The 2025 BAFTA TV Awards felt different. Honestly, if you were expecting the usual suspects to sweep every category, you probably walked away from the screen pretty shocked. We’ve seen years where a single Netflix juggernaut crushes everything in its path, but the most recent ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall was a bit of a curveball. Hosted by Alan Cumming—who brought a certain chaotic, kilt-wearing energy that David Tennant usually handles—the night was less about the "predictable" hits and more about the grit of public service broadcasting.
Everyone was talking about Baby Reindeer and Mr Bates vs The Post Office going in. They had the hype. They had the "watercooler" factor. But when it came to the actual BAFTA TV awards winners, the academy leaned into some surprising corners of British television.
The Drama Categories: Why Blue Lights Was the Real Story
If you'd asked a critic two days before the ceremony who would take Best Drama Series, they would have likely bet their house on Sherwood or the return of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Those are "prestige" shows. They have the pedigree.
Instead, Blue Lights took the mask off the competition.
This BBC procedural about probationary officers in Belfast isn't just a "cop show." It’s a dense, stressful look at post-Troubles Northern Ireland, and its win signaled a shift. The academy rewarded something that feels deeply local but carries universal weight. While Mr Bates vs The Post Office won Limited Drama—as it absolutely had to, given the massive societal impact it had on UK law—the win for Blue Lights in the main Drama category was the night's first big "oh, wow" moment.
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The Heavy Hitters That Actually Delivered
- Mr Bates vs The Post Office: It didn't just win a trophy; it won a Special Award. Baroness Floella Benjamin presented it to ITV, acknowledging that a TV show basically did what years of legal petitions couldn't.
- Jessica Gunning: You’ve seen her in Baby Reindeer. She was terrifying. She was heartbreaking. She won Best Supporting Actress, and it felt like the most "correct" award of the night.
- Lennie James: Winning Leading Actor for Mr Loverman was a huge moment. It’s actually his first acting BAFTA, which sounds fake when you consider how long he's been a powerhouse in the industry.
What Really Happened With the Comedy Snubs
Comedy is always subjective, but the 2025 results felt like a targeted statement. Alma’s Not Normal grabbed the Scripted Comedy gong, beating out Ludwig and Brassic. Sophie Willan’s voice is so specific and raw that it’s hard to argue with the win, but the real talking point was Ruth Jones.
She won Female Performance in a Comedy for the Gavin & Stacey: The Finale.
Kinda wild, right? Most people assumed the finale would be a victory lap that might get overlooked for newer, "edgier" talent. Instead, the academy leaned into the nostalgia that actually worked. On the flip side, Danny Dyer winning Male Performance in a Comedy for Mr Bigstuff was the highlight for anyone who loves a good, emotional "f-bomb" in an acceptance speech. He was visibly choked up, thanking Sky for taking a chance on a show that many critics were lukewarm on.
The Reality TV Upset No One Saw Coming
We have to talk about The Traitors.
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In 2024, you couldn't breathe without hearing about Claudia Winkleman and her knitwear. Going into the 2025 awards, The Traitors was the favorite. It lost.
Basically, the Reality and Constructed Factual category went to The Jury: Murder Trial on Channel 4. It was a brutal night for the "faithfuls" because Claudia also lost the Entertainment Performance award to Joe Lycett. Joe won for Late Night Lycett for the second year in a row. It’s starting to feel like the BAFTAs have a "Lycett Rule"—if he’s nominated, just start engraving the mask now.
A Quick Rundown of the Winners Circle
- Leading Actress: Marisa Abela, Industry (A massive upset over Anna Maxwell Martin)
- Supporting Actor: Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman
- International: Shōgun (Beating out The Bear and True Detective)
- Soap: EastEnders (Continuing a strong run after their 40th anniversary)
- Entertainment Programme: Would I Lie to You? ## The E-E-A-T Factor: Why the 2025 Results Matter
When we look at the BAFTA TV awards winners, it’s easy to get lost in the red carpet glamour. But there’s a deeper layer of "Experience and Expertise" here. The BAFTA Fellowship went to Kirsty Wark. If you’ve watched Newsnight at any point in the last thirty years, you know why. Her legacy in journalism is unmatched, and having Alan Cumming present it to her felt like a passing of the torch between two Scottish icons of different disciplines.
There’s also the "Must-See Moment" which is the only one we, the public, actually get to vote on.
It went to Strictly Come Dancing for Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell’s waltz to "You’ll Never Walk Alone." In a year filled with heavy dramas about post office scandals and stalking, that three-minute dance was the pure, distilled soul of what TV is supposed to do. It made people feel something that wasn't anxiety.
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Misconceptions About the Voting Process
One thing people get wrong is thinking the BAFTAs are just a "popularity contest." They aren't.
The "Craft" awards—which happen separately—usually hint at where the main ceremony is going. For instance, Slow Horses won big at the Craft awards for Sound and Editing, but Gary Oldman was once again "robbed" (as the internet puts it) in the Leading Actor category. The academy tends to reward the performance that feels most "transformative" in a given year, which is how Marisa Abela managed to beat out veterans like Monica Dolan.
Actionable Insights for Your Watchlist
If you're looking at this list of winners and wondering what to binge next, don't just go for the big names.
- Watch Blue Lights: If you haven't seen it, start from season one. It’s the most authentic police drama the UK has produced in a decade.
- Don't Skip Factual: To Catch a Copper won Factual Series for a reason. It’s uncomfortable, necessary viewing about internal police corruption.
- International Gems: Shōgun is the obvious choice, but keep an eye on After the Party. It was nominated in International for a reason—it’s a masterclass in tension from New Zealand that more people need to see.
The 2025 BAFTAs proved that British TV isn't just surviving the era of streaming; it's thriving by leaning into the stories that only these islands can tell. Whether it's a posthumous nod to a beloved sitcom or a gritty procedural from Belfast, the winners list reflects a medium that still knows how to command a room.