The National Television Awards 2026 will return live on Tuesday September 8 at London’s O2 Arena, with Joel Dommett back as host and viewer voting now open. The long-list of nominees has been revealed ahead of the night, and every winner will be decided by the public.
The opening of voting matters because the awards are not chosen by a panel. They are settled by viewers, which gives the longlist immediate weight and turns the next few weeks into a straight contest for support. The show also keeps to a familiar format, with Dommett once again fronting the ceremony after helping turn it into one of television’s most watched annual nights.
Drama is among the most crowded categories. A Woman Of Substance, Death Valley, The Other Bennet Sister, The Girlfriend, The War Between the Land & The Sea and Riot Women are all long-listed for New Drama, while Blue Lights, Grace, Death In Paradise, Call The Midwife, Shetland and The Night Manager are in the frame for Returning Drama. Gary Oldman, Holliday Grainger, Sheridan Smith and Ruth Jones are included in the Drama Performance longlist.
There is also a strong line-up in reality and factual entertainment. The Celebrity Traitors, Love Island, The Apprentice and Race Across The World are competing in the reality category, while Sir David Attenborough is represented in Factual Entertainment with Secret Garden, Parenthood, Kingdom, Wild London and A Gorilla Story. Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth and Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home are in contention for Authored Documentary, and Amandaland, Here We Go and Changing Ends are among the comedy contenders.
Serial drama is likely to draw close attention after January’s crossover episode Corriedale brought Coronation Street and Emmerdale together. Either soap could win the Serial Drama award, and several of their performers are also in line for Serial Drama Performance, including Paul Bradley, Joshua Richards, Sue Davaney, Milo Clarke, William Beck and Melanie Hill.
The contest arrives with one recent shock still hanging over the ceremony: last year Gary Lineker broke Ant and Dec’s 23-year winning streak for TV Presenter. That result showed the viewer vote can shift quickly, and it gives this year’s race an edge before anyone steps onto the O2 Arena stage. By the time the show goes out live on September 8, the only thing that will matter is which names viewers have chosen to back.
