Netflix Drama Adolescence Makes History at BAFTA TV Awards

Netflix drama Adolescence made history at the 2026 British Academy Television Awards after emerging as the biggest winner of the night with four major awards.

The psychological crime drama, created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, won Best Limited Drama, while Graham picked up the award for Best Leading Actor. Young star Owen Cooper won Best Supporting Actor, and Christine Tremarco secured Best Supporting Actress.

The series became the first television drama to win four major awards at a single BAFTA TV Awards main ceremony, setting a new record in the process.

Held at London’s Royal Festival Hall and hosted by comedian Greg Davies, the ceremony celebrated the best of British television from the past year. Code of Silence won Best Drama Series, while comedy show Amandaland took home the Scripted Comedy award.

The success of Adolescence adds to the show’s remarkable awards run since its release on Netflix⁠ in 2025. The four-part drama, filmed entirely in continuous one-shot sequences, follows the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate and explores themes of online radicalisation, toxic masculinity and youth violence.

Sixteen-year-old Cooper also continued his rapid rise in the entertainment industry, becoming one of the youngest actors ever to win a BAFTA television acting award. His emotional acceptance speech received widespread praise online.

Other notable winners included The Celebrity Traitors and Last One Laughing UK, which also claimed major entertainment awards during the ceremony.