Bafta’s chief executive Amanda Berry has said the upcoming television awards will be likely to feature a tribute to “those who have done so much for society” during the last few months.
This year’s television and television craft nominations are led by gritty Sky mini-series, Chernobyl, which has 14 nods in total.
The awards, which will be broadcast as-live on BBC One on July 31, will be hosted by Richard Ayoade and will take place behind closed doors with nominees accepting awards virtually.
Ms Berry told the PA news agency: “We are definitely looking at ways to recognise the situation that we are in today, celebrating those who have done so much for society, so that will definitely be part of the show.”
Talking about how the show will work, she referenced the recent Bafta Games Awards, held in April, which saw more than 720,000 people tune in to the ceremony which was turned into an online-only event for the first time.
She said: “We delivered an online ceremony two weeks into lockdown. We delivered the Games Awards online so, we had so little time to prep for that and we managed to do it. And the enthusiasm we received from the nominees and winners was just heartwarming and I have to say more viewers watched it than they would do in whatever, however, we call normal times. So we have got a bit of experience.
“We’re working through how we’re going to do it. We obviously have to follow Government guidelines so we’re monitoring any change in that but we’re making sure that we can social distance.
“We will have, as well as our host Richard Ayoade, we will have a number of presenters in the studio, we will have live performance as well, so we are just working out how to do it.
“But I’m one of these people and my team are too that when we’re given a challenging situation like this one, we see it as a real opportunity, so I think we’re going to actually bring a lot of excitement to the show, we’re just going to have to do it in a slightly different way.”
Netflix’s lavish royal drama, The Crown, has been nominated for best drama series, and its stars – Helena Bonham Carter and Josh O’Connor – have received supporting actress and actor nominations.
Bonham Carter is nominated for her role as Princess Margaret and O’Connor for his portrayal of a young Prince of Wales.
Absent from this year’s nominations is Olivia Colman, who took over the role of the Queen from Claire Foy, for the third series of The Crown.
Huge congratulations to Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy), Josh O’Connor and Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown) for their @BAFTA nominations! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/d3rke39203
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) June 4, 2020
Ms Berry said: “I was surprised, but I don’t know who I would take out if you look at that leading actress category. You have somebody like Glenda Jackson, 50 years since her first Bafta nomination, being nominated for Elizabeth Is Missing and then Jodie Comer, Samantha Morton, Suranne Jones – it’s such a strong list.”
BBC Three’s hit series Fleabag is up for three of the main TV awards, including scripted comedy, with its creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge nominated for best female performance in a comedy programme.
The Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards ceremony will air on Friday July 31 on BBC One with the British Academy Television Craft Awards taking place online on Friday July 17.