BAFTA/AKQA The winners of the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards in 2018
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- This Country and Three Girls Win Two BAFTAs Each
- Sean Bean Wins Leading Actor and Molly Windsor Wins Leading Actress
- Channel 5 Wins First BAFTA Since 2011, For Cruising With Jane McDonald
- Fellowship Presented to Kate Adie
- John Motson Receives Special Award
London, 13 May 2018: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the winners of the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards, celebrating and rewarding the very best programmes and performances of 2017. The ceremony was hosted by Sue Perkins at the Royal Festival Hall, London, and presenters included: Anita Rani, Ashley Walters, Bradley Walsh, Clare Balding, Claudia Winkleman, Dermot O’Leary, Emma Willis, Greg Davies, Jodie Whittaker, Joely Richardson, John Bishop, Martin Freeman, Michelle Keegan, Sir Mo Farah, Nish Kumar, Noel Clarke, Ore Oduba, Victoria Derbyshire and Wunmi Mosaku.
There were two awards for This Country, written by BAFTA Breakthrough Brits Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper. The mockumentary, depicting life in rural Britain, received the BAFTA for Scripted Comedy and Daisy May Cooper won Female Performance in a Comedy Programme.
The BAFTA for Leading Actress was awarded to another BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, Molly Windsor, for her performance in Three Girls. The drama also won Mini-Series, adding to the three BAFTAs it won at the British Academy Television Craft Awards in April.
Sean Bean won the BAFTA for Leading Actor for his portrayal of a priest at the centre of a troubled community, in the drama series Broken.
In the Supporting Actor category, BrÍan F. O’Byrne received the BAFTA for his performance as a bereaved father in Little Boy Blue, a depiction of the true story of the murder of Rhys Jones. Vanessa Kirby took home the BAFTA for Supporting Actress for her role as Princess Margaret in The Crown.
The BAFTA for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme was awarded to Toby Jones for his performance in Detectorists. Graham Norton won the sixth BAFTA of his career, winning for Entertainment Performance, his third for The Graham Norton Show.
In the International category, the BAFTA was awarded to The Handmaid’s Tale, the adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel.
In the drama categories, Peaky Blinders won the BAFTA for Drama Series, and docu-drama Murdered for Being Different was presented with the award for Single Drama.
Casualty was awarded the BAFTA for Soap & Continuing Drama, a category that recognises exceptional talent in delivering long-running continuing dramas. Casualty last one this award in 2007.
The BAFTA for Entertainment Programme was awarded to Britain’s Got Talent for the second time and Murder in Successville, with BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Tom Davis as one of its nominees, received the award for Comedy Entertainment Programme.
Love Island received the BAFTA for Reality & Constructed Factual, and Channel 5 won its first BAFTA since 2011, for Cruising with Jane McDonald in the Features category.
The first winner of the Short Form Programme category, introduced this year to recognise programmes of between three and 20 minutes, was awarded to seaside comedy drama Morgana Robinson’s Summer.
News Coverage was awarded to Sky News’ The Rohingya Crisis, and the award for Current Affairs was presented to Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets (Panorama).
Ambulance received the BAFTA for Factual Series, Single Documentary was awarded to Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad and Basquiat – Rage to Riches won the award for Specialist Factual.
The Grand National triumphed in the Sport category, while the award for Live Event was presented to World War One Remembered: Passchendaele, following its two BAFTA wins at the recent British Academy Television Craft Awards.
The Special Award was presented to John Motson OBE in recognition of his outstanding contribution to sports broadcasting. Motson leaves the BBC today at the end of a 50 year career.
The Fellowship, the highest accolade the Academy bestows, was presented to Kate Adie OBE. A truly groundbreaking news journalist, Adie is one of a very small number of women to have reported from hostile environments around the world.
Virgin TV’s Must-See Moment, the only award voted for by the public, was won by Blue Planet II for the “Mother Pilot Whale Grieves” moment.
Red carpet highlights, backstage interviews with the winners, clips of the nominated programmes and all the latest images from the night’s events are available at www.bafta.org/television.
For further information, please contact:
Amanda Hearn
T: +44 (0) 203 003 6456
M: +44 (0) 7540 745 492
E: [email protected]
Hephzibah Kwakye-Saka
T: +44 (0) 20 3003 6482
[email protected]
About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.
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