in British entertainment TV.

The Memorable Moment Award

The only award decided entirely by public vote, the P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award, gives viewers a direct say in who takes home BAFTA hardware. Six nominees were announced on March 17, with moments drawn from:

• “Adolescence” (Netflix)
• “Big Boys” (Channel 4)
• “Blue Lights” (BBC One)
• “The Celebrity Traitors” (BBC One)
• “Last One Laughing” (Prime Video)
• “What It Feels Like for a Girl” (BBC Three)

Voting
closes at 9:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, so if you’ve got a favorite, don’t wait.

BAFTA TV Awards FAQ