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

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.

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.

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:

• 14 of Sonia Fowler's biggest and best EastEnders moments: From surprise birth to live monologue
• EastEnders at 40: Best ever scandals from Pat and Frank to Sharongate
• EastEnders at 40: Best ever villains from Nick Cotton to Nish Panesar
• EastEnders at 40: Best ever whodunnits – From who shot Phil to who killed Archie?
• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?

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

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.