Netflix‘s Adolescence came out on top on Wednesday night, as the hit show won two major prizes at the 2025 National TV Awards.
The critically acclaimed series beat out stiff competition from Rivals, Code of Silence, Ludwig and MobLand to win the award for Best New Drama.
While Owen Cooper also landed the coveted Best Drama Performance gong for playing twisted teen killer Jamie Miller in the show, edging out his own co-star Stephen Graham.
The 15-year-old was not in attendance at the UK ceremony as he headed to the US in time for the weekend’s Emmys, but his friend and Adolescence co-star Amari Bacchus was on hand to accept the award on his behalf.
And he also shared a pre-recorded video message from Owen on his phone, where he effusively thanked his co-stars, collaborators and fans.
He said: ‘Never could I have believed that this show, Adolescence, would change my life in the way that it has.
Netflix ‘s Adolescence came out on top on Wednesday night, as the hit show won two major prizes at the 2025 National TV Awards
The critically acclaimed series beat out stiff competition from Rivals, Code of Silence, Ludwig and MobLand to win the award for Best New Drama (cast and crew pictured)
While Owen Cooper also landed the coveted Best Drama Performance gong for playing twisted teen killer Jamie Miller in the show, edging out his own co-star Stephen Graham (seen Monday)
‘It’s the fact that the viewers who voted for this, it just shows what a powerful, impactful show that we all got to make.’
Owen’s NTA win put him in good stead for the Emmy Awards on Sunday, where he could break records with a win for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
At just 15, the Warrington schoolboy will be the youngest-ever male winner in the 76-year history of the ‘TV Oscars’ if he scoops the accolade for his role in one of Netflix’s most-watched series ever which has swept the board with 13 nominations.
The current record holder for youngest male is Scott Jacoby, who bagged the Best Supporting Actor at 16 in 1973 for drama That Certain Summer.
Daily Mail previously revealed Owen would be entered in the Best Supporting Actor category, as opposed to Best Actor, which experts hailed as a ‘genius move’ and said would massively boost his chances of winning.
He will go up against his co-star Ashley Walters who has been nominated for his first Emmy in the same category after his role as DI Luke Bascombe.
Also in the category is Javier Bardem, for his role in Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story, Bill Camp and Peter Sarsgaard, for their respective roles in Presumed Innocent and Rob Delaney, for his role in Dying For Sex.
Adolescence is also nominated in the Best Limited or Anthology Series alongside Black Mirror, Dying for Sex, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and The Penguin.
The 15-year-old was not in attendance at the ceremony due to working in the States, but his friend and Adolescence co-star Amari Bacchus was on hand to accept the award on his behalf (seen)
And he also shared a pre-recorded video message from Owen on his phone, where he effusively thanked his co-stars, collaborators and fans
Owen’s NTA win put him in good stead for the Emmy Awards on Sunday, where he could break records with a win for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Owen, who hails from a proudly working class estate in central Warrington, was chosen from 500 candidates for the role of Jamie.
It was his first-ever acting job and no one in his family has a background in the industry.
As well as Adolescence, Gary Lineker, This Morning and EastEnders were among the big winners on Wednesday night, as the stars of British TV descended on London‘s O2 Arena for NTAs.
Hosted by Joel Dommett for its 30th anniversary, the awards were televised on ITV1, with the winners voted for by the public.
And one of the biggest surprises of the night saw Gary finally bring an end to Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly‘s 23-year winning streak, as the former footballer, 64, scored the win for Best Presenter.
The emotional presenter used his acceptance speech to take a pointed dig at his controversial departure from Match of the Day, as he declared it was ‘OK to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice’.
After 26 years, Gary presented his final show in May, after sharing a pro-Palestine Instagram video about Zionism featuring an emoji of a rat, which has anti-Semitic connotations. He apologised, but stepped down as host.
Speaking to the NTAs crowd, he admitted ‘it’s not lost on me why I might have won this award’, before ending his speech: ‘I think it demonstrates that perhaps it’s OK sometimes to use our platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice.’
Gary Lineker , This Morning and EastEnders were among the big winners on Wednesday night, as the stars of British TV descended on London ‘s O2 Arena for the 2025 National TV Awards
Hosted by Joel Dommett for its 30th anniversary, the awards were televised on ITV1, with the winners voted for by the public
The emotional presenter used his acceptance speech to take a pointed dig at his controversial departure from Match of the Day, as he declared it was ‘OK to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice’
National Television Awards 2025 Winners: AT A GLANCE
Reality Competition – I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
New Drama – Adolescence
Quiz Show – The 1% Club
Factual Entertainment – Clarkson’s Farm
The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award – Michael McIntyre’s Big Show
Serial Drama Performance – Steve McFadden, Phil Mitchell, EastEnders
Returning Drama – Call the Midwife
Gary Lineker won the Best Presenter gong, breaking Ant and Dec’s 23 year streak
This Morning won the Best Daytime Award
TV Presenter – Gary Lineker
Serial Drama – EastEnders
Authored Documentary – Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Drama Performance – Owen Cooper, Jamie Miller, Adolescence
Daytime – This Morning
Talent – Strictly Come Dancing
Comedy – Gavin & Stacey
While it was also a redemption evening for This Morning, who scooped the Best Daytime gong again two years after their bruising defeat to The Repair Shop.
It also marked the first win for new hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, with Alison Hammond telling the audience how they had all been ‘humbled’ by the past two losses.
And Strictly Come Dancing also came out champions, bagging Best Talent Show, despite a year full of scandals and controversies.
However, due to recording schedules for this year’s series, Tess Daly, Claudia Winkleman and the judges were unable to be there to collect the award.
And after it returned for its long-awaited finale at Christmas, beloved sitcom Gavin & Stacey won the award for Best Comedy, with Ruth Jones and Larry Lamb accepting the gong.
Jeremy Clarkson‘s smash-hit show Clarkson’s Farm also came out on top, with Jeremy taking the moment to make a quip to the audience about how he was on weight-loss jab Mounjaro.
However, Stacey Solomon suffered a further blow following on from her BAFTA snub earlier this year, as her factual series Sort Your Life Out missed out on an NTA gong again, while she also lost out on Best Presenter.
Meanwhile Liz Hurley and Rob Rinder announced this year’s winner of the Reality Competition was I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, with reigning King of the Jungle Danny Jones leading the 2024 cast onstage to accept.
And after it returned for its long-awaited finale at Christmas, beloved sitcom Gavin & Stacey won the award for Best Comedy, with Ruth Jones and Larry Lamb accepting the gong
An emotional moment of the night saw EastEnders‘ Jessie Wallace and Michelle Ryan present the Serial Drama Performance to co-star Steve McFadden, who couldn’t hold back his tears as he was honoured for his portrayal of Phil Mitchell’s mental health crisis.
And the Walford cast had plenty to celebrate, as the ceremony ended with EastEnders scoring the coveted Best Serial Drama prize.
The night kicked off with comedian Michael McIntyre scoring a huge win for his Big Show, as he scooped The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award.
Lee Mack’s The 1% Club was voted Best Quiz Show this year, with the comedian using his time on stage to poke fun at Gary.
Meanwhile, the final ever series of Vera lost out to the BBC‘s Call The Midwife for Best Returning Drama.
And it was a big night for former Love Island star Molly Mae Hague as she walked away with the award for Authored Documentary.
Her series, which initially charted her breakup last year from Tommy Fury, beat off stiff competition from Boyzone: No Matter What, Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, There’s Only One Rob Burrow and Freddie Flintoff.
The night kicked off with comedian Michael McIntyre scoring a huge win for his Big Show, as he scooped The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
And it was a big night for former Love Island star Molly Mae Hague as she walked away with the award for Authored Documentary
Animated BBC series Wallace and Gromit also received a special recognition award during the night, with creator Nick Park collecting the gong.
The red carpet arrivals were hosted by Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks for the second year in a row, who also took to the stage to hand out a gong.
The NTAs were established back in 1995 to give the public a voice when it came to recognising TV talent – as previously, awards had always been dished out by industry professionals.
Described as a ‘celebration of the nation’s most loved stars and shows’, people have had the opportunity to vote via post, telephone, and online.
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