BAFTA Unveils Tweaks to Voting Rules for Television and TV Craft Awards, Sets 2026 Dates

For the first time ever, all 6,000 members will be allowed to vote on the nominees and winners in BAFTA TV‘s international category.

The British film and TV academy on Tuesday unveiled tweaks to its rules for voting on the BAFTA Television Craft Awards and BAFTA Television Awards, set for Apr. 26 and May 10, 2026, respectively.

“We have opened up the international category to voting members as part of our commitment to greater member engagement across the TV Awards and in recognition of our global membership,” BAFTA said. “We believe this change will strengthen the category and ensure the very best international programmes get the recognition they deserve.”

Now, BAFTA is also allowing one exemption for a senior team member who might not be U.K.-eligible in their craft TV categories.

“We recognize the increasing trend of international co-productions in our craft TV categories,” the academy said. The exemption stands as long as 80 percent of the team are U.K.-eligible and there is “a clear reason for the exemption.”

The countdown to next year’s BAFTA Television Craft Awards and the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises has begun, with the categories, eligibility, voting rules and timeline all unveiled Tuesday. Entries are now officially open.

The two ceremonies span 49 competitive awards categories, from casting, photography, and editing, to writing, performing and directing across all TV genres.

In May, 2.5 million people watched the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises ceremony on BBC One and BBC iPlayer alongside 23 million video views of BAFTA’s social media coverage of the night.