With the films done and dusted, attention now turns to the 2021 BAFTA TV Awards (or The Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards, to give them their full title), which have just been announced. The BBC lead the field by some distance with 58 main nominations (plus another 46 in the Craft Awards categories), while Channel 4 and Netflix rank second and third with 20 and 12 respectively.
Steve McQueen's anthology series Small Axe dominates with 15 nominations across multiple categories, including first-time TV acting nominations for John Boyega and Shaun Parkes. But there are also strong showings from The Crown (10 nominations), I May Destroy You (8) Normal People (7), and Sex Education (6).
The Virgin Media BAFTAs take place on Sunday 6 June and the Television Craft Awards on Monday 24 May. See below for the salient points, and head to BAFTA for the full, exhaustive list.
COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
CHARLIE BROOKER’S ANTIVIRAL WIPE
ROB & ROMESH VS
THE BIG NARSTIE SHOW
THE RANGANATION
CURRENT AFFAIRS
AMERICA’S WAR ON ABORTION (EXPOSURE)
ITALY’S FRONTLINE: A DOCTOR’S DIARY
THE BATTLE FOR HONG KONG (DISPATCHES)
THE CYPRUS PAPERS UNDERCOVER (AL JAZEERA INVESTIGATIONS)
DRAMA SERIES
GANGS OF LONDON
I HATE SUZIE
SAVE ME TOO
THE CROWN
FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
AIMEE LOU WOOD – Sex Education
DAISY HAGGARD – Breeders
DAISY MAY COOPER – This Country
EMMA MACKEY – Sex Education
GBEMISOLA IKUMELO – Famalam
MAE MARTIN – Feel Good
LEADING ACTOR
JOHN BOYEGA – Small Axe
JOSH O’CONNOR – The Crown
PAAPA ESSIEDU – I May Destroy You
PAUL MESCAL – Normal People
SHAUN PARKES – Small Axe
WALEED ZUAITER – Baghdad Central
LEADING ACTRESS
BILLIE PIPER – I Hate Suzie
DAISY EDGAR-JONES – Normal People
HAYLEY SQUIRES – Adult Material
JODIE COMER – Killing Eve
LETITIA WRIGHT – Small Axe
MICHAELA COEL – I May Destroy You
MALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
CHARLIE COOPER – This Country
JOSEPH GILGUN – Brassic
NCUTI GATWA – Sex Education
PAUL RITTER – Friday Night Dinner
REECE SHEARSMITH – Inside No.9
MINI-SERIES
ADULT MATERIAL
I MAY DESTROY YOU
NORMAL PEOPLE
SMALL AXE
SCRIPTED COMEDY
GHOSTS
INSIDE NO. 9
MAN LIKE MOBEEN
THIS COUNTRY
SINGLE DOCUMENTARY
AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR
ANTON FERDINAND: FOOTBALL, RACISM & ME
LOCKED IN: BREAKING THE SILENCE (STORYVILLE)
SURVIVING COVID
SINGLE DRAMA
ANTHONY
BBW (ON THE EDGE)
SITTING IN LIMBO
THE WINDERMERE CHILDREN
SUPPORTING ACTOR
KUNAL NAYYAR – Criminal: UK
MALACHI KIRBY – Small Axe
MICHAEL SHEEN – Quiz
MICHEAL WARD – Small Axe
RUPERT EVERETT – Adult Material
TOBIAS MENZIES – The Crown
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
HELENA BONHAM CARTER – The Crown
LEILA FARZAD – I Hate Suzie
RAKIE AYOLA – Anthony
SIENA KELLY – Adult Material
SOPHIE OKONEDO – Criminal: UK
WERUCHE OPIA – I May Destroy You
WRITER: COMEDY
CHARLIE BROOKER – Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe
DAISY MAY COOPER, CHARLIE COOPER – This Country
SOPHIE WILLAN – Alma’s Not Normal
WRITING TEAM – Ghosts
WRITER: DRAMA
ALASTAIR SIDDONS, STEVE MCQUEEN – Small Axe
LUCY KIRKWOOD – Adult Material
LUCY PREBBLE – I Hate Suzie
MICHAELA COEL – I May Destroy You