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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will honor EastEnders with the Television Craft Special Award at this year’s BAFTA Television Craft Awards, recognizing the show’s lasting impact on British television and its dedication to developing talent behind the scenes.
First airing in 1985, EastEnders was a hit on UK screens from the very beginning, captivating audiences with its gritty portrayal of life in the fictional London borough of Walford. But beyond its popularity with viewers, the long-running soap has quietly become a launching pad for some of the best creative talent in the industry. Over the years, it has helped guide the careers of Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), acclaimed screenwriter Sarah Phelps (And Then There Were None), and showrunner Dominic Treadwell-Collins, to name a few.
Younger actors have also gone on to success after getting their teeth into EastEnders. BAFTA-winning actress and writer Nicôle Lecky (Mood), writer and actress Emer Kenny (The Curse), and rising star Tosin Cole (Supacell) all had early career opportunities while working on the show. Their success serves to underscore the show’s role as a key training ground for up-and-coming writers, directors, and producers.
Charlotte Moore, the outgoing BBC Chief Content Officer, said, “We are thrilled that BAFTA has awarded EastEnders a Television Craft Special Award. It is a testament to all the people who work behind the scenes to produce a continuous drama that has entertained the country for over 40 years.”.
This award comes in a year of celebration for the soap, which marked its 40th anniversary in February with a brazen live episode. The special featured flashbacks and a dreamlike storyline that was both praised and pilloried, but demonstrated EastEnders’ ongoing commitment to experimental storytelling.
The BAFTA Craft Awards will take place on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at The Brewery, London, two weeks prior to the main BAFTA Television Awards. The craft ceremony is designed to highlight behind-the-camera work, including directing, editing, and writing—areas in which EastEnders has worked behind the scenes to influence the broader industry for decades.
In recognizing EastEnders, BAFTA is not only celebrating four decades of drama but also the contribution that long-running television shows make to shaping the next generation of creatives and filmmakers.
