Netflix wins first major Bafta with award for The Crown star
NETFLIX has finally been accepted into the television establishment by winning its first major Bafta, for Vanessa Kirby’s performance as Princess Margaret in The Crown.
It was a landmark moment for the US streaming service, which has poured a reported £100 million into the royal drama in an attempt to move in on the BBC’S territory. Last year the series had five nominations but won nothing, leading to accusations of a Bafta snub.
This time around, Kirby was named best supporting actress, dedicating her award to the woman she played. She also thanked her on-screen sibling, Claire Foy, praising her as “the best sister” she could have, before hastily checking herself and adding: “Apart from my real one!”
Jane Lush, the chairman of Bafta, has said that Netflix’s inclusion in the nominations was a recognition that times have changed. “I think the awards are reflecting the way people are watching television now,” she said.
The Crown lost out on the award for best drama series, which went instead to the BBC’S Peaky Blinders.
Foy was beaten to the best actress prize by Molly Windsor, the 20-year-old who starred in the BBC’S Three Girls, a harrowing account of the Rochdale sex abuse scandal. Three Girls also won best mini-series. The Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards did include significant wins for the BBC. Ambulance, the channel’s fly-on-the-wall documentary, won the best factual series award.
John Motson, the BBC’S veteran football commentator, was honoured with Bafta’s special award. He dedicated it to colleagues at the sports department where he worked for half a century until his retirement this year.
Sean Bean won the best actor prize for his performance as a troubled priest in Jimmy Mcgovern’s Broken. Best supporting actor went to Brian F O’byrne for his performance as the father of Rhys Evans, the murdered 11-year-old, in ITV’S Little Boy Blue.
The biggest surprise of the night was Blue Planet II losing out in the specialist factual category to a BBC Two documentary about Jean-michel Basquiat, the artist. But the scene in which a pilot whale grieved for its dead calf, which prompted much debate about pollution in the oceans, was voted by the public as the Virgin TV Must-see Moment.
Sir David Attenborough said the programme set out to show the beauty of the oceans “but also the truth about what we are doing to them”.
He added: “The fact that this one particular moment rang a bell in the minds and the conscience of people throughout this country is something that pleases all of us more than I can say.”