The BAFTA TV awards nominations are out – the annual awards show celebrates the best in British TV and, this year, Small Axe leads the way. The anthology series about the lives of Caribbean immigrants in London was created and directed by filmmaker Steve McQueen and received 15 nominations, including Best Actor and Best Actress nods for John Boyega and Letitia Wright.
Netflix period drama The Crown follows with 10 nominations, while Michaela Coel's powerful depiction of sexual assault I May Destroy You has eight and Normal People, the miniseries based on Sally Rooney's bestselling novel, has seven. Elsewhere, Paul Ritter has a posthumous nomination in the Male Performance in a Comedy Programme category for his role in sitcom Friday Night Dinner – the actor died of a brain tumor earlier this month. Read on to see the full list of 2021 BAFTA TV award nominees.
Interested in more awards show chatter? Check out our guide to the biggest talking points at the 2021 Oscars.
Drama Series
- Gangs of London – Sky Atlantic
- I Hate Suzie – Sky Atlantic
- Save Me Too – Sky Atlantic
- The Crown – Netflix
Single Drama
- Anthony – BBC One
- On the Edge: BBW – Channel 4
- Sitting in Limbo – BBC One
- The Windermere Children – BBC Two
Miniseries
- Adult Material – Channel 4
- I May Destroy You – BBC One
- Normal People – BBC Three
- Small Axe – BBC One
International Series
- Little America – Apple TV Plus
- Lovecraft Country – Sky Atlantic
- Unorthodox – Netflix
- Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge (Storyville) – BBC Four
Scripted Comedy
- Ghosts – BBC One
- Inside No. 9 – BBC Two
- Man Like Mobeen – BBC Three
- This Country – BBC Three
Leading Actress
- Billie Piper, I Hate Suzie – Sky Atlantic
- Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People – BBC Three
- Hayley Squires, Adult Material – Channel 4
- Jodie Comer, Killing Eve – BBC One
- Letitia Wright, Small Axe – BBC One
- Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You – BBC One
Leading Actor
- John Boyega, Small Axe – BBC One
- Josh O'Connor, The Crown – Netflix
- Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You – BBC One
- Paul Mescal, Normal People – BBC Three
- Shaun Parkes, Small Axe – BBC One
- Waleed Zuaiter, Baghdad Central – Channel 4
Supporting Actress
- Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown – Netflix
- Leila Farzad, I Hate Suzie – Sky Atlantic
- Rakie Ayola, Anthony – BBC One
- Siena Kelly, Adult Material – Channel 4
- Sophie Okonedo, Criminal: UK – Netflix
- Weruche Opia, I May Destroy You – BBC One
Supporting Actor
- Kunal Nayyar, Criminal: UK – Netflix
- Malachi Kirby, Small Axe – BBC One
- Michael Sheen, Quiz – ITV
- Michael Ward, Small Axe – BBC One
- Rupert Everett, Adult Material – Channel 4
- Tobias Menzies, The Crown – Netflix
Entertainment Performance
- Adam Hills, The Last Leg – Channel 4
- Bradley Walsh, Beat the Chasers – ITV
- Claudia Winkleman, Strictly Come Dancing – BBC One
- David Mitchell, Would I Lie to You? At Christmas – BBC One
- Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show – BBC One
- Romesh Ranganathan, The Ranganation – BBC Two
Male Performance in a Comedy Programme
- Charlie Cooper, This Country – BBC Three
- Guz Khan, Man Like Mobeen – BBC Three
- Joseph Gilgun, Brassic – Sky One
- Ncuti Gatwa, Sex Education – Netflix
- Paul Ritter, Friday Night Dinner – Channel 4
- Reece Shearsmith, Inside No. 9 – BBC Two
Female Performance in a Comedy Programme
- Aimee Lou Wood, Sex Education – Netflix
- Daisy Haggard, Breeders – Sky One
- Daisy May Cooper, This Country – BBC Three
- Emma Mackey, Sex Education – Netflix
- Gbemisola Ikumelo, Famalam – BBC Three
- Mae Martin, Feel Good – Channel 4
Soap & Continuing Drama
- Casualty – BBC One
- Coronation Street – ITV
- Eastenders – BBC One
- Hollyoaks – Channel 4
Comedy Entertainment Programme
- Charlie Brooker's Antiviral Wipe – BBC Two
- Rob & Romesh Vs. – Sky One
- The Big Narstie Show – Channel 4
- The Ranganation – BBC Two
Entertainment Programme
- Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway – ITV
- Life & Rhymes – Sky Arts
- Strictly Come Dancing – BBC One
- The Masked Singer – ITV
Daytime
- Jimmy McGovern's Moving On – BBC One
- Richard Osman's House of Games – BBC Two
- The Chase – ITV
- The Great House Giveaway – Channel 4
Features
- Big Zuu's Big Eats – Dave
- Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – ITV
- Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing – BBC Two
- The Repair Shop – BBC One
Must-See Moment
- Bridgerton, Penelope is revealed as Lady Whistledown – Netflix
- Britain's Got Talent, Diversity perform a routine inspired by the BLM protests – ITV
- Eastenders, Gray kills Chantelle – BBC One
- Gogglebox, reactions to Boris Johnson's press conference – Channel 4
- The Mandalorian, Luke Skywalker arrives – Disney Plus
- Nigella's Cook, Eat, Repeat, Nigella Lawson's pronunciation of microwave – BBC Two
Current Affairs
- America's War on Abortion (Exposure) – ITV
- Italy's Frontline: A Doctor's Diary – BBC Two
- The Battle for Hong Kong (Dispatches) – Channel 4
- The Cyprus Papers Undercover (Al Jazeera Investigations) – Al Jazeera English
Single Documentary
- American Murder: The Family Next Door – Netflix
- Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism & Me – BBC One
- Locked In: Breaking the Silence (Storyville) – BBC Four
- Surviving COVID – Channel 4
Factual Series
- Crime & Punishment – Channel 4
- Hospital – BBC Two
- Losing It: Our Mental Health Emergency – Channel 4
- Once Upon a Time in Iraq – BBC Two
Reality & Constructed Factual
- Masterchef: The Professionals – BBC One
- Race Across the World – BBC Two
- The School That Tried to End Racism – Channel 4
- The Write Offs – Channel 4
Specialist Factual
- Extinction: The Facts – BBC One
- Putin: A Russian Spy Story – Channel 4
- The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty – BBC Two
- The Surgeon's Cut – Netflix
News Coverage
- BBC News at Ten: Prime Minister Admitted to Intensive Care – BBC One
- Channel 4 News: Deterring Democracy – Channel 4
- Newsnight: Covid Care Crisis – BBC Two
- Sky News: Inside Idlib – Sky News
Sport
- Bahrain Grand Prix – Sky Sports Formula 1
- England V France: The Final of Autumn Nations Cup – Amazon Prime Video
- England V West Indies Test Cricket – Sky Sports Cricket
- London Marathon 2020 – BBC One
Live Event
- Life Drawing Live! – BBC Four
- Springwatch 2020 – BBC Two
- The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance – BBC One
- The Third Day: Autumn – Sky Atlantic
Short-Form Programme
- Criptales – BBC Four
- Disabled Not Defeated: The Rock Band with Learning Disabilities – Noisey
- The Main Part – BBC iPlayer
- They Saw the Sun First – Red Bull TV
Director: Fiction
- Lenny Abrahamson, Normal People – BBC Three
- Benjamin Caron, The Crown (episode 3) – Netflix
- Michaela Coel & Sam Miller, I May Destroy You – BBC One
- Steve McQueen, Small Axe – BBC One
Director: Factual
- Xavier Alford, Locked In: Breaking the Silence (Storyville) – BBC Four
- James Bluemel, Once Upon a Time in Iraq – BBC Two
- Teresa Griffiths, Lee Miller – A Life on the Front Line – BBC Two
- Deeyah Khan, America's War on Abortion (Exposure) – ITV
Director: Multi-Camera
- Bridget Caldwell, The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance – BBC One
- Ken Burton, Rugby League Challenge Cup Final – BBC One
- Marcus Viner, ENO's Drive & Live: La Bohème – Sky Arts
- Nikki Parsons, Strictly Come Dancing – BBC One
Writer: Drama
- Alastair Siddons & Steve McQueen, Small Axe – BBC One
- Lucy Kirkwood, Adult Material – Channel 4
- Lucy Prebble, I Hate Suzie – Sky Atlantic
- Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You – BBC One
Writer: Comedy
- Charlie Brooker, Charlie Brooker's Antiviral Wipe – BBC Two
- Daisy May Cooper & Charlie Cooper, This Country – BBC Three
- Sophie Willan, Alma's Not Normal – BBC Two
- Writing team, Ghosts – BBC One
Costume Design
- Sex Education – Netflix
- Small Axe – BBC One
- Belgravia – ITV
- The Crown – Netflix
Makeup & Hair Design
- I May Destroy You – BBC One
- The Crown – Netflix
- Small Axe – BBC One
- The Great – Starzplay
Editing: Fiction
- Small Axe – BBC One
- I May Destroy You – BBC One
- Normal People (episode 5) – BBC Three
- Quiz – ITV
Editing: Factual
- Putin: A Russian Spy Story – Channel 4
- Once Upon a Time in Iraq (episode 3) – BBC Two
- Lee Miller – A Life on the Front Line – BBC Two
- Once Upon a Time in Iraq (episode 2) – BBC Two
Original Music
- The Third Day (episode 3) – Sky Atlantic
- Baghdad Central – Channel 4
- Roadkill – BBC One
- The Crown – Netflix
Entertainment Craft Team
- Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway – ITV
- Last Night at the Proms – BBC One
- Strictly Come Dancing – BBC One
- I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – ITV
Production Design
- Small Axe – BBC One
- His Dark Materials – BBC One
- Gangs of London – Sky Atlantic
- Sex Education – Netflix
Photography & Lighting: Fiction
- Little Birds – Sky Atlantic
- Devs – BBC Two
- Small Axe – BBC One
- Normal People – BBC Three
Photography: Factual
- The Great Mountain Sheep Gather – BBC Four
- Tiny World – Apple TV Plus
- Fear City: New York vs The Mafia – Netflix
- Marina Abramović Takes Over TV – Sky Arts
Scripted Casting
- Small Axe – BBC One
- Baghdad Central – Channel 4
- Sex Education – Netflix
- The Third Day – Sky Atlantic
Sound: Fiction
- His Dark Materials (episode 7) – BBC One
- Normal People – BBC Three
- Small Axe – BBC One
- The Crown – Netflix
Sound: Factual
- Earth at Night in Colour – Apple TV Plus
- Formula 1: Drive to Survive – Netflix
- Hitsville: The Making of Motown – Sky Documentaries
- Springwatch 2020 – BBC Two
Special, Visual & Graphic Effects
- The Crown – Netflix
- War of the Worlds – FOX
Cursed – Netflix - His Dark Materials – BBC One
Titles & Graphic Identity
- Devs – BBC Two
- Fear City: New York vs The Mafia – Netflix
- Dracula – BBC One
- Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse – Sky One
Emerging Talent: Fiction
- Georgi Banks-Davies (Director), I Hate Suzie – Sky Atlantic
- Harry Tulley (Dubbing Mixer), Anthony – BBC One
- Stephen S. Thompson (Writer), Sitting in Limbo – BBC One
- William Stefan Smith (Director), On the Edge: BBW – Channel 4
Emerging Talent: Factual
- Ashley Francis-Roy (Shooting Producer/Director), Damilola: The Boy Next Door & The Real Eastenders – Channel 4
- Jessica Kelly (Director), The Schools That Chain Boys – BBC Two
- Kandise Abiola (Producer), Terms & Conditions: A UK Drill Story – YouTube
- Marian Mohamed (Director), Defending Digga D – BBC Three
