‘Chernobyl’ TV series lead BAFTA Awards nominations
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Chernobyl is leading the pack for this year’s BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) TV Awards and BAFTA TV Craft Awards after the Sky and HBO original scored 14 nominations, including best drama mini-series.
The nuclear disaster drama’s 14 nods mean it is the most-nominated show in BAFTA history alongside Killing Eve last year, which was also recognised in 14 categories (full nominees below). As well as best mini-series, there are individual nominations for Jared Harris as lead actor and Stellan Skarsgård as best supporting actor.
It secured more than double the nominations than the next best-performing show: Netflix drama The Crown. The Left Bank program’s seven nominations include best drama series. Meanwhile, Fleabag and Giri/Haji have six nominations apiece, while there are five nods for ‘His Dark Materials’ and ‘The Virtues’ and four for ‘Killing Eve’, ‘Sex Education’ and ‘Top Boy’. Sister Pictures scooped 20 nominations in total for Chernobyl and Giri/Haji.
The nominations and awards themselves have been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The main BAFTA TV Awards were due to take place on May 17, but will now be held virtually on July 31, with The IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade hosting. The BAFTA TV Craft Awards are scheduled for July 17.
The BBC scored a total of 79 nominations, while Sky had a record 25 nods, with Netflix was just behind with 24.
Winners of the 2020 British Academy Television Craft Awards will be revealed on Friday 17 July and the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards on Friday 31 July.
Chernobyl, the miniseries about the nuclear power plant disaster in 1986, leads the Bafta TV awards nominations with 14, while Netflix’s The Crown has received seven nominations, including best drama series.
Jared Harris, who starred as Soviet scientist Valery Legasov in Chernobyl, is up for best lead actor alongside Stephen Graham (The Virtues), Takehiro Hira (Giri/Haji) and Callum Turner (The Capture). Best lead actress is between Glenda Jackson (Elizabeth is Missing), Samantha Morton (I Am Kirsty), Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack) and Jodie Comer, who won the award last year and stars in Killing Eve, which is up for four awards in 2020.
The Crown’s Josh O’Connor is up for best supporting actor along with Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl), Joe Absolom (A Confession) and Will Sharpe (Giri/Haji). Best supporting actress is between Helen Behan (The Virtues), Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy), Naomi Ackee (End of the F**king World) and Helena Bonham-Carter, who played Princess Margaret in The Crown.
Fleabag’s second series is competing for six awards, with Waller-Bridge and Sian Clifford both nominated for best female performance in a comedy programme, along with Gbemisola Ikumelo (Famalam) and Sarah Kendall (Frayed).