British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA TV Awards)

The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTA TV Awards, are presented to the very best in television broadcast on British screens during the preceding year. A BAFTA TV Award is regarded as the most prestigious in the British television industry, a British counterpart of America’s Emmy Award.

The BAFTA TV Awards are presented in an annual award ceremony hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), an independent charity focused on supporting, developing and promoting the art forms of the moving image in the UK. From their inception in 1955 until 1958, the television awards were presented by the Guild of Television Producers and Directors.

In 1958, the Guild merged with the British Film Academy to form the Society of Film and Television Arts, which was renamed BAFTA in 1976. From 1968 until 1997, the Society and later the Academy presented its film and television awards together in a joint ceremony known simply as the BAFTA Awards.

The ceremonies were split in two in 1998. The Film Awards are presented in February and the Television Awards show takes place in April on May. BAFTA also presents the British Academy Games Awards and the British Academy Television Craft Awards. Both ceremonies are held in spring.

The BAFTA TV Awards are only presented to British programs. The only exceptions are the Audience Award and the International Award. All stations broadcasting in the United Kingdom and independent production companies which produce programming for British stations are eligible to submit entries. Nominee shortlists are created by all eligible members of the Academy who vote online. The winners are chosen by a special jury (each award has its own jury of nine academy members).

BAFTA also presents several non-competitive awards which are given irregularly, as and when appropriate. They include the Dennis Porter Award for Outstanding Writing for TV, the Richard Dimbleby Award for Outstanding Presenter in the Factual Arena, the Alan Clarke Award for Outstanding Creative Contribution to TV, and others. Special awards are awarded by BAFTA’s council.

The awards ceremony isn’t broadcast live but one can follow the ceremony online via the awards landing page as well as the BAFTA YouTube channel, Twitter feed and Facebook page. The ceremony is broadcast the next by BBC One. BBC One has broadcast the show exclusively since 2007.