The BAFTA TV awards 2021 nominations list in full

John Boyega in Small Axe — (Image credit: IMDb)

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

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