National Television Awards unveils first ever all-female shortlist for drama performance as I'm A Celeb and The Traitors both achieve double nominations for reality competition

The National Television Awards has unveiled the first ever all-female shortlist for drama performance for the 31st annual ceremony. 

The awards is celebrating girl power after male titans of the acting world including Cillian Murphy, David Tennant and Matt Smith have lifted the gong in the past. 

This year’s contenders are Gavin & Stacey’s Ruth Jones, who has been nominated for her turn in gritty Netflix thriller Run Away.

Sheridan Smith could take the award for the second time thanks to her run as Ann Ming in ITV true crime drama I Fought The Law, having first won in 2015 playing another real-life role, Cilla Black. 

Vicky McClure has got the nod for the third time — and her second nom as Trigger Point’s Lana Washington.

Ella Bruccoleri is shortlisted as Mary Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister and Judy Parfitt for Sister Monica Joan in Call The Midwife.

One of the female nominees will join the handful of women, Sheridan, Suranne Jones and Sarah Lancashire, who have lifted the gong since 2015.

National Television Awards has unveiled the shortlist for the 31st annual ceremony; pictured Claudia Winkleman 

The awards will return with Joel Dommett as host as I'm A Celebrity and The Traitors both achieving double nominations for reality competition; pictured Ant and Dec 

The final round of voting has opened on August 18 to decide who will lift the trophies at the star-studded awards, held at London's O2 Arena on September 8. 

The awards will return with Joel Dommett as host as I'm A Celebrity and The Traitors both achieving double nominations for reality competition. 

Two of TV’s biggest franchises pit themselves against each other. I’m A Celebrity… takes on its South African spin-off, while The Celebrity Traitors is up against its civilian version. 

But hoping to weave its way between them all is Race Across the World.

In the TV Presenter category, can Ant & Dec seize back their crown to claim their 24th win, or will the chance to salute Sir David Attenborough in his 100th year prove too perfect for voting viewers.

Their rivals Alison Hammond, Claudia Winkleman and Stacey Solomon also can't be ruled out.

In new category Reality Docuseries, recognising the popularity of star-led access series, will the trophy be gracing the mantelpiece at Pickle Cottage or Diddly Squat as Stacey Solomon and husband Joe Swash go up against Jeremy Clarkson. 

Fly-on-the-wall BBC series Stacey & Joe takes on agricultural saga Clarkson’s Farm. They’re also up against the domestic dramas of At Home With The Furys and Fletchers’ Family Farm. 

Also in the category is Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

Five smash hit arrivals vie for the New Drama trophy. The Other Bennet Sister, a fresh take on Pride & Prejudice, charmed viewers and boosted the Jane Austen industry. 

Another classic received an update with the epic retelling of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance. 

These contenders couldn’t contrast more starkly with hard-hitting true-crime dramas Believe Me and I Fought the Law, or the racy ice hockey melodrama Heated Rivalry.

The National Television Awards 2026 Shortlist

Reality Competition

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

I’m A Celebrity… South Africa

Race Across the World 

The Celebrity Traitors

 The Traitors

Quiz Show

Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win

Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel

Richard Osman’s House of Games

The 1% Club

The Chase 

 Returning Drama

Blue Lights

Bridgerton

Call the Midwife

Stranger Things 

Trigger Point

Reality Docuseries

At Home With The Furys

Clarkson’s Farm

Fletchers’ Family Farm

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing

Stacey & Joe

Drama Performance

Ella Bruccoleri, Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister

Judy Parfitt, Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife

Ruth Jones, Elena Ravenscroft, Run Away 

Sheridan Smith, Ann Ming, I Fought The Law

Vicky McClure, Lana Washington, Trigger Point

Serial Drama

Casualty

Coronation Street

EastEnders

Emmerdale

Hollyoaks

Factual Entertainment

24 Hours in Police Custody

Gogglebox

Secret Garden

Sort Your Life Out

The Martin Lewis Money Show Live

New Drama 

 A Woman of Substance

Believe Me

Heated Rivalry

I Fought The Law

The Other Bennet Sister

Authored Documentary

Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth

Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix

Our Girls: The Southport Families

Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home

Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me

TV Presenter

Alison Hammond

Ant & Dec

Claudia Winkleman

David Attenborough

Stacey Solomon

Comedy

Amandaland

Changing Ends

Last One Laughing

Mrs Brown’s Boys

Not Going Out

The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award

Gladiators

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show

The Graham Norton Show

The Masked Singer

Would I Lie to You?

Serial Drama Performance

Aaron Thiara, Ravi Gulati, EastEnders

Gareth Pierce, Todd Grimshaw, Coronation Street

Jeff Hordley, Cain Dingle, Emmerdale

Paul Bradley, Nigel Bates, EastEnders

Sue Devaney, Debbie Webster, Coronation Street

Daytime

Good Morning Britain

James Martin’s Saturday Morning

Loose Women

Scam Interceptors 

This Morning

Talent Show

Britain’s Got Talent

Strictly Come Dancing

The Great British Bake Off

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer

The Great Pottery Throw Down

The National Television Awards 2026 Shortlist 

NTAs have unveiled the first ever all-female shortlist for drama performance with Sheridan Smith, Ruth Jones and Vicky McClure (pictured) all going up against each other

There are powerful stories, expertly told in Authored Documentary – a quest for answers in Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth, career candour in Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, moving tributes in Our Girls: The Southport Families and Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home. 

Plus bravery in the face of a devastating diagnosis in Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me. Whichever film prevails, it’s bound to create a poignant moment on the night in The O2.

Returning Drama honours the shows whose comebacks are always welcome, from Blue Lights, Bridgerton, Call the Midwife, Trigger Point or Stranger Things. 

In Comedy Amandaland takes on Alan Carr’s coming-of-age gem Changing Ends as well as Mrs Brown’s Boys, Not Going Out and Last One Laughing. 

In the Serial Drama category, defending champion EastEnders attempts to retain its crown, while Coronation Street and Emmerdale have their eyes on the prize after a high-profile year which saw the two ITV soaps team up for the Corriedale crossover.

Hollyoaks marked its big birthday by catching up with events on Brookside Close and a tough-to-call shortlist is rounded out by medical stalwart Casualty in its 40th anniversary year.

Competing for The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award are Gladiators, The Graham Norton Show, The Masked Singer, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Would I Lie To You?

The Quiz Show category is a closely fought contest between bankable hits, with Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win, Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, Richard Osman’s House of Games, The 1% Club and The Chase highlighting the variety of our homegrown gameshows.

In Serial Drama Performance, EastEnders Paul Bradley is nominated (for Nigel’s tragic goodbye) as is his castmate Aaron Thiara (for Ravi’s mental health crisis). 

Meanwhile Emmerdale’s Jeff Hordley is rewarded for imbuing Cain Dingle with new-found vulnerability. 

Over on Coronation Street, Sue Devaney earns a nomination for depicting Debbie’s sad decline and Gareth Pierce is singled out for his powerful portrayal of coercive control victim Todd Grimshaw.

In new category Reality Docuseries, recognising the popularity of star-led access series, Stacey & Joe take on Clarkson’s Farm, At Home With The Furys and Fletchers’ Family Farm

Agendas continued to be set In Daytime, with Good Morning Britain, This Morning and Loose Women providing no end of talking points. 

Elsewhere, there was plenty of weekend culinary inspiration in James Martin’s Saturday Morning while Scam Interceptors did valuable work arming us against internet fraud.

It’s another tough-to-call clash in Factual Entertainment as Sort Your Life Out takes on cash-saving consumer crusades of The Martin Lewis Money Show Live. 

While Sir David Attenborough’s Secret Garden revealed the hidden wild world of Britain's backyards and 24 Hours in Police Custody continues to provide gripping true crime stories, while beloved Gogglebox couch potatoes should never be discounted.

Talent Show remains a ratings-grabbing category as viewers gather in their millions to cheer on their favourites. 

What would Saturday nights be without the razzle-dazzle entertainment of Strictly Come Dancing or Britain’s Got Talent as they go up against The Great British Bake Off, The Great Pottery Throw Down and for the first time The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer.

We can also expect a Special Recognition Award this year, honouring a TV great’s contribution to the viewing nation - with the recipient to be revealed on the night. 

The event will be broadcasted live on ITV and ITVX from 8pm on September 8.