Adolescence Leads 2026 BAFTA TV Nominations
The 2026 BAFTA TV nominations are in, and it’s been a standout year for British television. A total of 124 programmes have been recognised, with drama series Adolescence leading the pack with 11 nominations.
The Netflix hit, which tells the story of a teenage boy accused of killing a classmate, has made a major impact since its release. It not only sparked conversations about youth violence and social media, but also earned five acting nominations for its cast, including Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, Ashley Walters, Owen Cooper and Christine Tremarco.
Close behind is A Thousand Blows with seven nominations. Like Adolescence, it stars both Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, who each picked up multiple acting nominations this year. Doherty is recognised for both shows, highlighting her range across very different roles.
Meanwhile, Andor and Trespasses each secured six nominations, while The Celebrity Traitors picked up five, making it the most nominated entertainment programme. The reality hit also appears in the Memorable Moment category, which is the only award that is voted for by members of the public.
Aimee Lou Wood is another standout this year, earning two nominations: one for her lead role in Film Club and another supporting actress nomination for The White Lotus. She joins Erin Doherty as one of the few performers who has been nominated more than once this year.
The acting categories feature a mix of established names and fresh faces. Jodie Whittaker, Sheridan Smith and Colin Firth are among the nominees, while nearly half of the performance nominations are first-time BAFTA nominees. Rising stars like Owen Cooper and Ellis Howard are part of a new wave of talent gaining industry recognition.
In drama categories, A Thousand Blows competes against Blue Lights, Code of Silence and This City is Ours. Meanwhile, Adolescence is up for best limited drama alongside Trespasses and What It Feels Like for a Girl.
Comedy is also well represented, with Amandaland leading the way in the female performance category with three nominations. It’s also nominated for best scripted comedy, alongside shows like Big Boys and How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge).
The Memorable Moment award, the only category decided by the public, includes six standout scenes. Among them are "I didn’t make it, did I?" from Big Boys and "Alan Carr wins The Celebrity Traitors". Voting is open until 22nd April.
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip summed up the year by saying: “2025 has been an exceptional year for television… this year’s nominees demonstrate a medium at its creative peak.”
The BAFTA Television Craft Awards with Samsung OLED will take place on 26th April, followed by the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises on 10th May, hosted by Greg Davies and broadcast on BBC One.
Image: Hraybould, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
