At just sixteen years old, Owen Cooper has proven once again why he stands as one of the most remarkable young talents in contemporary television. The rising star clinched the BAFTA Television Award for Supporting Actor on Saturday, May 10th, during a spectacular ceremony held at London’s iconic Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. This latest achievement adds another prestigious trophy to his rapidly growing collection, cementing his status as a generational talent who has already conquered every major entertainment award circuit.
Cooper earned this extraordinary recognition for his haunting performance as thirteen-year-old Jamie Miller in Netflix’s critically acclaimed limited series Adolescence—a dark exploration of youth, violence, and tragedy that resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike throughout the past year. The role demanded extraordinary emotional range from such a young performer, yet Cooper delivered a masterclass in acting that drew comparisons to industry veterans twice his age.
The victory at BAFTA marks the culmination of an unprecedented awards season for the teenager. Prior to this London ceremony, Cooper had already secured victories at the Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critics’ Choice Actor Awards, Gotham Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards—making him perhaps the most decorated teenager in television history. Each win underscored the cultural impact of Adolescence and showcased Cooper’s ability to tackle complex, challenging material with remarkable maturity and skill.
The BAFTA TV Awards 2026 proved to be a landmark evening for Adolescence beyond Cooper’s individual triumph. The Netflix limited series emerged as one of the ceremony’s biggest winners, collecting multiple accolades across both the main ceremony and the preceding BAFTA TV Craft Awards held last month. Co-stars Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco, who portrayed Jamie’s parents in the series, also received well-deserved honours during the craft ceremony, recognizing the exceptional collaborative effort behind the show’s success.
Comedy also enjoyed a significant moment at this year’s awards, with Amandaland standing alongside Adolescence as one of the evening’s most celebrated productions. The series demonstrated that British television continues to excel in both compelling drama and sharp-witted comedy, offering viewers a diverse range of outstanding content throughout the viewing year.
The ceremony itself, hosted by the beloved comedian Greg Davies, attracted an impressive array of entertainment industry luminaries. Notable attendees included Severance star Adam Scott, The Studio actor Seth Rogen, and Alan Carr, whose emotional victory on The Celebrity Traitors earned him the public-voted P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award. Carr’s win represented a particularly heartwarming highlight, as viewers across Britain voted to recognise a genuinely touching television moment that captured the public’s imagination.
Two legendary figures received the ceremony’s most prestigious honours. Dame Mary Berry, the much-loved former host of Great British Bake Off, was presented with the BAFTA Fellowship in recognition of her “exceptional contribution to television” over decades of broadcasting. Meanwhile, consumer finance journalist Martin Lewis received the BAFTA Television Special Award, honoured for his “extraordinary and lasting impact on British consumers and public life” through his unwavering commitment to helping everyday people manage their finances and understand their rights.
In the competitive acting categories, Narges Rashidi delivered one of the evening’s surprises by winning Leading Actress for her work in Prisoner 951. Her victory highlighted the breadth of talent recognised by BAFTA voters and brought renewed attention to what many considered an underrated performance in an ambitious limited series.
From the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London, here is the comprehensive list of winners who took home the prestigious BAFTA trophies:
P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award (Voted For By The Public): The Celebrity Traitors
Factual Entertainment: Go Back to Where You Came From
News Coverage: Channel 4 News: Israel-Iran: The Twelve Day War
Current Affairs: Gaza: Doctors Under Attack
Daytime: Scam Interceptors
Sports Coverage: UEFA Women’s Euro 2025
Soap: Eastenders
Actress in a Comedy: Katherine Parkinson, Here We Go
Actor in a Comedy: Steve Coogan, How Are You? Its Alan (Partridge)
Live Event Coverage: Ve Day 80: A Celebration to Remember
Short Form: Hustle and Run
Single Documentary: Grenfell: Uncovered
Limited Drama: Adolescence
Entertainment: Last One Laughing
Children’s: Scripted: Crongton
Children’s: Non-Scripted: World.War.Me (Sky Kids Investigates)
Factual Series: See No Evil
Specialist Factual: Simon Schama: The Road to Auschwitz
Scripted Comedy: Amandaland
Reality: The Celebrity Traitors
Supporting Actress: Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
Supporting Actor: Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Drama Series: Code of Silence
Entertainment Performance: Bob Mortimer, Last One Laughing
Leading Actor: Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Leading Actress: Narges Rashidi, Prisoner 951
International: The Studio
The BAFTA Television Awards 2026 will be remembered as a celebration of exceptional storytelling, remarkable performances, and the continued evolution of British television as a global leader in creative excellence.
