As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the media industry, the nominations for this year’s BAFTA Television Awards have finally been unveiled.
Despite having no in-house ceremony this year, the British awards group have opted to recognise the best of the small-screen from 2019 with Sky Atlantic’s Chernobyl comfortably out in front.
The factual miniseries, which explores the true events of the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, is up for a hefty fourteen awards, including the Best Mini-Series prize as well as multiple technical nods.
Additionally, Jared Harris earns a Leading Actor nom for his portrayal of Valery Legasov while Golden Globe-winning co-star Stellan Skarsgård is acknowledged for his supporting turn as Boris Shcherbina.
Unsurprisingly, this remarkable haul sees Chernobyl tie with BBC One’s Killing Eve as the most nominated series in a single year in BAFTA’s history.
Once again, Netflix’s The Crown made an impression with seven nods, including three in the major categories.
The third series of the historical drama is shortlisted in a strong Best Drama Series line-up along with BBC duo Gentleman Jack and Giri/Haji and Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing World.
Though Olivia Colman was surprisingly snubbed for her portrayal of royal monarch Queen Elizabeth II, co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Josh O’Connor are acknowledged in the supporting categories for their respective turns as Princess Margaret and Prince Charles.
Elsewhere, three Liverpudlian actors are shortlisted in the main acting categories, with Stephen Graham looking to finally land his first accolade for his powerful performance as an alcoholic in the Channel 4’s The Virtues. His competition for Leading Actor includes Japanese star Takehiro Hira (Giri/Haji) and Callum Turner (The Capture).
Meanwhile, last year’s Leading Actress winner Jodie Comer is nominated for her popular returning role as psychotic Russian assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve but faces a tough task of prevailing against veteran actress Glenda Jackson.
Having been on a hiatus from acting since the 1990s, Birkenhead-born Jackson is recognised for her comeback role as Maud, an elderly woman suffering with dementia in the BBC One television film Elizabeth is Missing.
Both Merseysiders compete in a versatile Leading Actress category, alongside previous winner Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack) and Samantha Morton (I Am Kirsty).
ITV’s A Confession and BBC One’s The Victim have the burden of trying to overcome Chernobyl and The Virtues in the Mini-Series field, while the Single Drama contenders include Channel 4’s Brexit: The Uncivil War and BBC duo The Left Behind and Responsible Child.
The Best Supporting Actress line-up sees first-time nominees Naomi Ackie (The End of the F***ing World), Helen Behan (The Virtues) and Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy) go head-to-head, while Joe Absolom (A Confession) and Will Sharpe (Giri/Haji) complete the rest of the Best Supporting Actor field.
Having dominated awards season over the past year, the second series of BBC Three’s Fleabag is nodded in six categories, with creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge scoring a hat-trick of mentions.
As well as being acknowledged for her writing and producing, Waller-Bridge is also in contention for the Female Comedy Performance gong along with co-star Sian Clifford, Gbemisola Ikumelo (Famalam) and Sarah Kendall (Frayed).
Additionally, Fleabag is also looking to persevere in the Scripted Comedy category where it competes against Channel 4 trio Catastrophe, Derry Girls and Stath Lets Flats.
In the case of the latter series, leading star and creator Jamie Demetriou earns a Male Comedy Performance nod and faces competition from Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), Youssef Kerkour (Home), and Guz Khan (Man Like Mobeen).
Elsewhere, the Soap & Continuing Drama field brings another BBC vs. ITV battle as hospital-based serials Casualty and Holby City lock horns with Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
HBO’s Succession is targetting another win in the International category, where it is joined by fellow HBO series Euphoria, and Netflix duo Unbelievable and When They See Us.
Meanwhile, Channel 4’s Michael Jackson abuse documentary Leaving Neverland is up for the Factual Series gong alongside Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure, and Netflix’s Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.
Additionally, Newsnight’s broadcasting of Prince Andrew and the Epstein Scandal is in contention for News Coverage, while Sky Sports’ coverage of England’s dramatic Cricket World Cup win over New Zealand is up for the Sport Prize.
The other high-profile programmes in contention for BAFTA recognition are Blue Planet Live, Celebrity Gogglebox, The Graham Norton Show, The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, Race Across the World, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Strictly Come Dancing, Taskmaster, and The Voice UK.
As previously revealed, the nominees for Virgin TV’s Must-See Moment includes the death of Sinead Osbourne in Coronation Street, Arya’s killing of the Night King in Game of Thrones, and Nessa’s proposal to Smithy from the Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special.
In a change of tradition, the 66th BAFTA Television Awards will be broadcast from behind closed doors on BBC One on Sunday 31 July.
Richard Ayoade will host from a closed studio, and the winners will give their acceptance speeches virtually.
The full list of major BAFTA nominations are below (winner predictions in blue):
BEST DRAMA SERIES
THE CROWN
THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD
GENTLEMAN JACK
GIRI/HAJI
BEST MINI-SERIES
A CONFESSION
CHERNOBYL
THE VICTIM
THE VIRTUES
BEST SINGLE DRAMA
BREXIT: THE CIVIL WAR
ELIZABETH IS MISSING
THE LEFT BEHIND
RESPONSIBLE CHILD
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Jodie Comer, KILLING EVE
Glenda Jackson, ELIZABETH IS MISSING
Suranne Jones, GENTLEMAN JACK
Samantha Morton, I AM KIRSTY
BEST LEADING ACTOR
Stephen Graham, THE VIRTUES
Jared Harris, CHERNOBYL
Takehiro Hira, GIRI/HAJI
Callum Turner, THE CAPTURE
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Naomi Ackie, THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD
Helen Behan, THE VIRTUES
Helena Bonham Carter, THE CROWN
Jasmine Jobson, TOP BOY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Joe Absolom, A CONFESSION
Josh O’Connor, THE CROWN
Will Sharpe, GIRI/HAJI
Stellan Skarsgård, CHERNOBYL
BEST SCRIPTED COMEDY
CATASTROPHE
DERRY GIRLS
FLEABAG
STATH LETS FLATS
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
Sian Clifford, FLEABAG
Gbemisola Ikumelo, FAMALAM
Sarah Kendall, FRAYED
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, FLEABAG
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
Jamie Demetriou, STATH LETS FLATS
Ncuti Gatwa, SEX EDUCATION
Youssef Kerkour, HOME
Guz Khan, MAN LIKE MOBEEN
BEST SOAP & CONTINUING DRAMA
CASUALTY
CORONATION STREET
EMMERDALE
HOLBY CITY
BEST INTERNATIONAL
EUPHORIA
SUCCESSION
UNBELIEVABLE
WHEN THEY SEE US
BEST COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW
THE LAST LEG
THE RANGANATION
TASKMASTER
BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
THE GREATEST DANCER
THE RAP GAME UK
STRICTLY COME DANCING
THE VOICE UK
BEST ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE
Frankie Boyle, FRANKIE BOYLE’S NEW WORLD ORDER
Mo Gilligan, THE LATEISH SHOW WITH MO GILLIGAN
Lee Mack, WOULD I LIE TO YOU
Graham Norton, THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW
BEST FACTUAL SERIES
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
DON’T F**K WITH CATS: HUNTING AN INTERNET KILLER
LEAVING NEVERLAND
OUR DEMENTIA CHOIR WITH VICKY MCCLURE
BEST SINGLE DOCUMENTARY
THE ABUSED
DAVID HAREWOOD: PSYCHOSIS AND ME
THE FAMILY SECRET
THE LAST SURVIVORS
BEST FEATURES
JOE LYCETT’S GOT YOUR BACK
THE MISADVENTURES OF ROMESH RANGANATHAN
MORTIMER & WHITEHOUSE: GONE FISHING
SNACKMASTERS
BEST REALITY & CONSTRUCTED FACTUAL
CELEBRITY GOGGLEBOX
HARRY’S HEROES: THE FULL ENGLISH
RACE ACROSS THE WORLD
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE UK
BEST SPECIALIST FACTUAL
8 DAYS: TO THE MOON AND BACK
SEVEN WORLDS, ONE PLANET
THATCHER: A VERY BRITISH REVOLUTION
YORKSHIRE RIPPER FILES: A VERY BRITISH CRIME STORY
BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS
GROWING UP POOR: BRITAIN’S BREADLINE KIDS (DISPATCHES)
THE HUNT FOR JIHADI JOHN
IS LABOUR ANTI-SEMITIC? (PANORAMA)
UNDERCOVER: INSIDE CHINA’S DIGITAL GULAG (EXPOSURE)
BEST NEWS COVERAGE
HONG KONG PROTESTS
ITV NEWS AT TEN: ELECTION RESULTS
PRINCE ANDREW & THE EPSTEIN SCANDAL (NEWSNIGHT)
VICTORIA DERBYSHIRE: MEN WHO LOST LOVED ONES TO KNIFE CRIME
BEST LIVE EVENT
BLUE PLANET LIVE
ELECTION 2019 LIVE: THE RESULTS
GLASTONBURY 2019
OPERATION LIVE
BEST SPORT
ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP FINAL
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2019 SEMI FINAL: ENGLAND V USA
2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP FINAL: ENGLAND V SOUTH AFRICA
WIMBLEDON 2019 MEN’S FINAL
BEST SHORT FORM PROGRAMME
ANYWHERE BUT WESTMINSTER
BRAIN IN GEAR
SOON GONE: A WINDRUSH CHRONICLE
TONI_WITH_AN_I (BORN DIGITAL: FIRST CUTS)
VIRGIN TV’S MUST-SEE MOMENT
CORONATION STREET (The death of Sinead Osbourne)
FLEABAG (The Confessional Scene)
GAME OF THRONES (Arya kills the Night King)
GAVIN & STACEY (Nessa proposes to Smithy)
LINE OF DUTY (John Corbett’s death)
LOVE ISLAND (Michael recouples after Casa Amor)
Additionally, the full list of BAFTA Craft nominations can be found here: http://awards.bafta.org/award/2020/tvcraft
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