BAFTA Television Craft Awards 2026: Ceremony Celebrates Behind-the-Scenes Talent at The Brewery
The BAFTA Television Craft Awards with Samsung OLED are taking place today, Sunday 26 April 2026, at The Brewery in London, honouring the creative and technical professionals who work behind the scenes to produce some of Britain's finest television.
Background
The BAFTA Television Craft Awards recognise the technical and production talent behind UK television programming, celebrating excellence in areas such as cinematography, editing, production design, costume, make-up, and visual effects. The ceremony precedes the main BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises, which are scheduled for Sunday 10 May 2026 and will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Key Developments
This year's ceremony is hosted by acclaimed comedian Maisie Adam, who expressed her pride in hosting the awards, emphasising that the honourees are "the individuals responsible for creating excellent television" who deserve a grand celebration. The special BAFTA Television Craft Award is being presented to Simone Pennant MBE, founder and CEO of The TV Collective, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion in the screen industries. Pennant established The TV Collective in 2008 with the goal of ensuring that global majority creatives have opportunities to access, progress, and thrive within the screen industries.
Nominations for the 2026 awards were announced on 24 March 2026, with a total of 124 programmes receiving nominations. "Adolescence" led the field with 11 nominations, followed by "A Thousand Blows" with seven, and "Andor" and "Trespasses" each with six. Notably, 21 out of 44 nominees in the performance categories received their first BAFTA Television performance nominations.
A significant change has been implemented for the 2026 awards concerning the International category. BAFTA has opened voting for both nominations and the final winner in this category to all 6,000 of its TV voting members — a departure from the previous hybrid system involving chapter members and a select jury. BAFTA explained the adjustment as a move to strengthen the category and reflect the organisation's growing global membership.
Why It Matters
The BAFTA Television Craft Awards shine a spotlight on the often-unsung heroes of British television production, whose work underpins the global reputation of UK screen content. The inclusion of Simone Pennant's special award underscores the industry's ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion.
What's Next
The main BAFTA Television Awards ceremony follows on 10 May 2026, broadcast on BBC One. Read the full BAFTA announcement here.
