2020 BAFTA TV awards: 'Chernobyl' leads the nominations
The nominations for the 2020 BAFTA television awards are out. Chernobyl, last year's critically-acclaimed drama produced by HBO and Sky has emerged as the front runner at the upcoming Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards, with as many as 14 nominations. Both the award ceremonies will take place in July, with no in-person attendees. Here are more details.
The 2019 mini-series, based on 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, was lauded by critics all around the world. Now, with 14 nominations, Chernobyl has become the most-nominated show in the ceremony's history, matching up with last year's Killing Eve. Meanwhile, Netflix historical drama The Crown follows up with a total of seven nominations. Fleabag and Giri/Haji have received six nominations each.
Apart from being nominated for the best mini-series award, Chernobyl has received nominations for categories like costume design, director (fiction), editing (fiction), make-up and hair design, original music, photography and lighting (fiction), production design, scripted casting, sound (fiction), special, visual and graphic effects, and writer (drama). It has also been nominated for best leading actor (for Jared Harris), and supporting actor (for Stellan Skarsgard).
For the best drama series award, nominations include The Crown, dark comedy series The End of the F***ing World, Gentleman Jack and Giri/Haji. On the other hand, nominations for the best mini-series award are A Confession, Chernobyl, The Victim, and The Virtues.
Nominations for the best leading actor include Jared Harris (for Chernobyl), Callum Turner (for The Capture), Stephen Graham (for The Virtues), and Takehiro Hira (for Giri/Haji). For the best leading actress category, the nominations are Glenda Jackson (for Elizabeth Is Missing), Jodie Comer (for Killing Eve), Samantha Morton (for I Am Kirsty), and Suranne Jones (for Gentleman Jack).
Fleabag creator and Killing Eve executive producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge along with Stath Lets Flats star Jamie Demetriou are the most-nominated individuals for this year, with three nods each.
Like many other popular award ceremonies, BAFTA too, has recently received criticism for its lack of representation among nominees. In this regard, this year's plan sees a 22 percent rise in nominees of color. Further, there is a plenty of new talent to be seen, with a humongous 57% of the performance category nominations having gone to first-time nominees.
The 2020 BAFTA awards were originally scheduled to take place on May 17, but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony will now be held on July 31, from behind the doors without any live audience. The winners will be called to accept their awards virtually. Comedian/actor Richard Ayoade will be the host for this year.
