Four prizes for Adolescence as they dominate BAFTA Awards

Netflix drama Adolescence was the big winner at the Bafta TV awards, scooping up a record-breaking four prizes, as Irish nominees missed out.

The series won Limited Drama, Leading Actor for Stephen Graham, Supporting Actor for Owen Cooper and Supporting Actress for Christine Tremarco.

Cooper became the youngest winner of the award at sixteen years old as the accolade will go alongside the Emmy, Golden Globe, National Television, Royal Television Society and Actor Awards he has already won.

"In the words of John Lennon, you won't get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it," he said.

"So in my eyes I think you only need three things to succeed: one, you need an obsession; two, you need a dream; and, three, you need the Beatles."

BAFTA winner Owen Cooper outlines the three things you need in life ❤️#BAFTATVAwards with @pandocruises pic.twitter.com/EODgGYgXLH

— BAFTA (@BAFTA) May 10, 2026

It was Graham's first Bafta win after seven previous nominations.

“We're not digging holes, we're not digging ditches, we're not saving lives, but we have the opportunity to tell the human condition, and we have the obligation to tell beautiful stories and we need to keep that going,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“Anything is possible” ✨

Stephen Graham takes home the award for Leading Actor at the #BAFTATVAwards with @pandocruises pic.twitter.com/dJWZKyrQOj

— BAFTA (@BAFTA) May 10, 2026

Irish nominees that missed out included Graham Norton’s The Graham Norton Show, which had been shortlisted in the Entertainment category, and Dublin actor Philippa Dunne, who was nominated for Actress in a Comedy for Amandaland.

The Belfast-set drama Blue Lights was also nominated for Drama Series, while Trespasses, based on Louise Kennedy’s acclaimed Northern Ireland-set novel, was in the running for Limited Drama.

The Celebrity Traitors, the most-watched programme of last year with more than 15 million viewers, won best reality programme.

Prime Video's hit Last One Laughing was named best entertainment programme, beating BBC One heavyweights The Graham Norton Show, Michael McIntyre's Big Show and Would I Lie To You.

Steve Coogan won best actor in a comedy for How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge).

“Doing comedy in these troubled times is so important. It's a privilege to make people laugh after all these years,” he said.

"I will keep on doing it. If anyone wants to know when Alan Partridge is going to die, it's about the same time that I am going to die."

Katherine Parkinson won best comedy actress for her role as mum in the sitcom Here We Go.

The current affairs prize went to Gaza: Doctors Under Attack after it was pulled by the BBC last year and later shown on Channel 4.

"This award means so much to us," Ramita Navai,told the audience, before speaking about the numbers of women, children and healthcare workers who have been killed in Gaza.

"These are the findings of our organisation that the BBC failed to show but we refused to be silenced and censored and we thank Channel 4."