Adolescence dominates BAFTA TV Awards nominations

After making TV history and picking up Golden Globe and Emmy wins in the US, Adolescence now dominates this year's BAFTA TV nominations.

The Netflix drama, which follows the story of a teenage boy arrested over the murder of a classmate, leads the field with 11 - including five acting nods for stars Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Christine Tremarco.

It is followed by A Thousand Blows - another series starring both Graham and Doherty - which has seven BAFTA nods, while Star Wars prequel series Andor and Trespasses, set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles in the 1970s, each have six.

The Celebrity Traitors, the most-watched series on British TV in 2025, according to research body Barb, has five nods - including best entertainment performance for host Claudia Winkleman.

In the news coverage category, Sky News is shortlisted for its special programme, Gaza: Fight For Survival, alongside BBC Newsnight and Channel 4 News.

Adolescence broke streaming records after its release in March 2025 and Cooper made history at the Emmys later in the year, by becoming the youngest-ever acting award recipient, at 15.

The series is up for the best limited drama BAFTA, alongside I Fought The Law, Trespasses, and What It Feels Like For A Girl.

Doherty is nominated twice in the acting categories - as a supporting actress for Adolescence, and lead actress in A Thousand Blows - which is nominated for best drama alongside Blue Lights, Code Of Silence, and This City Is Ours.

Amandaland, Big Boys, How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge), and Things You Should Have Done are the nominees in the scripted comedy category.

Some 124 programmes are in the running for awards in total. Of the 44 nominees in the performance categories, Cooper, Doherty, Walters and Tremarco are among 21 who are shortlisted for the first time.

The first-time performance nominees also include big names such as Bob Mortimer (Last One Laughing), Jodie Whittaker (Toxic Town) and Paddy Considine (MobLand).

BAFTA chief executive Jane Millichip said 2025 had been an exceptional year for television and praised all the nominees.

"From powerful documentaries and stand-out comedy to homegrown drama and the international series that captured global attention, this year's nominees demonstrate a medium at its creative peak," she said. "It's especially exciting to see so many first-time performance nominees, showcasing the vibrant new talent shaping the future of our industry."

The BAFTA TV Awards also celebrate the best TV moment of the year, with nominees this year including memorable scenes from Adolescence, Celebrity Traitors, Blue Lights, Last One Laughing, Big Boys and What It Feels Like For A Girl.

Comedian and actor Greg Davies will host the ceremony on Sunday 10 May.

The TV nominations announcement comes after last month's BAFTA film awards, which ended in controversy after a racial slur was shouted out by Tourette's campaigner John Davidson, who was there to celebrate a film about his life, and left during the BBC's broadcast of the programme.

(c) Sky News 2026: Adolescence dominates BAFTA TV Awards nominations