Rules and guidelines

The BAFTA Television Awards are presented annually to recognise, honour and reward individuals for outstanding human achievement in originating, shaping and realising the final artistic outcome regardless of the tools used to bring this work to life. Where the use of Generative AI or other digital tools is relevant to the assessment of the work, BAFTA reserves the right to request additional information regarding the nature of such use and the extent of human creative involvement.

All programmes must have had their first transmission in the UK between 1 January and 31 December 2026 on terrestrial, cable, satellite, streamer or digital channels. New broadcasters/ streamers entering for the first time must email [email protected] in advance to confirm platform eligibility.

Programmes must have a minimum running time of three minutes unless otherwise stated in the category rules. There is no maximum run time, with the exception of Short Form where only shows with a running time of less than 20 minutes will be accepted.

To enter into the genre categories, the programme should have been initiated and developed in the UK; with creative control residing within the UK and/or a UK broadcaster must have the primary editorial control over the programme.

Programmes will be considered for one production category only.

Programmes with two or more series in one calendar year can only enter one series. Exceptions are in the case of Soaps (and other ‘continuing dramas’).

Pilot episodes may enter. If the series is green lit for a full series, the same episode may not enter in any following years, but other episodes may enter.

Specials or one-offs from series with continuing narratives and/or characters should be categorised in the same way as an episode from the series.

Programmes that are self-commissioned and self-published are not eligible for the Television Awards.

Programmes scheduled to have episodes in two separate calendar years (e.g. December 2026 and January 2027) cannot enter the same series in two consecutive years. If the majority of the programme airs in 2026, as long as any episodes airing in 2027 can be provided for voters, the full programme should be entered into the 2027 awards. Where a programme is otherwise meaningfully released in 2026 and carries over to 2027 it may be considered for the 2027 awards. These will be considered on an appeal basis, and you must email [email protected] with the details of your programme.

“International” Programmes

For any programme to be eligible, it must air to UK audiences, however, if editorial control resides outside of the UK, the programme can only enter into the International category. Where the entry is a co-production, we would look to where the entry was initiated and developed and which broadcaster department had overall creative control.

British performers from entries into the International category will be permitted to enter into the performance categories so long as two of the following three criteria are met:

• The UK is the usual place of residency (currently residing or resident for a minimum of six years when the entry was made)
• The UK is the usual place of employment for the candidate(s) for nomination
• The UK is the place of birth or naturalisation

Entering into other BAFTA Ceremonies

BAFTA also presents awards for films and short films at the BAFTA Film Awards. An entry can be made to either the BAFTA Television and Television Craft Awards or the BAFTA Film Awards, not both.

You should enter into the BAFTA Television (and by default, Television Craft Awards too) if:

• A work was intended to receive its first exhibition as a television broadcast;
• A work was originated or commissioned by a broadcaster;

You should enter into the BAFTA Film Awards if:

• A work was intended to receive its first exhibition as a public, paid-entry cinema screening and has a subsequent eligible release

You should email [email protected] if:

•  A work (over 70 minutes) is released into cinemas and on television or online on the same day
•  A work receives its first exhibition online
•  A work was intended to receive its first exhibition theatrically, but does not have a subsequent eligible release and was then subsequently broadcast on television;
• A work has had a theatrical release and has then been subsequently re-cut for television – this is ineligible unless a significant amount of new material has been shot specifically for the broadcast

Short Form Television and British Short Film & Animation
Programmes with running times of between three minutes and twenty minutes (forty minutes for the Film Awards) may be eligible for the short film categories of the Film Awards and the Short Form category of the Television Awards, but cannot be entered for both. In this case, the principle of intention with the first exhibition will generally apply:

• Shorts that were commissioned by or had their premiere on television or an online broadcast platform should be entered into the Television Awards;
• Shorts intended to be shown at an eligible film festival should be entered into the Film Awards;
• Content originating from or commissioned by a broadcaster will generally be expected to be entered into the Television Awards regardless of its first exhibition;

If in doubt, please contact [email protected] with details of the commissioning process to determine the eligibility of your film.

For details of eligibility for the Film Awards (including Short Film categories), see separate rules and guidelines at www.bafta.org/awards/awards-information/film.

BAFTA Cymru and BAFTA Scotland Awards
Eligible programmes which enter into the BAFTA Television Awards can also enter into the BAFTA Scotland Awards and BAFTA Cymru Awards.

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Entries for the production categories can be submitted by broadcasters, independent production companies, directors, producers, writers, entered performers; or representatives thereof.

Payment must be made as soon as possible following completion of entries and must settle in BAFTA’s accounts prior to the entry deadline – we do not accept extended payment terms outside of these dates. Failure to make payment will lead to withdrawal of entries.

Entrants with previous debts on prior year entries or tickets will not be approved.

Entry Process
All entries and diversity forms must be made via the entry site entry.bafta.org. Entries are manually checked by a member of the BAFTA Awards Team.

Entrants can submit programmes yet to be transmitted. These entries should use a placeholder video and will be reviewed by BAFTA – videos only approved for member viewing after transmission.

Entries are not complete until both the entry and diversity forms are submitted, the related episode uploaded and payment processed. Entries received after the relevant deadline will not be accepted after the date and will not be eligible for future awards.

To complete an entry into the TV Awards you must complete two forms. These are broken down below with the following required for each submission:

1) Programme entry form – All submissions

• A synopsis of the programme under consideration of maximum 375 characters (with spaces)
• Production company, channel, broadcaster and series/episode details
• Landscape publicity image for BAFTA View (16:9, min. size 436x245px but larger preferred)
• The full episode uploaded to the Media Library page and selected on the entry form. This must include an option to view with subtitles
• A PDF containing a full list of credits for the series as a whole including both front and end credits
• Daytime: Supporting statement (1000 words)
• News Coverage: Top-line summary (100 words); Supporting Statement (1000 words)
• Live Event Coverage and Sports Coverage: Episode upload to be edited to maximum 60 minutes duration; top-line summary (1000 words); between three and five mini-statements in support of specialist aspects of the production (maximum 1000 words total)- see specific Awards Categories below for details
• Soap: Provide up to four episodes and supporting statement (1000 words) and summary for members (100 words)
• Performance categories: An additional still will be required for the performer, which may be used on the voting site and in the event of a nomination. A clips reel, max six clips or 10 minutes (whatever comes first) will be required for performers who are being entered for a series. It is strongly encouraged that subtitles are included with this reel.
• Names, roles, gender identity and contact emails of those who made the most creative contribution to the production. See the Individuals being submitted for nomination section below.
• Three production stills (i.e. images from the programme as broadcast, rather than press shots) from the episode entered which can be used by BAFTA in the event of a nomination. Images must be high resolution JPEG or TIFF files, min. 600px wide.
• For international programmes only: Confirmation as to whether the programme has engaged with albert, BAFTA’s sustainability tool
• For international programmes only on this form: details on any Bullying And Harassment guidelines followed by the production

2) Diversity Standards form -automatically created upon submission of programme entry form for UK programme submissions only

• Diversity standards data (see more under the Data Collection section)
• Confirmation as to whether the programme has engaged with albert, BAFTA’s sustainability tool
• Bullying And Harassment guidelines upload and indication if the production is aligned with CIISA standards

Individuals submitted for Nomination
There must be careful consideration of who is proposed as those listed for nomination as changes cannot be made once nominations have been announced.

Up to six names, dependent on category, can be put forward as named nominees or production team representatives.

The names submitted must be those who had the lead creative contribution to the programme. These individuals must have worked on the series that has been submitted for consideration, but need not be credited on the episode submitted. Commissioning editors and executives who work within the broadcaster commissioning teams will not be accepted. Where an agreement cannot be made on candidates, BAFTA will use the episode supplied as the final arbiter for candidates and label publicly as ‘production team’. BAFTA and the Television Committee retain the right to question the eligibility of any individual put forward.

For scripted pieces, the writer, director and producer must be submitted as candidates. Executive producers, production managers and line producers would be accepted if the candidate had creative contribution and as long as the above credits have not been omitted.

For non-scripted pieces, the producer and director must be submitted, followed by any others who had creative control over the programme. This may include roles such as the editor, writer, line producer, production manager and executive producers, if the candidate had creative contribution and as long as the above credits have not been omitted. Presenters will only be accepted on the basis that they have significant involvement at a senior editorial/creative level equivalent to the above roles, and you must provide a brief statement on their contribution on the entry form in order for your entry to be approved.

On the form you must specify how you wish to list the nomination publicly by choosing either:
(1) Candidates for nomination: individual names will be made public; the individuals can call themselves ‘BAFTA winning’ e.g. PROGRAMME Jane Doe, John Smith or;
(2) Production team: nomination listed as ‘production team’, names not made public. Please note that it is the programme that is being recognised, not the individuals, and these individuals will not be able to refer to themselves as BAFTA nominees or winners. E.g. PROGRAMME Production Team
For both options those individuals eligible to be submitted as candidates/ representatives remain the same and would be the person(s) who receives the nomination certificate(s) and, should the programme go on to win, will also be presented with the winner certificate(s) and award(s).

Candidates for nomination and production team representatives will be reviewed at point of entry, at which point entrants will be contacted for more information where necessary. The entrant will be asked to confirm that the names provided have been agreed upon with the entire senior team.

Appeals

We are aware each production operates independently, so other creative roles not typically eligible may be accepted as a candidate on an appeal basis. For this reason, roles accepted in any one year or entry does not mean automatic inclusion in another year or entry. BAFTA nominees are under intense scrutiny. Every candidate and entry is checked thoroughly to be as fair as possible in the process. All exceptions will only be given on case by case basis. BAFTA reserves the right to remove or query any individuals not listed who have an eligible credit or any of those that are listed outside of the above roles.

Detail of the candidates’ creative contribution will be required in the Credits – Appeals section on the entry form. Appeals should contain short statements from the programme’s producer(s), from the individual(s) concerned and from team members working directly with the individual(s) as appropriate. See the sections on Individuals being submitted for Nomination and Voting Process for more information. All appeals should be submitted by the entry deadlines; no appeals will be accepted after these dates.

Legal Entry Conditions

Upon submitting, entrants must confirm that there are no open issues relating to the production which could bring BAFTA into disrepute, should this information come into the public domain.

Entry and Nominations
BAFTA reserves the right to change and/or withdraw named candidates/nominees at any point of the entry and judging process and post nominations, and to rescind and/or suspend any nomination.

Awards
BAFTA shall, in its absolute discretion, be entitled to suspend, revoke or rescind any entry or nomination, or impose such other conditions as it shall consider reasonable in the circumstances. Grounds for suspension, revocation or rescission include (but will not be limited to):

• In the case of a film/programme/series/ game if any aspect of the production or distribution of the same, or the acts or omissions of any individual are capable of bringing BAFTA into disrepute;
• If a television programme, film, game, or individual entrant is proven to have used duplicitous and/or illegal methods in the course of making their work; or
•  If a television programme, film, game, or individual entrant is found to have made their entry with false information or information that renders their application ineligible.

In the case of a competitive award presented in/after 2025, if an individual named winner is:

• Charged with any criminal offence (in which case the award will be suspended until the outcome of the trial); or
• Found guilty by the UK courts of any criminal offence and is sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three months or more (whether or not suspended).

General
Full disclosure must be made to BAFTA promptly of any of the above occurrences including the outcome of any investigations you or any third party has conducted with respect to such occurrence. BAFTA is under no obligation, in advance of exercising its discretion to suspend, revoke or rescind either a nomination or any award, to carry any investigation nor to determine the accuracy or veracity of any allegations of misconduct and may rely on information in the public domain or which is disclosed to BAFTA in confidence.

Data Collection

BAFTA studies entry data across its Awards ceremonies to deepen understanding and provide insights into how the screen industries are progressing on diversity and inclusion and to highlight areas of underrepresentation. This data informs rule changes as well as interventions and initiatives offered by BAFTA to address these issues. Data will be collected on the following:

Diversity Standards
Entrants will be assessed against the BFI’s Diversity Standards criteria using an updated form and all programmes must meet:

• Standard C: Industry Access and Opportunities and
• At least one of Standard A: On Screen Representation, Standard B: Creative Leadership, D: Audience Development or E: Accessibility

If Standard C plus one other are not met, the programme will only be eligible on an appeal basis, and supporting information must be provided. BAFTA’s intention with this rule is to encourage equity of opportunity and increased representation across the British industry, rather than to exclude any productions from the awards and we understand that there are some factors that may prohibit meeting all three standards.

The data collected as part of the BAFTA entry process will provide a valuable picture of where the industry is at as a whole. BAFTA and the BFI will work with the broadcasters to share best practice and develop resources and networking opportunities where necessary to help productions achieve the Standards.

Bullying and Harassment
BAFTA’s purpose of levelling the playing field is reflected in our vision of people from all backgrounds thriving in the screen industries. All entrants will be asked for details of the production company policies on bullying and harassment – having a bullying and harassment policy is mandatory for all UK entries. This must be supplied by the production company as the employer; rather than the broadcaster or streamer.

BAFTA is also a supporter of CIISA, and expects all UK productions to proactively align with the CIISA Standards to create consistently safe and inclusive workplaces. More information is available. Entrants are required to declare if productions were committed to consistently safe and inclusive working environments in alignment with the industry-endorsed CIISA Standards. Whilst it is not mandatory to be aligned with the CIISA Standards for the 2027 Awards, the expectation is that this will become a requirement in future years.

Sustainability & BAFTA Albert

As part of our commitment to sustainability we continue to collect data from entrants to demonstrate if they had completed the industry leading albert carbon calculator, and separately, Albert certification (the latter achieved via successful implementation of their Carbon Action Plan which helps to actively reduce emissions). Alternatively, we will collect information on any other sustainability tools used. This information will inform our decisions around sustainability criteria in the future; however, in the event of any changes we will consult the industry before introducing to ensure enough lead-time for productions.

Gender

BAFTA is requesting that the gender for all potential candidates for nomination be provided. This is for 1) internal research purposes, to inform BAFTA’s ongoing research into gender in our industry. The information collated is aggregated, anonymised and processed in compliance with our privacy policy and 2) For the Entertainment Performance intervention, see more in the VOTING PROCESS section. By submitting this data you are agreeing that the individual concerned is happy for you to share this information and that it can be stored and used in compliance with our privacy policy (as above). Providing this information is not mandatory.

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These awards are presented at the discretion of the BAFTA Television Committee; therefore may not all be presented in any given year. The awards would usually be presented at the annual ceremony but may also be presented at a different time of year at the boards’ discretion. There is no submission process for these awards, but we welcome proposals at any time during the awards cycle via [email protected].

FELLOWSHIP
The Fellowship is the highest accolade BAFTA can bestow. It is presented to an individual with a substantive body of work in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to television. The Fellowship is presented to individuals who are aligned with BAFTA’s aims of excellence, championing creativity, opportunity and social change for all through the transformative power of television, and who embody the highest professional standards.

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These awards are presented at the discretion of the BAFTA Television Committee; therefore may not all be presented in any given year. The awards would usually be presented at the annual ceremony but may also be presented at a different time of year at the boards’ discretion. There is no submission process for these awards, but we welcome proposals at any time during the awards cycle via [email protected].

SPECIAL
Special Awards are presented to individuals whom the Academy believe have made a significant, inspiring and outstanding contribution to their sector through a particular project(s) and/or their work which generally lies outside of the competitive award categories and who may not have received the recognition they deserve

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PROGRAMME CATEGORIES

Unless specified within category rules:

• Entrants must pick only one episode from the series to represent the series
• The full episode must be uploaded
• There will be four nominations announced for most production categories; exceptions are the following:
  – Any categories with fewer than 15 total entries, where three will be announced
  – International where six will be announced

A ‘limited’ drama series or anthology / single drama, between one and 19 episodes, that tells a complete story and is not intended to return, e.g. Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Baby Reindeer, Lost Boys and Fairies, One Day. In the case of anthologies, multiple episodes may be submitted as separate entries provided the narrative of each episode is entirely self-contained and there are no recurring characters.

If a further series has been announced or planned the programme should be entered into Drama Series, unless this is an anthology (i.e. different characters appearing in future episodes/ series).

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A drama series, between two and 19 episodes, designed to return for future seasons with ongoing characters and storylines, e.g. Blue Lights, Sherwood, Supacell, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.

Any debut drama series will be asked to provide evidence of return, this can include a public announcement of further series or confidential documentation on a series two commission. If this is not provided, the programme may be moved to Limited Drama.

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A continuing drama usually transmitted for a minimum of 20 episodes throughout the eligibility period.

Up to four episodes of a series must be uploaded. One may be a special but cannot exceed 100 minutes.

A supporting statement of up to 1000 words should also be provided, along with a topline summary statement (max 100 words). This statement should include a précis of the year, including the context of the storyline(s) submitted, the challenges faced producing a high volume continuing drama and any other information relevant to the creative achievement over the past 12 months.

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A scripted programme in which the content is primarily comedic, covering situational comedies, scripted sketch shows and where a programme crosses both comedy and drama, the commissioning team and/or entrant will be reviewed.

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A single programme or episode from a series of any genre where the editorial control is primarily outside of the UK. Children’s programming is not eligible for this category.

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More than one factual programme linked through a unified approach, narrative or the thematic development of a subject matter.

Excludes strands such as Storyville (individual episodes of strands should enter into Single Documentary).

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Specifically for arts, religion, history, natural history and science programmes and can include both factual and performance programmes.

Programmes are typically driven by on-screen experts and/or may be presenter led.

‘Factual drama’ is only admissible when the content accurately recreates specific historical events. Dramas presented as ‘factual’ on the basis they broadly represent historical events should be entered into the drama categories.

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For one-off documentaries only.

Includes individual episodes of documentary strands (such as Storyville).

Contemporary history may be eligible here dependent on approach.

May be presenter-led, however, if the presenter is an established news and current affairs reporter, then the programme should be entered in the Current Affairs category. The exception to this would be if the programme is observational and based on the reporters lived experience.

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Includes formatted features and factual programmes, including cookery and cookery competitions, travelogues, gardening, property, fashion and all other lifestyle programming and studio discussions.

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Includes chat, game, talent, panel and music shows and stand-up (where created for television) e.g. Would I Lie to You?, The 1% Club, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Taskmaster.

Up to one hour of the entered programme must be uploaded. The hour of footage must be as broadcast, but can be segmented to reflect different elements of the footage. The footage must be linear, be clear that it is not continuous footage and be from the same programme.

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Follows constructed factual and/or unscripted ‘real life’ situations that are continuously filmed or programmes where participants are put into an environment or format and then observed interacting in situations devised by the producer.

This can include anything from shows where in a single episode subjects act according to format rules (e.g., Dragon’s Den, Gogglebox), to longer form real life soap operas when there is significant production intervention or staging, to bigger scale formats where large casts of contestants perform elaborate tasks often living together within a constructed universe (e.g. I’m a Celebrity…. Get Me Out of Here!, Love Island, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK).

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Programmes defined by their high volume and returnability, delivering consistent quality over a long run, often with a highly restrictive tariff. These formats have staying power and generate endless stories, with characters and/or contributors that people want to watch every day. Their intent to serve a particular audience is often integral to the show, and some programmes may have a big impact on the viewers.

The programme must transmit between 9.00am and 7.00pm. Maximum one hour’s coverage can be uploaded.

This should coincide with a supporting statement of up to 1000 words. This statement should include a précis of the year and include the context of the episode that has been submitted for consideration and may include any challenges, budgetary restriction and any other relevant information that will support in highlighting the creative achievements over the previous 12 months.

Excludes news programming which should be entered into News Coverage.

Drama is not eligible, and should be entered into the relevant drama category.

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For single shorts, short form series and shorts from a strand of any genre between three and 20 minutes.

Individual episodes of strands may be submitted where it can be proven that the individual episodes are separately commissioned with different production teams and/or production.

Children’s animation and news are not eligible.

Clipped content taken from a long form programmes and re-purposed for short form content is not eligible.

For self-commissioned content that falls outside of the eligibility rules, please contact the awards team (see CONTACTS section) with in-depth production details, which will be reviewed by BAFTA’s Television Committee.

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For single films, or films from a strand that are primarily concerned with unfolding current affairs. Films from established current affairs strands such as Dispatches, Exposure, Panorama, This World and Unreported World should be entered into this category. If a film is strongly observational in character, entrants can make a case for the film to be entered as a Single Documentary, but the final decision on categorisation will rest with BAFTA.

Programmes will demonstrate a commitment to original journalism of the highest order and will aim to provide revelation, fresh insight and analysis. It will move on the agenda and debate. It will promote new understanding through analysis or reportage, and will be representative of journalism that makes a difference.

Films led by an established current affairs reporter should usually be entered into this category.

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An individual news programme. Maximum one hour’s coverage can be uploaded with a supporting statement of maximum 1000 words and a topline summary statement (max 100 words). This statement should include the techniques used and any other relevant production information that will assist all voting stages. It cannot include any quotes or ratings about the programme.

In the case of 24-hour news channels, the broadcaster can submit news programming of up to one hour’s duration, running continuously without any internal editing.

In this category, correspondents and reporters are eligible as candidates if they had editorial control over the programme.

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Specifically for the television coverage of a sporting event. Coverage will demonstrate the gold standard of commentating and punditry, fresh use of insight and analysis, original studio set up.

If the entries do not reach 12 the category may be merged into Sport & Live Event Coverage.

Events may take place over a number of days and if so, both the statement and uploaded footage provided should be clear that this is the case. This is permitted for ‘tournament’ formats – such as World Cups, Olympics, Championships and Opens. But not for longer ‘season’ formats or cup competitions that extend over a season-type period. (For example in Formula 1, a single Grand Prix is accepted – but not the whole year’s championship).

Up to one hour of the entered programme must be uploaded. The hour of footage must be as broadcast, but can be segmented to reflect different elements of the footage. The footage must be linear, be clear that it is not continuous footage and be from the same programme.

Both the footage, topline summary statement (max 100 words) and supporting statement (max 1000 words) should as standard discuss production techniques, the event itself and be clear if the footage used is taken from a feed, without referring to reviews and ratings. It should then look to address at least three of the five following areas:

1. Storytelling – how did the production pick out and enhance stories from live action as it unfolded? Examples of editorial decisions made in advance or in the moment and how they convey the excitement of the occasion.
2. Scale – talk about the scale of the production and event and how the coverage delivered a package that not just lived up to this, but may go above and beyond
3. Commentary & Punditry – details on the choice of talent, and why? Examples of how the commentary and/or punditry enhanced the production and viewer experience
4. Innovation – examples of new or recent techniques and features used in this production, and how they enhanced the viewer experience
5. Audience appeal – how did the production 1) Deliver for the existing audience 2) Show potential to grow the audience beyond the existing fan base, especially with a view to inclusivity

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Specifically for the television coverage of a live event. Coverage will demonstrate the gold standard of commentating and punditry, fresh use of insight and analysis, original studio set up.

If the entries do not reach 12 the category may be merged into Sport & Live Event Coverage.

Events may take place over a number of days and if so, both the statement and uploaded footage provided should be clear that this is the case.

A minimum of 50% of the programme should be live to qualify for the category.

Live episodes of traditionally pre-recorded programmes are not eligible. Live performances, stage/theatre style programmes may be eligible only if they are conceived for television.

The programme may be ‘as live’ as long as the footage is not heavily edited in post and transmits in order.

Up to one hour of the entered programme must be uploaded. The hour of footage must be as broadcast, but can be segmented to reflect different elements of the footage. The footage must be linear, be clear that it is not continuous footage and be from the same programme.

Both the footage, topline summary statement (max 100 words) and supporting statement (max 1000 words) should as standard discuss production techniques, the event itself and be clear if the footage used is taken from a feed, without referring to reviews and ratings. It should then look to address at least three of the five following areas:

1. Storytelling – how did the production pick out and enhance stories from live action as it unfolded? Examples of editorial decisions made in advance or in the moment and how they convey the excitement of the occasion.
2.  Scale – talk about the scale of the production and event and how the coverage delivered a package that not just lived up to this, but may go above and beyond
3. Commentary & Punditry – details on the choice of talent, and why? Examples of how the commentary and/or punditry enhanced the production and viewer experience
4. Innovation – examples of new or recent techniques and features used in this production, and how they enhanced the viewer experience
5. Audience appeal – how did the production 1) Deliver for the existing audience 2) Show potential to grow the audience beyond the existing fan base, especially with a view to inclusivity

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CHILDREN’S CATEGORIES

These categories are specifically for content designed for audiences aged 16 and under. Performers from these programmes may enter into the performance categories. A maximum of three names can be put forward and we would expect these to be the Director, Producer and Writer.

• Entrants must pick only one episode from the series to represent the series
• The full episode must be uploaded
• There will be four nominations announced for most production categories; exceptions are the following:
  – Any categories with fewer than 15 total entries, where three will be announced.

For scripted content such as drama and comedy. Content can be either live action or animation.

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For live action and animated non-scripted content such as factual, factual entertainment, documentary and news.

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PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES

All individual comedy, drama, entertainment and children’s programme ‘performers’ are eligible for consideration in these categories apart from those from programmes entered into International category, whereby the performer will only be able to enter so long as two of the following criteria are met:

•  The UK is the usual place of residency (currently residing or resident for a minimum of six years when the entry was made)
• The UK is the usual place of employment for the candidate(s) for nomination
•  The UK is the place of birth or naturalisation

Performers may only enter individually, unless in Entertainment Performance where a pair with equal billing may enter together. There will be six nominees for each performance category.

Individual performers are able to enter into the category of their choosing. For nominated non binary or gender diverse performers, individuals are able to remove the reference to gender on their award and certificate to read as ‘performer’ (for example “leading performer”, “supporting performer”, “performer in a comedy”). You must contact [email protected] to amend.

In all entries, where a performer appears in a series, one episode of that series may be entered and uploaded for judging. The performer under consideration must be consulted as to which episode is being put forward as that performance will be used to judge their performance in the first round of voting.

A clips reel will be required for performers who are being entered for a series; this must feature a minimum of one, maximum number of six clips from across the series to highlight the range of the work outside of the episode submitted in support of the entry. This clip reel has no minimum length but can be up to ten minutes’ duration, running continuously without any internal editing (blank screens between clips will be accepted). The intention is to show the performers work across a series and should not be an edited show reel. Where possible, this reel should include subtitles – either burned-in or via VTT/SRT file.

For performers from any drama. The category in which individuals are placed, whether Leading or Supporting, is determined by the entrant. The entrant should consult the production/performer to ensure the episode submitted is reflective of the category. BAFTA will largely adhere to the category selected by the entrant but will also monitor entries and reserves the right to change the category.

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For performers from any drama. The category in which individuals are placed, whether Leading or Supporting, is determined by the entrant. The entrant should consult the production/performer to ensure the episode submitted is reflective of the category. BAFTA will largely adhere to the category selected by the entrant but will also monitor entries and reserves the right to change the category.

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For performers from any drama. The category in which individuals are placed, whether Leading or Supporting, is determined by the entrant. The entrant should consult the production/performer to ensure the episode submitted is reflective of the category. BAFTA will largely adhere to the category selected by the entrant but will also monitor entries and reserves the right to change the category.

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For performers from any drama. The category in which individuals are placed, whether Leading or Supporting, is determined by the entrant. The entrant should consult the production/performer to ensure the episode submitted is reflective of the category. BAFTA will largely adhere to the category selected by the entrant but will also monitor entries and reserves the right to change the category.

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For entertainment performers from Daytime, Entertainment, Factual Entertainment and Reality categories.

Where two performers are billed equally as a pair, they may enter together. Both performers must consent to being considered as a duo. This excludes panel shows where there are more than two panellists. Final decision on categorisation will lie with BAFTA’s Television Committee.

Includes stand-up where created for television, and not a filmed version of an existing production. Documentary presenters are not eligible.

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For performers from any programmes entered into the Scripted Comedy category.

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For performers from any programmes entered into the Scripted Comedy category.

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AUDIENCE AWARD

The P&O Cruises Memorable Moment award celebrates moments in television that have moved a nation and had the greatest impact on fans and audiences over the course of the calendar year.

The contender list and nominations are decided by a jury of TV and entertainment media experts.

The winner is the only award to be chosen by the British public.

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In order for a category to proceed at the Television Awards, it must receive a minimum of 12 entries. This is with the exception of any category with an exemption – see VOTING PROCESS: Summary Table below (in those cases they go straight to round two: nominations). Where any other category receives fewer than 12 entries, BAFTA may choose not to present the award at the ceremony.

Any category proceeding with fewer than 15 entries will proceed with three nominations. All other categories have four nominations (programme) or six nominations (performance and International).

All voting is authenticated by BAFTA’s appointed scrutineers. The voting process is as follows:

Round One: Longlisting Round (Membership Voting)
All round one voting is conducted online. In advance of the opening date, all voting members are informed of the rules and once opened, must vote or register their abstention. They are able to cast up to six votes per category but may register their abstention from any category.

Longlists Finalised: Interventions and broadcaster entry process
The top six voted entries from the membership vote are automatically added to the round two longlist.

Interventions: In the Entertainment Performance category, an intervention is in place to ensure gender parity between women and men performers (inclusive of trans women and trans men) on the longlist. Performers who identify as non-binary / gender diverse who rank within the voting results range of the top women and men performers will proceed to the longlist, in addition to the top three men and top three women performers.

Broadcaster entries: each broadcaster then has the opportunity to add up to two additional programmes or performers per category that did not proceed through the membership vote. This stage is intended to make the jury lists more inclusive. The entries can be existing entries that did not pass through the membership vote, or new entries not submitted by error in the first round. For performance categories only, the first broadcaster entry must represent performers from an under-represented group, as defined by the current BFI’s Diversity standards. A second broadcaster entry will not be permitted unless this has been fulfilled.

This process opens after the round one membership vote has been confirmed by BAFTA’s external auditors. Broadcaster entries will not be accepted in categories that go straight to round two for consideration. Broadcasters will be invited directly. If you think you qualify for this process and for further information on entering and pricing for this entry stage please contact the awards team (see CONTACTS section). The longlist is then complete.

Round Two – Nominations Voting (Juries or Member Voting)
Round two is either a jury or member vote, depending on category. Voters or jurors will be sent the longlist in advance of voting opening/the jury.

JURIES: Each jury has between nine and 12 individuals per category with a chair running the meeting appointed from current or past Television Committees but may include other sector committee members. Once a chair is appointed, they work with the Awards team to build the lists of jurors where specific expertise knowledge is required. All jurors provide their time on a voluntary basis. Members are invited to put their names forward to be added to a panel of potential jurors each year. These lists are subject to Television Committee approval. All juries decide the nominations. Most juries then go on to decide the winner, but not all – see round three (winner round). A secure online voting system is in place, audited and monitored by our appointed scrutineers.

MEMBERSHIP VOTING: The longlist is sent back out to members. When voting opens, they will be asked to confirm they have watched all entries on the longlist before casting their vote on the nominations. They are able to vote on nominations in that category but may register their abstention from any category. Members will get four votes per category (aside from International where they get six, and unless there were less than 15 entries in which case they will get three).

Round Three – Winner Voting (Juries or Membership Voting)
JURIES: The same jury discuss and vote on one winner.

MEMBERSHIP VOTING: Once nominations are announced, these categories return to the members to vote on the winner. Members will get one vote per category, and will be asked to confirm they have watched all nominated programmes within the category before being permitted to vote. They may register their abstention from any category.

JURY COMPILATION RULES
BAFTA juries should be diverse and representative and for the Television Awards the following best practice guidelines will be followed:

These juries will endeavour to incorporate a diversity of voice and thought and:

• Will have between nine and 12 jurors, with a quorate of seven, except in instances where a larger number of voices is required
• Will be made up of a majority of experts with significant experience in the relevant discipline, complemented by a number of jurors from other disciplines or genres that represent a broad range of voices
• In order to ensure balance and that the demographic make-up of the jury is as wide as possible, each jury should aim to contain:
  – Good representation of gender (50:50) and from under-represented ethnicities
  – Represent a range of diversity indicators and those from underrepresented groups – including but not limited to age, LGBTQI+, D/deaf & disabled, socioeconomic background and location
• A juror cannot participate in the same jury in two consecutive years, apart from on juries where there is specified a need for continuity
• A chair cannot oversee the same jury in two consecutive years, apart from on juries where there is specified a need for continuity
• A juror must not have any conflicts of interest: jurors must not have any direct connection with any of the longlisted programmes: they cannot have worked on them, have a credit on them or have commissioned them. Any possible conflicts of interest, such as personal and professional connections to the candidates for nomination, must be declared to BAFTA before the meeting takes place. The jury chair and BAFTA Awards Team will determine what constitutes a conflict of interest.
• All Jury chairs and jurors must complete bias training prior to the jury meeting, and earlier in the process if possible;
• All jury chairs will attend a Jury chair briefing with members of the Television Committee, to ensure they are fully aware of how meetings should be run, specific rules for their category, etc.
• Jurors and Jury chairs must watch all longlisted titles prior to attending the jury meeting
• Jury meeting will be run as open, safe environments, enabling all jurors to speak and vote, freely; Jury Chairs will hold members accountable to contributing to this approach;
• During jury meetings, voting is via a secure online system developed by BAFTA and automatically relayed to BAFTA’s scrutineers; jurors are not aware of final results with this process;
• The list of jurors is not made public until the day of the ceremony, to avoid lobbying. Jurors are asked to keep their involvement confidential until that time, to avoid lobbying, and sign an NDA to ensure that all discussions within the meeting remain confidential

Screenings
All programmes that are entered are made available for members and jurors via BAFTA View to ensure an equal playing field. Any other campaigning for the 2027 BAFTA Television Awards is strictly not permitted.

Screening invitation emails may not be sent to voters. There must be no ‘for your consideration’ adverts during any live rounds, or BAFTA mentioned in any publicity while member voting is live between January and May. Any individuals or companies seen breaking these rules will be subject to sanctions.

Making programmes available to voters and jurors
Entrants must have uploaded their full programme to their entry in order to make their programmes available to BAFTA members once approved.

BAFTA members will be able to start watching entered programmes on BAFTA View from the middle of October. BAFTA will be sending out entry digests (informing voting members of every programme entered) periodically, so it is strongly encouraged that entrants submit their entries as early as possible to give BAFTA members a greater opportunity to view all material under consideration ahead of the final closing date in January.

The voting site is username and password-protected via two-step verification, and is only accessible by BAFTA members eligible to vote in the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises and the BAFTA Television Craft Awards. Videos must be available to either stream or download until the close of May, 2027. Videos will only be available to voting BAFTA members, BAFTA jurors and download availability is strictly for jury or awards production purposes only. For further information on the security controls in place to protect streamed and downloaded content, contact us.

Opportunities to screen your programme/ BAFTA’s year round screening programme 
Typically, BAFTA host a year round TV screenings programme which is mutually programmed by BAFTA and broadcasters/ streamers. The TV Preview screenings programme is made up of previews only, meaning only programmes which have not yet aired to the public will be screened. The programme aims to give members the opportunity to see a range of programmes across a host of genres and BAFTA works closely with broadcasters and streamers on their priority projects.

As a broad guideline, there is a screening allocation of one scripted and one non-scripted programme per organisation, per calendar year. If BAFTA have already previewed a first series within the TV screenings programme, any returning series will not be able to be considered.

A programme can’t be screened within the voting or judging period of its eligibility year i.e. a programme entering into the 2027 awards won’t be screened between January-May 2027.

BAFTA only has the capacity to programme a limited amount, and so are aware that broadcasters /streamers often deliver standalone screenings. Outside of voting period, and if there is 1) capacity to offer tickets to members (min. 30 tickets) and 2) a Q&A/learning element to the screening and 3) this is a preview, you may have the opportunity to include this in a BAFTA members newsletter. This is limited to one offer a month for a scripted or an unscripted project, per broadcaster/ streamer, with a maximum of eight member offers across the year, per broadcaster/ streamer.

Any company wanting to learn more about the TV preview screenings programme, please contact [email protected] to be redirected.

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The nominations for each category will be listed in alphabetical order.

Nominations will be announced approximately five weeks before the ceremony.

The winners list on bafta.org and winners press release is the definitive source of award winners’ information.

The BAFTA award or logo may not be reproduced or used in any commercial manner unless prior permission has been obtained from BAFTA.

The BAFTA award remains the property of BAFTA, to remain in the care of the recipient or his/her descendants. Should the award leave the care of the recipient or his/her descendants, the Academy reserves the right to purchase the award back for a fee of £1. The award must not be sold on to any third party.

Receiving Awards, Certificates and Plaques
All individual candidates for nomination and production team representatives will receive a certificate of nomination.

All individual candidates and production team representatives named as award winners will receive a BAFTA award and a winner’s certificate. Following the ceremony, BAFTA will commission individually engraved plaques, which may take up to six weeks following the ceremony. These will be sent directly to the winner to affix at home.

Please note that where you have opted for a production team credit no individual names will appear on either the certificate or award instead it will list ‘production team’.

For award winners unable to attend the awards ceremony on the night, their award will not be given out until the dedication plaque (bearing the winning candidate’s name and programme) has been received from our suppliers. This may be several weeks after the ceremony. Please contact [email protected] to arrange collection from BAFTA. If the recipient is based outside of the UK and is unable to send a representative to collect the award, the onus is on the recipient to cover the shipping costs.

Additional Certificates
Certain individuals and companies directly involved with nominated programmes could be eligible to purchase a duplicate nominees or winner certificate so that they can have a record of their involvement. These can be outside of roles listed in the ELIGIBILITY section however must be approved by an existing candidate or entrant.

Applications must be made via the BAFTA entry site any time after nominations, but will not be actioned until after the ceremony.

Additional Awards
In some circumstances the number of eligible candidates may exceed the amount of candidates submitted for each production category. In this instance the entrant may be eligible to appeal for additional awards to be purchased should a programme go on to win. Please note the maximum number of awards per win – including any such additional awards – cannot exceed eight. So if an entry named the maximum six permitted the candidates upon submission, they can appeal for no more than two additional awards in the event of a win. Appeals will only be accepted on behalf of candidates who would be eligible based on the rules listed in the Individuals submitted for Nomination section and are part of the lead editorial team:

Performance categories – no replicas will be offered.

Production categories Scripted – Producer, Director, Writer & Executive Producer.

Production Categories Non-Scripted – Producer, Director, Executive Producer, Series/Lead Editor. On screen presenters will only be considered where a creative production contribution can be shown.

All additional award requests will be considered by the Television Committee after the awards have taken place. Applications for additional awards will only be considered up to six months following the relevant Awards ceremony. Requests received after this date will not be accepted. If additional awards are purchased following a successful appeal, the recipients will not be named as nominees in the ceremony, BAFTA website, press release or any other related materials; or listed internally as production team representatives. The details will be stored separately, for archive purposes. The additional award will be inscribed with the name of the winning title and the category; no individual names will be listed.

Display Awards
Production companies and broadcasters may be eligible to request the lease of a display award. This relates to all production categories (i.e. not performance categories). Requests will be considered on a case by case basis and you should contact [email protected] for further information.

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BAFTA View (where members view entered content) and the awards entry site aim to provide the best possible viewing experience for your content. In order to achieve this, the entrant must provide a high quality version of the video file with minimum encoding to preserve quality. No time codes, where possible. Videos with broadcaster or production company idents or logos will not be accepted.

Full instructions on how to use the media library.

Please upload the video(s) as soon as possible to the media library so any playback issues can be resolved before entries close. After the video has uploaded, please play the file back, and contact [email protected] if there are any other questions or problems with uploading.

Placeholders
For programmes that have not had their first transmission at the time the entry form is completed – but will have done so by the entry close deadlines– it is possible to submit with a placeholder in lieu of the video file until the programme has transmitted. This will allow the rest of the entry form to be submitted and checked. Entries will not be approved until the video is uploaded, so the video should be uploaded at the earliest opportunity post transmission.

Entries which have not had videos uploaded by the specified deadlines above will be unsubmitted. Instructions on uploading a placeholder are found on the entry form.

Accessibility
It is now mandatory that all programmes submitted to the BAFTA Television Awards provide access to a subtitled version for the full episode. Wherever possible this should be done by uploading VTT text or SRT files (descriptive subtitles that can be attached to your video files) to your Media Library. See full instructions.

For entrants who are unable to source VTT or SRT files only, we will permit you to provide a link to a subtitled version from the relevant broadcaster or SVOD’s streaming service.

We also strongly encourage the provision of subtitles for any supporting reels in categories that provide them. Due to the bespoke nature of these reels, subtitled versions will not exist on streaming services, so we advise entrants to provide the subtitles via VTT/SRT or burned-in where possible. Contact us at [email protected] if this should prove difficult.

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Upon entering a programme via entry.bafta.org for BAFTA Television Awards consideration in any category, the programme owners are deemed to have conveyed to BAFTA, the right to choose excerpts, at BAFTA’s sole discretion, from the programme and from all approved and available promotional materials relating to the programme, including publicity stills, posters and Electronic press kits, which are submitted to BAFTA in connection with the programme’s Awards consideration for inclusion into the worldwide television and online broadcasts of the BAFTA Television Awards and on the BAFTA website and associated websites (including but not limited to, YouTube.com/BAFTA, Facebook.com/BAFTA, @BAFTA on X, Instagram and TikTok) for use in the context only of the Awards for 14 months from March 2027.

BAFTA commits that it will not select any clip which could be construed as a ‘spoiler’ for any viewer who has not yet seen the programme, but otherwise requires the freedom to select suitable clips to illustrate the craft or the individual nominated and to complement the clips selected for the other nominated programmes/ individuals.

Part of BAFTA’s charitable remit is to promote excellence to as large an audience as possible. In order to fulfil this, BAFTA intends to make clips and high-res stills (1mb/300ppi) of nominated programmes available to the public on BAFTA’s websites and social media channels and to UK and international media for editorial usage, in connection with the 2027 Television Awards for the duration of the campaign.

The owners shall have obtained all the aforementioned rights from the talent appearing in the programme, as well as all other represented personnel. For editorial and timing reasons, BAFTA’s co-production company, will contact the entrant directly to ask for HD clips for use in the ceremony. This will be over and above the EPK. Owners of nominated programmes are obligated, if requested, to submit these clips in format below, no later than five days following BAFTA’s co-production companies request for such materials. BAFTA and its co-production company will maintain all materials under appropriate security.

The technical specification for the HD clips is:

On the proviso that all programmes transmit in the UK, please supply the clips from the UK version of the programme which will have a frame rate of 25fps, as per UK broadcast requirements. If this is not available, please supply the clips are their native frame rate (usually 24fps or 23.976fps) so BAFTA’s co-production company can do the conversion themselves.

Please do not send clips converted from 24 to 25fps by repeating a frame every second, as the change is noticeable on playback and not broadcast quality. BAFTA will send the entrant a clip license to sign to confirm which clips are to be used.

Upon entering a programme via entry.bafta.org for BAFTA Television Awards, the entrant will be asked to confirm the following that they have the authority, on behalf of the programme and programme makers, to agree to grant the above licence.

If you foresee any problems with the granting of this license, please contact [email protected] before entering.

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All requests for logos should be made via https://www.bafta.org/media-centre/logo-branding/

Entrants may use the ‘BAFTA Television Awards’, ‘BAFTA Television Craft Awards’, ‘BAFTA Nominee’ or ‘BAFTA Winner’ logos online, in print and in broadcasts only once a programme has been nominated for, or won, an award.

Logos are available from BAFTA before the nominations and winners’ announcements for advance artwork preparation, but may only be used if the programme or individual receives a nomination or wins an award.

Cropping or altering the artwork in any way is prohibited.

Each instance of logo use must be approved by BAFTA, with proofs of the logos in situ sent by email. See “branding” in the contacts page.

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The Academy takes a very serious view of piracy and will work with broadcasters and production companies to help prevent it.

All BAFTA voters sign up to a code of conduct setting out their responsibilities regarding piracy. This code is available upon request from Timothy Hughes (see CONTACTS section) for more information.

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