ITV has announced that the British Soap Awards will not take place this year – leaving fans of shows including EastEnders and Emmerdale gutted.
Once a staple on the British awards season calendar, the annual bash celebrated small screen favourites, and gave the stars and crew members from the long-running soaps a chance to let their hair down.
But having taken place annually since 1999, the British Soap Awards were put on pause for two years during the pandemic, before returning in 2023. Bosses then pulled the event in 2024.
The ceremony returned in 2025 but ITV has now announced that it will not be back this year.
A statement read: “The British Soap Awards is taking a break and won’t be on air in 2026.”
It is not known whether the event will go ahead in 2027.
Fans have shared their sadness at the announcement, especially as it comes after ITV’s landmark Corriedale stunt, which saw its two flagship soaps cross over for the first time.
“Such a shame!” one fan wrote on X. I’m gutted as [there’ll be] no recognition for Corriedale.”
Another added: “It makes no sense at all for them to do this. They would have swept the awards between Corriedale and Emmerdale, they would’ve won so many.”
“It seems a real shame not to celebrate the actors across the soaps in some capacity, even if it had to be smaller in scale,” said a third.
The British Soap Awards traditionally see actors from the likes of EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks battle it out for acting accolades, before the biggest prize of the night: Best British Soap.
The EastEnders cast took the top prize back to Albert Square in 2025, after an action-packed year for the BBC show’s 40th anniversary.
Having been held in London for a decade, the event began alternating between venues in the capital and Manchester in the early 2010s.
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This year’s bash was due to take place in Manchester.
In 2023, bosses were forced to find a new host for the ceremony when longtime presenter Philip Schofield stepped back from all ITV commitments after admitting to an affair with a younger This Morning colleague.
Channel 5 favourite Jane McDonald stepped in, hosting the event in 2023 and 2025.
