Britain’s biggest night in television, the BAFTA TV Awards, returned for its annual ceremony in London on Sunday.
The night was filled with laughter, tears, and a fashion battle on the red carpet as stars aplenty received recognition.
Film News Blitz writer Francesca O’Callaghan takes a look at the major winners.
‘Adolescence’ won big, again
Adolescence, a smash hit on Netflix with 142.6 million viewers worldwide, won multiple awards on Sunday evening, breaking the record for the most BAFTA TV Awards in a single year.
In the show, Warrington’s finest Owen Cooper plays a 13-year-old who is charged with killing a female classmate.
Both parents and critics have widely praised Adolescence for bringing attention to the negative effects of social media on young people.
Now 16, Cooper’s prize for best supporting actor was one of four won by Adolescence, which included best limited series, and acting honours for Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco.
Cooper has completed an almighty sweep over the last 12 months as Adolescence has swept through TV awards with incredible success.
The young Briton’s BAFTA can join his Emmy, Golden Globe, National Television, Royal Television Society and Actor Awards.
Cooper reminisced about his first auditions to BBC reporters backstage, “Every time we are at these sort of events, and your name gets called out, your mind flashes back to the first audition, the first time meeting the cast, and stuff like that”.
Graham, who starred as Cooper’s grief-stricken father as well as co-writing Adolescence, said backstage he was “exceptionally proud” of what they had created and the impact it had on addressing a key societal issue.
He insisted that he was “just one piece in the puzzle”, applauding his colleagues’ outstanding work.
The other major winners
The two other major winners at the BAFTA TV Awards 2026 were The Celebrity Traitors and Last One Laughing, which won two prizes apiece.
The Celebrity Traitors took prizes for the best reality show, while Alan Carr’s win took the memorable moment award.
Last One Laughing, meanwhile, won for best entertainment show and series one winner Bob Mortimer won in the best entertainment show performance category.
Otherwise, the BAFTA TV Awards 2026 shared the love out, with wins for the likes of Steve Coogan, courtesy of his timeless comedy character Alan Partridge, Katherine Parkinson and Narges Rashidi.
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The winners and nominees of the 2026 BAFTA TV Awards
Drama series
A Thousand Blows (Disney+)
Blue Lights (BBC One)
Code of Silence (ITV1) WINNER
This City Is Ours (BBC One)
Limited drama
Adolescence (Netflix) WINNER
I Fought the Law (ITV1)
Trespasses (Channel 4)
What It Feels Like for a Girl (BBC Three)
International
The Bear (Disney+)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Pluribus (Apple TV)
Severance (Apple TV)
The Studio (Apple TV) WINNER
The White Lotus (Sky Atlantic)
Leading actress
Aimee Lou Wood, Film Club (BBC Three)
Erin Doherty, A Thousand Blows (Disney+)
Jodie Whittaker, Toxic Town (Netflix)
Narges Rashidi, Prisoner 951 (BBC One) WINNER
Sheridan Smith, I Fought the Law (ITV1)
Siân Brooke, Blue Lights (BBC One)
Leading actor
Colin Firth, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth (Sky Atlantic)
Ellis Howard, What It Feels Like for a Girl (BBC Three)
James Nelson-Joyce, This City Is Ours (BBC One)
Matt Smith, The Death of Bunny Munro (Sky Atlantic)
Stephen Graham, Adolescence (Netflix) WINNER
Taron Egerton, Smoke (Apple TV)
Actor in a comedy
Jim Howick, Here We Go (BBC One)
Jon Pointing, Big Boys (Channel 4)
Lenny Rush, Am I Being Unreasonable? (BBC One)
Mawaan Rizwan, Juice (BBC Three)
Oliver Savell, Changing Ends (ITV1)
Steve Coogan, How Are You? Its Alan (Partridge) (BBC One) WINNER
Actress in a comedy
Diane Morgan, Mandy (BBC Two)
Jennifer Saunders, Amandaland (BBC One)
Katherine Parkinson, Here We Go (BBC One) WINNER
Lucy Punch, Amandaland (BBC One)
Philippa Dunne, Amandaland (BBC One)
Rosie Jones, Pushers (Channel 4)
Supporting actor
Ashley Walters, Adolescence (Netflix)
Fehinti Balogun, Down Cemetery Road (Apple TV)
Joshua McGuire, The Gold (BBC One)
Owen Cooper, Adolescence (Netflix) WINNER
Paddy Considine, MobLand (Paramount+)
Rafael Mathé, The Death of Bunny Munro (Sky Atlantic)
Supporting actress
Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus (Sky Atlantic)
Christine Tremarco, Adolescence (Netflix) WINNER
Chyna McQueen, Get Millie Black (Channel 4)
Emilia Jones, Task (Sky Atlantic)
Erin Doherty, Adolescence (Netflix)
Rose Ayling-Ellis, Reunion (BBC One)
Entertainment
The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
Last One Laughing UK (Prime Video) WINNER
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show (BBC One)
Would I Lie to You? (BBC One)
Entertainment performance
Amanda Holden, Alan Carr, Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job (BBC One)
Bob Mortimer, Last One Laughing UK (Prime Video) WINNER
Claudia Winkleman, The Celebrity Traitors (BBC One)
Lee Mack, The 1% Club (ITV1)
Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob & Romesh Vs … (Sky Max)
Romesh Ranganathan, Romesh: Can’t Knock the Hustle (Sky Max)
Scripted comedy
Amandaland (BBC One) WINNER
Big Boys (Channel 4)
How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge) (BBC One)
Things You Should Have Done (BBC Three)
Specialist factual
Belsen: What They Found (BBC Two)
Simon Schama: The Road to Auschwitz (BBC Two) WINNER
Surviving Black Hawk Down (Netflix)
Vietnam: The War That Changed America (Apple TV)
Reality
The Celebrity Traitors (BBC One) WINNER
The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4)
Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix)
Virgin Island (Channel 4)
Current affairs
Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War (Exposure) (ITV1)
The Covid Contracts: Follow the Money (ITV1)
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack (Channel 4) WINNER
Undercover in the Police: Panorama (BBC One)
Short form
Donkey (BBC Three)
Hustle and Run (Channel 4) WINNER
Rocket Fuel (BBC Three)
Zoners (BBC Three)
Factual entertainment
The Assembly (ITV1)
Go Back to Where You Came From (Channel 4) WINNER
Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars (Apple TV)
Race Across the World (BBC One)
Factual series
Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park (Sky Documentaries)
Educating Yorkshire (Channel 4)
See No Evil (Channel 4) WINNER
The Undercover Police Scandal: Love and Lies Exposed (ITV1)
Live event coverage
Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 (BBC One)
Last Night of the Proms: Finale (BBC One)
VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember (BBC One) WINNER
News coverage
BBC Newsnight: Grooming Survivors Speak (BBC Two)
Channel 4 News: Israel-Iran: The Twelve Day War (Channel 4) WINNER
Sky News: Gaza: Fight for Survival (Sky News)
Single documentary
Grenfell: Uncovered (Netflix) WINNER
Louis Theroux: The Settlers (BBC Two)
One Day in Southport (Channel 4)
Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire (BBC Two)
Soap
Casualty (BBC One)
Coronation Street (ITVX)
EastEnders (BBC One) WINNER
Sports coverage
The 2025 Ryder Cup (Sky Sports Main Event)
The FA Cup Final (BBC One)
Uefa Women’s Euro 2025 (BBC One) WINNER
Wimbledon 2025 (BBC One)
Daytime
The Chase (ITV1)
Lorraine (ITV1)
Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC Two)
Scam Interceptors (BBC One) WINNER
Children’s non-scripted
A Real Bug’s Life (Disney+)
BooSnoo! (Sky Kids)
Deadly 60: Saving Sharks (CBBC)
World.War.Me (Sky Kids Investigates) WINNER
Children’s scripted
Crongton (BBC iPlayer) WINNER
Horrible Science (BBC iPlayer)
Shaun the Sheep (CBBC)
The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball (Cartoon Network)
Memorable moment
Adolescence: Jamie snaps at the psychologist (Netflix)
Big Boys: “I didn’t make it, did I?” (Channel 4)
Blue Lights: the police are warned of an ambush plot to silence a key witness (BBC One)
The Celebrity Traitors: Alan Carr wins (BBC One) WINNER
Last One Laughing UK: Bob Mortimer and Richard Ayoade’s speed date (Prime Video)
What It Feels Like for a Girl: Byron leaves for Brighton to start uni, where she introduces herself as Paris (BBC)
