The Edinburgh TV Festival has revealed the nominations for its 2026 TV Awards, with Channel 4 and the BBC leading the way.
The shortlist for the awards sees Channel 4 lead with 20 nominations across broadcaster and individual talent categories, while the BBC has received 17, ITV has 13, Netflix nine, Sky eight, Apple TV six, Disney+ two and Channel 5 and HBO Max have one apiece.
Apple TV’s spy thriller Slow Horses is up for best drama, where it competes with Dept. Q, Prisoner 951, Riot Women, Waiting for the Out and What It Feels Like for a Girl. Gary Oldman, who plays Jackson Lamb in the series, is also nominated in the best TV actor – drama category.
That acting category is stacked, with Oldman joined by Malachi Kirby and Stephen Graham, both for A Thousand Blows, Narges Rashidi for Prisoner 951, Rose Ayling-Ellis for Code of Silence and Sheridan Smith for I Fought the Law.
There is a notable nod for Brenda Blethyn’s drama A Woman of Substance, with Jessica Reynolds shortlisted in the breakthrough performance category. Reynolds is up against Chenée Taylor (Just Act Normal), Ellis Howard (What It Feels Like for a Girl), Fehinti Balogun (Down Cemetery Road), Osian Morgan (Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards) and Posy Sterling (Dirty Business).
In the best comedy series race, Changing Ends, How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, Man Like Mobeen, Pushers and Saturday Night Live UK go head to head.
The best international drama category features A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, All Her Fault, Pluribus, The Last of Us, Your Friends & Neighbours and The Pitt.
On the unscripted side, The Celebrity Traitors, Taskmaster, The Last Leg, I Kissed a Boy, Rob & Romesh Vs… and The 1% Club are shortlisted for best entertainment or reality series, while best documentary nominees include Grenfell: Uncovered, Flight 149: Hostage of War, See No Evil and The Dunblane Tapes.
As previously announced, Davina McCall will receive the outstanding achievement award in recognition of her career. BBC chief news correspondent Clive Myrie has been named 2026 jury president, overseeing juries made up of industry names.
Myrie said: “I am truly honoured to be taking on the role of jury president for the Edinburgh TV Awards. Television has an extraordinary power to inform, entertain and bring people together through shared stories and experiences, and it is a privilege to celebrate the creativity, craftsmanship and dedication that continue to drive our industry forward.
“The standard of television production has never been higher, and I look forward to working alongside my fellow jurors to recognise the programmes and talent that have made a lasting impact over the past year. It is a responsibility I take with great pride, and I am delighted to be part of an event that champions excellence in broadcasting.”
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The ceremony will be hosted by comedians Maisie Adam and Suzi Ruffell, who co-host the Big Kick Energy football podcast. Adam was crowned the winner of Taskmaster season 20 last year.
“We are thrilled to be in Edinburgh to host the TV Festival awards and celebrate the brilliant TV we have seen over the last 12 months,” the pair said. “And to be totally honest we are even more thrilled about the prospect of not having to spend the three hours running up to the awards flyering on The Royal Mile!”
The Edinburgh TV Awards ceremony will be held at the EICC on Thursday 27 August.
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