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Adolescence’s BAFTA sweep
Netflix limited drama Adolescence dominated the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, 10 May 2026, winning four main-ceremony prizes including best limited drama and acting awards for Stephen Graham, Christine Tremarco, and Owen Cooper.
“The four-part limited series won four main-ceremony prizes on May 10, 2026”
BuddyTV said the four-part series won four main-ceremony prizes on May 10, 2026, and that Adolescence had already won two BAFTA Craft Awards for directing and sound the previous weekend.
BBC reported that the hard-hitting drama, released in March 2025, was named best limited series and that at 16 Cooper became the youngest ever winner of the award for best supporting actor.
In his acceptance speech, Cooper told the ceremony, "In the words of John Lennon, you won't get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it," and the BBC said he added, "So in my eyes I think you only need three things to succeed: one, you need an obsession; two, you need a dream; and, three, you need the Beatles."
Speeches, jokes, and disputes
Alongside Adolescence’s sweep, The Celebrity Traitors and Last One Laughing each won two prizes at the ceremony, with the public-voted P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award going to The Celebrity Traitors for Alan Carr’s winning moment.
The Guardian said Traitor Alan Carr’s tears after winning were voted by the public as the most memorable moment of the year, and Carr joked, "Was I good? Was I really – or were the other celebrities just thick?!"
BBC reported that the current affairs prize went to Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, and it said the award was won after the film was pulled by the BBC.
In the same context, The Guardian quoted Ramita Navai criticising the BBC and saying, "These are the findings of our investigation that the BBC paid for, but refused to show."
Winners beyond Adolescence
The BAFTA TV Awards also spread recognition across drama, comedy, factual, and international categories, with Code of Silence winning best drama series and Narges Rashidi winning best leading actress for Prisoner 951.
“The biggest night in UK TV has arrived, with the winners of the BAFTA TV Awards 2026 finally unveiled”
Radio Times said the night featured performances by Cat Burns and AURORA, and it described a clean Adolescence sweep while listing other winners such as EastEnders for the soap award and Steve Coogan for actor in a comedy.
In the BBC’s account, Stephen Graham was named best leading actor for playing Cooper’s on-screen dad, and Tremarco won best supporting actress for playing his mum, while the ceremony also honoured Martin Lewis with the BAFTA Television special award and Dame Mary Berry with the BAFTA Fellowship.
BBC added that the ceremony’s acting and lifetime moments included Rashidi dedicating her award to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, telling the audience, "Your resilience, your dignity, your love through impossible circumstances have moved us all."
