The 2021 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards will be hosted for the second year in a row by Richard Ayoade live on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) on Sunday 6 June to celebrate top television from the past 12 months. Like last year’s ceremony, it will take place in BBC Studios with social distancing, where presenters will join in-person or via video call.

There have been a few changes made in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of nominees in the performance categories has increased from four to six. BAFTA has also introduced a new Daytime category, “recognising the important role that daytime programming plays in the lives of viewers and in providing a pipeline for new and underrepresented talent,” as stated on BAFTA’s website.

This year, Small Axe leads the way with an impressive 15 nominations across the TV and Craft awards, while The Crown, I May Destroy You and Normal People have earned well-deserved recognition among the outstanding nominees.

Don’t forget you can vote for Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment by clicking here. Not only is it the only award voted for by the great British public, but by casting your vote you could win a VIP kit, including:
 

• Ultimate TV-dinner meal kit for two
• Bottle of Taittinger Champagne
• Super-fancy DIY cocktail set
• £13.99 Virgin Media Store voucher

Read on to find out who has been nominated for the 2021 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards…

Leading Actress

Billie Piper – I Hate Suzie

Daisy Edgar-Jones – Normal People

Hayley Squires – Adult Material

Jodie Comer – Killing Eve

Letitia Wright – Small Axe

Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You

Leading Actor

John Boyega – Small Axe

Josh O’Connor – The Crown

Paapa Essiedu – I May Destroy You

Paul Mescal – Normal People

Shaun Parkes – Small Axe

Waleed Zuaiter – Baghdad Central

Supporting Actress

Helena Bonham Carter – The Crown 

Leila Farzad – I Hate Suzie

Rakie Ayola – Anthony

Siena Kelly – Adult Material

Sophie Okonedo – Criminal: UK

Weruche Opia –  I May Destroy You

Supporting Actor

Kunal Nayyar – Criminal: UK

Malachi Kirby – Small Axe

Michael Sheen – Quiz

Micheal Ward – Small Axe

Rupert Everett – Adult Material

Tobias Menzies – The Crown

Female Performance In A Comedy Programme

Aimee Lou Wood – Sex Education

Daisy Haggard – Breeders

Daisy May Cooper –  This Country

Emma Mackey – Sex Education

Gbemisola Ikumelo – Famalam

Mae Martin – Feel Good

Male Performance In A Comedy Programme

Charlie Cooper – This Country

Guz Khan – Man Like Mobeen

Joseph Gilgun – Brassic

Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education

Paul Ritter – Friday Night Dinner

Reece Shearsmith – Inside No.9

Entertainment Performance

Adam Hills – The Last Leg

Bradley Walsh – Beat The Chasers

Claudia Winkleman – Strictly Come Dancing

David Mitchell – Would I Lie To You? At Christmas

Graham Norton – The Graham Norton Show

Romesh Ranganathan – The Ranganation

Drama Series

Gangs Of London 

I Hate Suzie 

Save Me Too 

The Crown 

Scripted Comedy

Ghosts 

Inside No. 9 

Man Like Mobeen 

This Country

Mini-Series

Adult Material 

I May Destroy You 

Normal People 

Small Axe
 

Single Drama

Anthony 

BBW (On The Edge) 

Sitting In Limbo 

The Windermere Children 

Soap & Continuing Drama

Casualty 

Coronation Street 

EastEnders 

Hollyoaks

International

Little America

Lovecraft Country 

Unorthodox 

Welcome To Chechnya: The Gay Purge (Storyville) 

Entertainment Programme

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway 

Life & Rhymes 

Strictly Come Dancing

The Masked Singer 

Comedy Entertainment Programme

Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe 

Rob & Romesh Vs 

The Big Narstie Show 

The Ranganation 

Reality & Constructed Factual

Masterchef: The Professionals 

Race Across The World 

The School That Tried To End Racism 

The Write Offs 

Daytime

Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On 

Richard Osman’s House Of Games 

The Chase 

The Great House Giveaway 

Single Documentary

American Murder: The Family Next Door

Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism & Me 

Locked In: Breaking The Silence (Storyville) 

Surviving COVID

Features

Big Zuu’s Big Eats 

Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace 

Mortimer And Whitehouse: Gone Fishing

The Repair Shop 

Factual Series

Crime & Punishment 

Hospital 

Losing It: Our Mental Health Emergency 

Once Upon A Time In Iraq 

Sport

Bahrain Grand Prix 

England V France: The Final Of Autumn Nations Cup 

England V West Indies Test Cricket 

London Marathon 2020

Live Event

Life Drawing Live! 

Springwatch 2020

The Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance 

The Third Day: Autumn 

Specialist Factual

Extinction: The Facts 

Putin: A Russian Spy Story 

The Rise Of The Murdoch Dynasty 

The Surgeon’s Cut 

Current Affairs

America’s War On Abortion (Exposure)

Italy’s Frontline: A Doctor’s Diary 

The Battle For Hong Kong (Dispatches) 

The Cyprus Papers Undercover (Al Jazeera Investigations) 
 

News Coverage

BBC News At Ten: Prime Minister Admitted To Intensive Care

Channel 4 News: Deterring Democracy 

Newsnight: Covid Care Crisis 

Sky News: Inside Idlib 

Short Form Programme

Criptales 

Disabled Not Defeated: The Rock Band With Learning Disabilities

The Main Part 

They Saw The Sun First 

Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment

Bridgerton: Penelope is revealed as Lady Whistledown

Britain’s Got Talent: Diversity perform a routine inspired by the events of 2020

EastEnders: Gray kills Chantelle

Gogglebox: Reactions to Boris Johnson’s press conference

Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat: Mee-cro-wah-vay

The Mandalorian: Luke Skywalker arrives

When is the 2021 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards on TV?

The 2021 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards airs on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) on Sunday 6 June. It is also available for 30 days in Apps & Games > BBC iPlayer.

Have a big BAFTA night in

Which TV moment brought you and your faves together last year? The power of amazing British TV deserves celebrating. So that’s exactly what we’re doing for this year’s Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards – and we want you to join us.