Adolescence helps it become the first streamer to win Broadcaster of the Year

Adolescence and Grenfell: Uncovered helped power Netflix to major success at the Broadcast Awards 2026, as it became the first streamer to be named Broadcaster of the Year.

The former shows won Best New Drama and the latter Best Documentary Programme, and formed part of a superb wider slate of British shows the launched during the judging period, including the likes of Toxic Town, Black Doves, Dept Q, House of Guinness, Critical: Between Life and Death and Love is Blind UK.

The record-breaking Adolescence, Netflix’s second most-watched English language of all time, had a vast cultural impact in the UK and around the world and prompted its co-producer Warp Films to be named Best Independent Production Company.

The Sheffield-based label also produced Reunion, which made the shortlist in the New Drama category, to help it defeat Studio Lambert, which had won the title in the last two years.

The All3Media label did not go empty handed however, winning Best Reality Programme for series three of The Traitors.

Elsewhere, the BBC won the highest total of awards – nine – with notable successes including Best Comedy for Here We Go and Best Specialist Factual Programme for Helmand: Tour of Duty.

This was followed by three awards for Netflix and Channel 4, which also triumphed with Virgin Island (Best Factual Entertainment), Big Boys (Best Comedy Drama) and State of Rage (Best Current Affairs). Sky took home two awards: Best News Programme for Sky News’ coverage of the downfall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad; and Best Documentary Series for Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park.

Other notable winners included Prime Video’s Last One Laughing, which beat several juggernaut titles to be named Best Entertainment Programme, and Apple TV’s Slow Horses, which triumphed in Best Returning Drama.

In addition, Broadcast revealed the winners of its two special categories. ITV and Wall to Wall’s Long Lost Family was inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Lorraine Heggessey was the recipient of the Special Recognition Award.

Long Lost Family is celebrating 15 years on air and its heart-warming, redemptive stories have delivered 887 reunions across its main show and spin-offs. Hosts Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell picked up the award on behalf of its skilled and hard-working production team.

Heggessey has enjoyed a trailblazing career, becoming the first female controller of BBC1 in the early 2000s and ushering the likes of Strictly Come Dancing, Spooks and the rebooted Doctor Who to screen.

She then became the chief executive of entertainment powerhouse Talkback Thames and later chairing The Grierson Trust for more than a decade, before stepping down last year.

The Broadcaster of Year category has replaced Channel of the Year, to reflect changing viewing habits and the priorities of British broadcasters. The primary focus of the award is on British-made and UK-commissioned original programming.