The 2018 Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards took place in London May 13, with BBC Two’s “Peaky Blinders” winning the prestigious Best Drama Award. The ceremony was sponsored by the The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (better known as BAFTA) and hosted by Sue Perkins at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
British television’s big night had many winners, but was an especially big night for BBC Three’s “This Country,” a mockumentary style television show depicting life in rural Britain. It won the BAFTA for Scripted Comedy, and one of the stars, Daisy May Cooper, took home the award for Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme.
U.K. Greenlit: ‘Peaky Blinders,’ Timothée Chalamet’s Next Film + More Casting for 2018 Shoots
Three-part drama series “Three Girls” was the other standout of the night; written by Nicole Taylor and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, the BBC One mini-series depicts the events surrounding the Rochdale child sex abuse ring. Along with the show’s award for Best Mini-Series, star Molly Windsor won the BAFTA for Leading Actress. The program had already won three BAFTAs back at the April 22 British Academy Television Craft Awards.
Veteran actor Sean Bean took home the BAFTA for Leading Actor for his portrayal of a priest in the drama series “Broken.” The BAFTA for Supporting Actor went to Brían F. O’Byrne for his performance in “Little Boy Blue,” while Vanessa Kirby took home the BAFTA for Supporting Actress for her role as Princess Margaret in “The Crown.” This was the only win for the beloved Netflix series, though it was nominated for Best Drama; the show’s Queen Elizabeth II, Claire Foy, was also nominated for Best Actress.
Graham Norton won the sixth BAFTA of his career, for Entertainment Performance for “The Graham Norton Show.” The BAFTA for Male Performance in a Comedy Program went to Toby Jones for his role in “Detectorists.” Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” won the award for Best International Program, the only category for which non-British television shows are eligible.
This year’s BAFTA Television Awards included the new category of Short Form Program. Introduced this year to recognize programs lasting between three and 20 minutes, the dramedy series “Morgana Robinson’s Summer” was the inaugural winner.
Two honorary awards were also handed out at Sunday’s night ceremony. The Special Award was presented to sports broadcaster John Motson in recognition of his outstanding contribution to sports broadcasting over his 50 year career. The Fellowship Award was presented to Kate Adie, a groundbreaking news journalist. For more TV awards coverage, click here!
Check out Backstage’s TV audition listings!