After its success at last night’s Royal Television Society Awards, the Channel 4 drama, It’s a Sin, about a group of friends affected by the Aids crisis in the 1980s, is leading the way at this year’s TV BAFTAs, with 11 nominations.
As well as being up for Best Mini-Series and Best Drama Writing for Russell T Davies, its stars Olly Alexander and Lydia West are in the running for Best Actor and Best Actress, while three of its supporting cast are among six nominees for Best Supporting Actor.
Other shows with more than one nomination include Channel 4’s Help and BBC One’s prison drama Time; Stephen Graham is up for BAFTAs for both. Help is also up for Best Single Drama, Best Actress for Jodie Comer, Best Supporting Actress for Cathy Tyson and Best Drama Writing for Jack Thorne, who was honoured at last night’s Royal Television Society Awards. Time is also nominated for Best Mini-Series and Best Actor, for Sean Bean. Sky Atlantic’s Landscapers is also up for both Best Mini-Series and Best Actor, for David Thewlis.
Only 7 of the 18 shows nominated for Best Drama, Mini-Series, Single Drama or International programme are recognised in the acting categories. Not one actor from the Best Drama Series shortlist – of Vigil, In My Skin, Manhunt: The Night Stalker and Unforgotten – has an individual nominations.
The International nominees including Mare of Easttown – whose star Kate Winslet is in line for an award – and Succession, which also has a nomination for Matthew Macfadyen. Some of the other high profile nominees include Emily Watson for Too Close and Emily Mortimer for The Pursuit of Love, while newer talent is also recognised, with You Don’t Know Me star Samuel Adewunmi on the Best Actor shortlist.
Unlike most film awards, BAFTA separates drama from comedy for it’s TV ceremony, with This Time With Alan Partridge star Steve Coogan among the higher profile nominees. The Netflix comedy Sex Education has two acting nominations, for Ncuti Gatwa and Aimee Lou Wood.
Strictly Come Dancing, which won last night’s RTS judges’ prize, is up for two BAFTAs, including Best Entertainment Programme.
The comedian Sean Lock, who died last August, is nominated for Best Entertainment Performance for 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, alongside Graham Norton, Joe Lycett, Michael McIntyre, Alison Hammond and Big Zuu, whose Big Eats show is also in the running for the Best Features Award.
The craft – or behind the scenes – winners will be announced on 24th April, with the higher profile categories, being revealed two weeks later, from the following full list of nominees:
Leading actress
- Denise Gough, Too Close – ITV
- Emily Watson, Too Close – ITV
- Jodie Comer, Help – Channel 4
- Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown – Sky Atlantic
- Lydia West, It’s A Sin – Channel 4
- Niamh Algar, Deceit – Channel 4
Leading actor
- David Thewlis, Landscapers – Sky Atlantic
- Hugh Quarshie, Stephen – ITV
- Olly Alexander, It’s A Sin – Channel 4
- Samuel Adewunmi, You Don’t Know Me – BBC One
- Sean Bean, Time – BBC One
- Stephen Graham, Help – Channel 4
Supporting actress
- Cathy Tyson, Help – Channel 4
- Céline Buckens, Showtrial – BBC One
- Emily Mortimer, The Pursuit of Love – BBC One
- Jessica Plummer, The Girl Before – BBC One
- Leah Harvey, Foundation – Apple TV+
- Tahirah Sharif, The Tower – ITV
Supporting actor
- Callum Scott Howells, It’s A Sin – Channel 4
- David Carlyle, It’s A Sin – Channel 4
- Matthew Macfadyen, Succession – Sky Atlantic
- Nonso Anozie, Sweet Tooth – Netflix
- Omari Douglas, It’s A Sin – Channel 4
- Stephen Graham, Time – BBC One
Male performance in a comedy programme
- Jamie Demetriou, Stath Lets Flats – Channel 4
- Joe Gilgun, Brassic – Sky Max
- Ncuti Gatwa, Sex Education – Netflix
- Samson Kayo, Bloods – Sky One
- Steve Coogan, This Time with Alan Partridge – BBC One
- Tim Renkow, Jerk – BBC Three
Female performance in a comedy programme
- Aimee Lou Wood, Sex Education – Netflix
- Aisling Bea, This Way Up – Channel 4
- Anjana Vasan, We Are Lady Parts – Channel 4
- Natasia Demetriou, Stath Lets Flats – Channel 4
- Rose Matafeo, Starstruck – BBC Three
- Sophie Willan, Alma’s Not Normal – BBC Two
Entertainment performance
- Alison Hammond, I Can See Your Voice – BBC One
- Big Zuu, Big Zuu’s Big Eats – Dave
- Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show – BBC One
- Joe Lycett, Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back – Channel 4
- Michael McIntyre, Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel – BBC One
- Sean Lock, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown – Channel 4
Drama series
- In My Skin – BBC Three
- Manhunt: The Night Stalker – ITV
- Unforgotten – ITV
- Vigil – BBC One
Single drama
- Death of England: Face to Face – Sky Arts
- Help – Channel 4
- I Am Victoria – Channel 4
- Together – BBC Two
Mini-series
- It’s A Sin – Channel 4
- Landscapers – Sky Atlantic
- Stephen – ITV
- Time – BBC One
Soap and continuing drama
- Casualty – BBC One
- Coronation Street – ITV
- Emmerdale – ITV
- Holby City – BBC One
International
- Call My Agent! – Netflix
- Lupin – Netflix
- Mare of Easttown – Sky Atlantic
- Squid Game – Netflix
- Succession – Sky Atlantic
- The Underground Railroad – Amazon Prime
Entertainment programme
- An Audience With Adele – ITV
- Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – ITV
- Life & Rhymes – Sky Arts
- Strictly Come Dancing – BBC One
Comedy entertainment programme
- The Graham Norton Show – BBC One
- The Lateish Show With Mo Gilligan – Channel 4
- Race Around Britain – YouTube
- The Ranganation – BBC Two
Scripted comedy
- Alma’s Not Normal – BBC Two
- Motherland – Channel 4
- Stath Lets Flats – Channel 4
- We Are Lady Parts – Channel 4
Writer: Comedy
- Nathan Bryon and Paul Doolan, Bloods – Sky One
- Nida Manzoor, We Are Lady Parts – Channel 4
- Stephen Merchant and Emma Jane Unsworth, The Outlaws – BBC One
- Sophie Willan, Alma’s Not Normal – BBC Two
Writer: Drama
- Jack Thorne, Help – Channel 4
- Jesse Armstrong, Succession – Sky Atlantic
- Kayleigh Llewellyn, In My Skin – BBC Three
- Russell T Davies, It’s A Sin – Channel 4
- Big Zuu’s Big Eats – Dave
- Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing – BBC Two
- Sort Your Life Out – BBC One
- The Great British Sewing Bee – BBC One
Daytime
- The Chase – ITV
- Moneybags – Channel 4
- Richard Osman’s House of Games – BBC Two
- Steph’s Packed Lunch – Channel 4
Must-see moment
- An Audience With Adele, Adele’s surprised by the teacher who changed her life – ITV
- I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Ant and Dec dig at Downing Street’s lockdown parties – ITV
- It’s A Sin, Colin’s devastating Aids diagnosis – Channel 4
- RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, UK Hun? – Bimini’s verse – BBC Three
- Squid Game, Red Light, Green Light game – Netflix
- Strictly Come Dancing, Rose and Giovanni’s silent dance to Symphony – BBC One
Current affairs
- Fearless: The Women Fighting Putin (Exposure) – ITV
- Four Hours At The Capitol – BBC Two
- The Men Who Sell Football (Al Jazeera Investigations) – Al Jazeera English
- Trump Takes On The World – BBC Two
Single documentary
- 9/11: Inside The President’s War Room – BBC One
- Grenfell: The Untold Story – Channel 4
- My Childhood, My Country – 20 Years In Afghanistan – ITV
- Nail Bomber: Man Hunt – Netflix
Factual series
- The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime – BBC Two
- 9/11: One Day In America – National Geographic
- Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles – Channel 4
- Uprising – BBC One
Reality and constructed factual
- Gogglebox – Channel 4
- Married At First Sight UK – E4
- RuPaul’s Drag Race UK – BBC Three
- The Dog House – Channel 4
Specialist factual
- Black Power: A British Story of Resistance – BBC Two
- Freddie Mercury: The Final Act – BBC Two
- The Missing Children – ITV
- Silenced: The Hidden Story of Disabled Britain – BBC Two
News coverage
- Channel 4 News: Black To Front – Channel 4
- Good Morning Britain: Shamima Begum – ITV
- ITV News At Ten: Storming of the Capitol – ITV
- Sky News: Afghanistan: Endgame – Sky News
Sport
- The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Sky Sports Formula 1
- ITV Racing: The Grand National – ITV
- Tokyo 2020 Olympics – BBC One
- Uefa Euro 2020 Semi-Final: England v Denmark – ITV
Live event
- The Brit Awards 2021 – ITV
- The Earthshot Prize 2021 – BBC One
- The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance – BBC One
- Springwatch 2021 – BBC Two
Short-form programme
- Hollyoaks Saved My Life (Hollyoaks IRL) – YouTube
- Our Land – Together TV
- People You May Know – Financial Times
- Please Help – BBC Three