Stephen Graham's Dramas Lead BAFTA TV Nominations with 18 Potential Wins
The 2026 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises nominations have been unveiled, with actor and executive producer Stephen Graham emerging as the standout figure. His Netflix drama Adolescence and Disney+ series A Thousand Blows collectively garnered 18 nominations, positioning Graham for a potential record haul if both shows sweep their categories.
Drama Dominance and First-Time Nominees
Adolescence, a limited drama exploring toxic masculinity's online influence on youth, received 11 nominations. These include Limited Drama, Leading Actor for Graham, Supporting Actor for Owen Cooper and Ashley Walters, and Supporting Actress for Christine Tremarco and Erin Doherty, alongside craft awards. A Thousand Blows, a Victorian-era boxing series, earned seven nods, including Drama Series and Leading Actress for Doherty.
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip praised the "exceptional year for television," noting 124 nominated programmes reflect "the strength and originality of British storytelling." She highlighted the influx of new talent, with 21 of 44 performance nominees receiving their first BAFTA nomination. This includes Walters, Cooper, Tremarco, Lucy Punch, Philippa Dunne for Amandaland, and Sian Brooke for Blue Lights.
BBC Leads Broadcaster Tally Amid Surprises and Snubs
The BBC dominated with 73 nominations across TV and craft awards, followed by Netflix (28), Channel 4 (25), Disney+ (17), ITV (16), and Apple TV+ (15). However, notable snubs included the main series of The Traitors, Emmerdale, Strictly Come Dancing, and This Morning, which missed nominations in their respective categories.
Other highlights include Amandaland securing multiple nods, with Jennifer Saunders, Lucy Punch, and Philippa Dunne all nominated for Best Actress. The Celebrity Traitors earned a Reality nomination and an Entertainment Performance nod for Claudia Winkleman, though the original series was overlooked.
Newcomers and Double Nominations Shine
Prime Video's Last One Laughing landed Bob Mortimer his first performance BAFTA nomination, with the show also competing in Entertainment against The Graham Norton Show and Would I Lie to You. Amanda Holden and Alan Carr received their first performance nominations for BBC's The Spanish Job.
Romesh Ranganathan found himself competing against himself in Entertainment Performance for Rob and Romesh Vs and Romesh: Can’t Knock the Hustle. Similarly, Aimee Lou Wood earned dual nominations for Supporting Actress in The White Lotus and Leading Actress in BBC3’s Film Club.
Key Categories and Ceremony Details
Police drama Blue Lights, set in Belfast, is nominated for Best Drama Series, with Sian Brooke up for Best Actress. BBC comedy Here We Go scored nominations for Jim Howick and Katherine Parkinson as leading actors.
The ceremony, hosted by Taskmaster's Greg Davies on Sunday, 10 May, will feature public-voted categories like the P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award. Nominations span genres from Drama and Comedy to Factual and Sports, showcasing what Millichip called "a medium at its creative peak."
