NTA shortlist REVEALED with first all-female nominations for top gong, battle for best host & Stacey Solomon hat-trick

THE small screen is honouring girl power at this year’s National Television Awards because, for the first time ever, the shortlist for Best Drama Performance is all-female. Male titans of the acting world including Cillian ­Murphy, David Tennant and Matt Smith have lifted the gong in the past. Stacey Solomon secures a hat-trick of nominations for her BBC reality series with partner Joe Swash, her gig Sort Your Life Out and also solo in the TV Presenter category Credit: Getty Claudia Winkleman will fight it out in the TV Presenter category Credit: Getty This year’s contenders are Gavin & Stacey’s Ruth Jones, who has been nominated for her turn in gritty Netflix thriller Run Away. Sheridan Smith could take the award for the second time thanks to her run as Ann Ming in ITV true crime drama I Fought The Law, having first won in 2015 playing another real-life role, Cilla Black. Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! Vicky McClure has got the nod for the third time — and her second nom as Trigger Point’s Lana Washington. Ella Bruccoleri is shortlisted as Mary Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister and Judy Parfitt for Sister Monica Joan in Call The Midwife. One of these will join the handful of women who have lifted the gong since 2015 — with Sheridan, Suranne Jones and Sarah Lancashire the only female winners to date. The shortlist, revealed today by The Sun after a month of viewer voting, champions a string of other top women on TV. Stacey Solomon secures her place as one of TV’s biggest stars with a hat-trick of nominations for her BBC reality series with partner Joe Swash, her factual entertainment gig Sort Your Life Out and also solo in the competitive TV Presenter category. That category caused ruffled ­feathers last year when Gary Lineker broke Ant and Dec’s 23-year winning streak, and this year they face even fiercer competition. Most read in TV Queens of primetime Stacey, Claudia Winkleman and Alison Hammond will also vie for the title, while beloved naturalist Sir David Attenborough has been included in the category for the first time. Elsewhere Claudia and Tess Daly could round off leaving their hosting roles on Strictly by taking the Talent Show gong. BBC smash hits The Traitors and The Celebrity Traitors are nominated in Reality Competition. Only I’m A Celebrity and Race Across The World stand in their way. Meanwhile Gladiators is ­celebrating with its first recognition since the show’s BBC reboot in 2024. The muscle-clad monsters are up for The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award against The Graham Norton Show, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Would I Lie To You? and The Masked Singer — which NTA ceremony host Joel Dommett also presents. Classics lead the New Drama category, including The Other Bennet Sister and A Woman Of Substance along with raunchy ice hockey series Heated Rivalry and true crime with ITV’s take on the John Worboys case, Believe Me, and I Fought The Law. The full National Television Awards shortlists is revealed here ahead of the glittering night at London’s O2 on September 8, when the results will be announced live. A Special Recognition Award will also be revealed on the night. HOW TO VOTE: Vote free at nationaltvawards.com Votes must be in by midday on September 8, 2026. All new votes will be added to those already submitted in the first round of voting. The results will be revealed at the NTA ceremony live on ITV from The O2 London on Tuesday, September 8, from 8pm. DRAMA PERFORMANCE Ella Bruccoleri for her role as Mary Bennet, The Other Bennet Sister Credit: AFP Sheridan Smith is nominated for her role as Ann Ming, I Fought The Law Credit: Getty Vicky McClure, as Lana Washington, Trigger Point Credit: Getty Judy Parfitt is up for her role as Sister Monica Joan, Call The Midwife Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 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 TV PRESENTER Alison Hammond will fight it out with the big guns for the TV Presenter gong Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Alison Hammond Ant & Dec Claudia Winkleman David Attenborough Stacey Solomon FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT 24 Hours In Police Custody Gogglebox Secret Garden Sort Your Life Out The Martin Lewis Money Show Live SERIAL DRAMA PERFORMANCE Aaron Thiara, Ravi Gulati, EastEnders Gareth Pierce, Todd Grimshaw, Coronation Street Jeff Hordley, Cain Dingle, Emmerdale Paul Bradley, Nigel Bates, EastEnders Sue Devaney, Debbie Webster, Coronation Street COMEDY Amandaland is up for the Comedy award Credit: BBC Amandaland Changing Ends Last One Laughing Mrs Brown’s Boys Not Going Out NEW DRAMA Daniel Mays as John Worboys. ‘Believe Me’ Credit: Shutterstock Editorial A Woman Of Substance Believe Me, above Heated Rivalry I Fought The Law The Other Bennet Sister THE BRUCE FORSYTH ENTERTAINMENT AWARD Gladiators is fighting it out for the The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award Credit: BBC Gladiators Michael McIntyre’s Big Show The Graham Norton Show The Masked Singer Would I Lie to You? QUIZ SHOW Lee Mack’s The 1% Club Credit: ITV Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel Richard Osman’s House Of Games The 1% Club The Chase SERIAL DRAMA EastEnders goes head to head with the other major soaps Credit: BBC Casualty Coronation Street EastEnders Emmerdale Hollyoaks RETURNING DRAMA Bridgerton is back and is shortlisted for the Returning Drama contest Credit: PA Blue Lights Bridgerton Call The Midwife Stranger Things Trigger Point REALITY COMPETITION The Celebrity Traitors has captivated audiences Credit: BBC I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! I’m A Celebrity . . . South Africa Race Across the World The Celebrity Traitors The Traitors AUTHORED DOCUMENTARY Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home Credit: Paramount Plus 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 DAYTIME Kaye Adams, GK Barry, Denise Welch and Lisa Riley hosting Loose Women Credit: Shutterstock Good Morning Britain James Martin’s Saturday Morning Loose Women Scam Interceptors This Morning REALITY DOCUSERIES Clarkson’s Farm Credit: PA At Home With The Furys Clarkson’s Farm Fletchers’ Family Farm Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Stacey & Joe TALENT SHOW The Great Pottery Throw Down Credit: Channel 4 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 Jezza grows for second win Excl by Felicity Cross JEREMY CLARKSON could top off a tumultuous year by ­lifting a second NTA gong for Clarkson’s Farm. The Prime Video hit has this year been shortlisted in the Reality Docuseries ­category. In 2025, Sun columnist ­Jeremy ­dedicated his Factual Entertainment win to the ­agricultural ­industry, saying: “I’d like to think that this is for farming because it demonstrates that people who watch the show go, ‘Bloody hell, farming’s difficult’, and have voted for this show.” Series five, featuring Jeremy’s prostate cancer drama, aired earlier this year to rave reviews. THIS year’s Serial Drama performance gong ­honours Paul Bradley’s return to ­EastEnders for Nigel’s tragic goodbye. He’s up against castmate Aaron Thiara (for Ravi’s mental health crisis), Emmerdale’s Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle), plus two from Corrie – Sue Devaney (for Debbie’s sad decline) and Gareth Pierce (as coercive control victim Todd Grimshaw). Comment now