Emmerdale has won Serial Drama at the National Television Awards 2026, taking home the final award of the night at The O2 Arena in London. As host Joel Dommett joked following the result, it had been “a big night for farmers”, with Clarkson’s Farm also among the winners earlier in the evening. The long-running ITV soap beat Casualty, Coronation Street, EastEnders and Hollyoaks to win the publicly voted award, bringing the 2026 National Television Awards to a close.
The full Serial Drama shortlist was:
Casualty
Coronation Street
EastEnders
Emmerdale — WINNER
Hollyoaks
The victory capped off a successful night for Emmerdale, which had already picked up another award earlier in the ceremony. Jeff Hordley won Serial Drama Performance for his role as Cain Dingle, beating EastEnders stars Aaron Thiara and Paul Bradley, as well as Coronation Street stars Gareth Pierce and Sue Devaney.
During his acceptance speech, Hordley spoke about Cain’s prostate cancer storyline and the importance of using the soap to raise awareness and provide information to viewers.
A Big Night for Emmerdale
Winning Serial Drama means Emmerdale ends the 2026 NTAs with two awards, following Hordley’s earlier individual victory. It also continues a striking pattern for the soap, which previously won the National Television Award for Serial Drama in 2020, 2022 and 2024. Its 2026 victory means Emmerdale has now taken the award every two years across that period.
The final award was presented by Teri Hatcher, who became one of television’s best-known stars through her role as Susan Mayer in Desperate Housewives. Hatcher is currently in London ahead of taking over the role of Miranda Priestly in the West End production of The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical from 20 October.
The National Television Awards 2026 took place at The O2 Arena in London on Tuesday 8 September, with Joel Dommett returning as host and winners across the night decided by the public.
For the complete results from tonight’s ceremony, see CultureCues’ full list of National Television Awards 2026 winners here.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.