The presenter race also offers Ant and Dec a chance to recover from their first defeat in 24 ceremonies. Gary Lineker ended the pair’s 23-year winning run in 2025, joking afterward that he had won “the Ant and Dec Trophy.” He said the result showed it was acceptable to use a public platform to speak for people “who have no voice.” Lineker is not shortlisted this year.
Reality competition is another crowded field. Race Across the World faces two versions of I’m A Celebrity and two versions of The Traitors, because one franchise per franchise is apparently no longer considered sufficient.
Which reality, drama, quiz and documentary shows are nominated?
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
New Drama
- A Woman of Substance
- Believe Me
- Heated Rivalry
- I Fought The Law
- The Other Bennet Sister
The new drama shortlist includes breakout romantic drama Heated Rivalry. Both I Fought The Law and The Other Bennet Sister also have performers nominated separately.
Quiz Show
- Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win
- Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
- Richard Osman’s House of Games
- The 1% Club
- The Chase
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
Returning Drama
- Blue Lights
- Bridgerton
- Call the Midwife
- Stranger Things
- Trigger Point
Call the Midwife enters the ceremony as the defending returning drama winner, while Trigger Point also has recognition for lead actor Vicky McClure.
Who made the presenter, comedy and performance shortlists?
TV Presenter
- Alison Hammond
- Ant & Dec
- Claudia Winkleman
- David Attenborough
- Stacey Solomon
Reality Docuseries
- At Home With The Furys
- Clarkson’s Farm
- Fletchers’ Family Farm
- Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
- Stacey & Joe
Stacey Solomon appears in both the presenter and reality docuseries categories, with Stacey & Joe nominated alongside programmes following the Fury and Fletcher families.
Comedy
- Amandaland
- Changing Ends
- Last One Laughing
- Mrs Brown’s Boys
- Not Going Out
The nomination for Mrs Brown’s Boys arrives during an enforced production break. Its 2026 Christmas and New Year specials were cancelled after creator and star Brendan O’Carroll suffered jaw fractures that required immediate surgery. O’Carroll said he was “heartbroken” by the cancellation and has discussed a possible return with the BBC in 2027. Awards calendars rarely pause for medical reality.
Drama Performance
- Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister
- Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife
- Ruth Jones as Elena Ravenscroft, Run Away
- Sheridan Smith as Ann Ming, I Fought The Law
- Vicky McClure as Lana Washington, Trigger Point
The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
- Gladiators
- Michael McIntyre’s Big Show
- The Graham Norton Show
- The Masked Singer
- Would I Lie to You?
Which soaps, factual programmes and daytime shows are shortlisted?
Serial Drama
- Casualty
- Coronation Street
- EastEnders
- Emmerdale
- Hollyoaks
EastEnders won the serial drama prize in 2025 and returns to defend it against the other major continuing dramas.
Serial Drama Performance
- Aaron Thiara as Ravi Gulati, EastEnders
- Gareth Pierce as Todd Grimshaw, Coronation Street
- Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle, Emmerdale
- Paul Bradley as Nigel Bates, EastEnders
- Sue Devaney as Debbie Webster, Coronation Street
The individual soap category is split between two EastEnders actors, two from Coronation Street and one representative from Emmerdale. Casualty and Hollyoaks make the programme shortlist but have no performer in this category.
Factual Entertainment
- 24 Hours in Police Custody
- Gogglebox
- Secret Garden
- Sort Your Life Out
- The Martin Lewis Money Show Live
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
Strictly Come Dancing won this category in 2025. Other returning champions from last year include I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Call the Midwife and EastEnders.
How does NTA voting work?
The 31st National Television Awards are decided entirely by the public rather than a judging panel. Each shortlist contains the five contenders that received the most support during the longlist stage.
Voting closed at noon on September 8. Viewers could select one nominee in each category using one email address. Ballots submitted outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man do not count.
The final result is not based solely on the last round of voting. Under the official rules, votes from the longlist and shortlist stages are combined to determine each winner. That gives contenders with strong early support an advantage, even if another nominee attracts a late rush of enthusiasm on ceremony day.
No winners were announced before the broadcast. The results are being revealed live on ITV, removing the usual awards-show challenge of pretending nobody has already seen a leaked list.
When and where can viewers watch the ceremony?
The ceremony takes place at The O2 in London on Tuesday, September 8. Early concourse access begins at 6pm, followed by the main doors at 7pm. North Greenwich, on the Jubilee line, is the nearest London Underground station.
Television coverage begins at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. The event is also available through STV and STV Player. Joel Dommett returns as the main host, while Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks present coverage from the red carpet.
The O2 was still advertising general admission shortly before the ceremony. At the time prices were checked, tickets started at:
- £28.12 through AXS
- £33.35 through Ticketmaster
- £139 for red-carpet access to watch arrivals
- £257 for premium red-carpet access
- £268 for the star treatment experience
- £381 for premium star treatment
The £1,025 five-star experience had sold out, confirming that even watching television personalities enter a building can be turned into a four-figure activity.
