Warrington teenager Owen Cooper has been crowned the National Television Awards’ Drama Performance winner, topping a star-studded shortlist and leading a huge night for Adolescence, which also took home Best New Drama at The O2 Arena in London.
Cooper, 15, shot to fame in the four-part Netflix drama, which landed in March and sparked national debate for its stark social commentary on knife crime in the UK. The series made British TV history by becoming the first streaming show to be the most-watched programme the week it was released, and it went on to break Netflix records as one of the most watched shows on the platform.
The Drama Performance category was voted for by viewers and pitted Cooper against his Adolescence co-star Stephen Graham, as well as Brenda Blethlyn for Vera, Rose Ayling-Ellis for Code of Silence and Tom Hardy for MobLand. Cooper is currently working in the US and accepted the award via video message, saying: “Never could I have believed that this show, Adolescence, would change my life in the way that it has. It’s the fact that the viewers who voted for this, it just shows what a powerful, impactful show that we all got to make.”
Later in the ceremony, Adolescence was named Best New Drama ahead of Code of Silence, Ludwig, MobLand and Rivals. With both Stephen and Owen unable to attend, members of the production team collected the trophy. Actress Jo Hartley told the audience: “Wow, thank you so much. This is absolutely incredible. It’s an honour to be in the category with these other shows as well.”
Created by Graham, 51, from Kirkby, alongside Jack Thorne, Adolescence stars Graham as Eddie Miller, a father whose life is upended when his son, Jamie, is accused of murder.
The NTAs marked their 30th year as one of TV’s most star-studded nights at The O2, with a host of household names on the red carpet. The show opened with a performance from McFly.
