After key successes at the Emmys and Golden Globes, Sky Atlantic’s Chernobyl continued its phenomenal awards dominance with a record-breaking haul at the BAFTA Television Awards.

Having already scooped a magnificent seven wins at the organisation’s Crafts Awards last week, the factual miniseries added another two key prizes to its tally during this year’s virtual ceremony.

The five-part series, which explores the true events of the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, clinched the Best Mini-Series prize ahead of The Virtues, while Jared Harris overcame strong competition from Stephen Graham (The Virtues) to win Best Leading Actor for his portrayal of scientist Valery Legasov.

As a result, Chernobyl is officially the most decorated BAFTA-winning programme of all time, having surpassed the previous record held in a single year by the Channel 4 miniseries Sex Traffic (2004).

In one of the more predicted outcomes of the evening, 84-year-old veteran Glenda Jackson became the oldest recipient of the Leading Actress gong after prevailing for her powerful role as Maud, an elderly woman suffering with dementia in the BBC One television film Elizabeth is Missing.

The Birkenhead-born star and former Labour MP secured the prize in a tough field that included former category winners Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) and Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack).

Elsewhere, the joint Channel 4/Netflix production The End of the F***ing World surprisingly won Best Drama Series ahead of The Crown and Giri/Haji while cast member Naomi Ackie was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her role as vengeful killer Bonnie.

Meanwhile, the Best Supporting Actor accolade was presented to Will Sharpe for his turn as homosexual rent boy Rodney Yamaguchi in the BBC Two crime thriller Giri/Haji with victory coming at the expense of veteran Swedish star Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl).

The comedy fields produced a number of upsets starting in the Scripted Comedy category, as Channel 4’s Stath Lets Flats overcame tough competition from Fleabag and Derry Girls to win while creator and star Jamie Demetriou was awarded with the Male Comedy Performance prize for his reprised turn as hapless lettings agent Stath Charalambos.

More unexpectedly, a tearful Sian Clifford secured the Female Comedy Performance gong for her returning role as Claire in the acclaimed second series of BBC Three’s Fleabag.

An emotional Clifford thanked her co-star (and on-screen sister) Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who was heavily favoured to win the accolade after prevailing at the Emmys, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards during the recent awards season.

Elsewhere, ITV’s Emmerdale prevailed in the Best Soap & Continuing Drama category, while the Netflix miniseries When They See Us saw off the likes of HBO duo Euphoria and Succession to win the International award.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 scored a couple of major wins including a Best Entertainment Performance success for Mo Gilligan and his series The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan while the controversial Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland secured victory in the Best Factual Series category.

The other notable BAFTA winners on the night included The Left Behind (Single Drama), Taskmaster (Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Programme), Strictly Come Dancing (Entertainment Programme), The Last Survivors (Single Documentary), The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan (Features), Race Across the World (Reality and Constructed Factual), Yorkshire Ripper Files: A Very British Crime Story (Specialist Factual) and Blue Planet Live (Live Event).

In a close race, Virgin TV’s Must-See Moment was awarded to Gavin & Stacey for the scene in which Nessa (Ruth Wilson) proposed to Smithy (James Corden) during last year’s comeback Christmas special.

The hit BBC One sitcom prevailed in a strong category that included memorable scenes from Coronation Street, Game of Thrones, and Line of Duty.

Finally, the BAFTA Special Award was presented to actor Idris Elba for his contributions in creating opportunities in the industry.

Owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s ceremony was broadcast live on BBC One from a closed-doors studio, with just host Richard Ayoade and some award presenters there in person. As a result, the winners were forced to rely on their Wi-Fi connections to accept their prizes – and all seemed to go smoothly.

Additionally, many nominees got glammed up at home despite the lack of a red carpet – and shared their pictures on social media while enjoying the ceremony.

The full list of major BAFTA winners are…

BEST DRAMA SERIES
THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD

BEST MINI-SERIES
CHERNOBYL

BEST SINGLE DRAMA
THE LEFT BEHIND

BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Glenda Jackson, ELIZABETH IS MISSING

BEST LEADING ACTOR
Jared Harris, CHERNOBYL

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Naomi Ackie, THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will Sharpe, GIRI/HAJI

BEST SCRIPTED COMEDY
STATH LETS FLATS

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
Sian Clifford, FLEABAG

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
Jamie Demetriou, STATH LETS FLATS

BEST SOAP & CONTINUING DRAMA
EMMERDALE

BEST INTERNATIONAL
WHEN THEY SEE US

BEST COMEDY AND COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
TASKMASTER

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
STRICTLY COME DANCING

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE
Mo Gilligan, THE LATEISH SHOW WITH MO GILLIGAN

BEST FACTUAL SERIES
LEAVING NEVERLAND

BEST SINGLE DOCUMENTARY
THE LAST SURVIVORS

BEST FEATURES
THE MISADVENTURES OF ROMESH RANGANATHAN

BEST REALITY & CONSTRUCTED FACTUAL
RACE ACROSS THE WORLD

BEST SPECIALIST FACTUAL
YORKSHIRE RIPPER FILES: A VERY BRITISH CRIME STORY

BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS
UNDERCOVER: INSIDE CHINA’S DIGITAL GULAG (EXPOSURE)

BEST NEWS COVERAGE
HONG KONG PROTESTS

BEST LIVE EVENT
BLUE PLANET LIVE

BEST SPORT
2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP FINAL: ENGLAND V SOUTH AFRICA

BEST SHORT FORM PROGRAMME
BRAIN IN GEAR

VIRGIN MEDIA’S MUST-SEE MOMENT
GAVIN & STACEY (Nessa proposes to Smithy)

BAFTA SPECIAL AWARD
Idris Elba

Meanwhile, the full list of BAFTA Craft winners can be found here: http://awards.bafta.org/award/2020/tvcraft