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EastEnders confirmed to receive one of BAFTA's highest honours with new award

The win comes after 40 years of the BBC soap on our screens.

A promo shot of the exploding Queen Vic as the cast of EastEnders stand in front

BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

Published: Tuesday, 22 April 2025 at 12:00 am

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BAFTA has confirmed that EastEnders will receive the 2025 BAFTA Television Craft Special Award later this month.

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The award is seen as one of the Academy's highest honours and is being awarded for the 40 years of service that the BBC One soap has given to developing and nurturing new talent behind the camera.

Created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland, the soap follows the lives of the residents of a fictional London borough named Walford and was first broadcast on 19th February 1985.

The soap celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this year with a week of special episodes, including its latest live instalment, which saw the death of long-running character Martin Fowler, played by James Bye.

EastEnders has garnered a reputation for developing the careers of television and film industry creatives through numerous initiatives and special projects over the years, including its web spin-off series EastEnders: E20 and multiple training schemes across various disciplines.

The recent web spin-off focused on long-running supporting character Tracey the Barmaid (Jane Slaughter) was also part of the BBC Studios Drama Productions scheme, which offers the EastEnders Multi-Camera Course.

Numerous renowned talents have previously worked at or continue to work at the soap, with creatives from the show's history including celebrated writers Emer Kenny, Nicole Lecky, Sarah Phelps, and Sumerah Srivastav, renowned directors Tom Hooper and Joanna Hogg, and Rivals executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins.

James Bye as Martin Fowler and Lacey Turner as Stacey Slater.

James Bye as Martin Fowler and Lacey Turner as Stacey Slater during the recent anniversary episodes. BBC/Jack Barnes

The award comes as the era under executive producer Chris Clenshaw draws to a close and a new one begins under new boss Ben Wadey.

The BAFTA Television Craft Awards ceremony takes place later this month (27th April 2025) and is presented by journalist and broadcaster Stacey Dooley.

The BBC's outgoing chief content officer, Charlotte Moore, commented on the long-running soap's win: "The show has nurtured, trained, and produced some of the best talent within the industry, with many still working there, and, as an industry, we should be very grateful for what the show produces both on and off screen."

Meanwhile, Kate Oates, head of drama productions at BBC Studios, commented: "On behalf of everyone at EastEnders we are absolutely delighted and honoured to receive the BAFTA Television Craft Special Award in our 40th anniversary year."

Oates noted the soap's history of training "new talent and broadening existing skillsets", highlighting the various talents across the industry who have worked at or continue to work at EastEnders.

Leslie Grantham as Den, Anita Dobson as Angie and Letitia Dean as Sharon in EastEnders.

The Watts family when EastEnders first launched in 1985. Radio Times Archive

Finally, the BAFTA Television Committee Chair, Hilary Rosen, described the soap as "a towering force in British television" and noted its impact across four decades.

Rosen added: "What makes it even more remarkable is the work it does behind the camera, tireless dedication to nurturing fresh talent, championing underrepresented voices, and fuelling the engine at the heart of our industry.

"So many of today’s leading creatives got their start through this production, and its legacy continues to help shape the future generations of writers, directors, and producers.

"We’re thrilled to honour EastEnders and its powerful off-screen impact at this year's BAFTA Television Craft Awards with this Special Award."

The 2025 BAFTA Television Craft Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 27th April 2025.

Read more:

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Lewis Knight, smiling against a lime green background.

Lewis KnightNews and Trends Editor

Lewis is the news and trends editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.

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