The red carpet might stay rolled up this year because ITV has just confirmed the British Soap Awards won’t happen in 2026. After returning in 2025, fans expected another big celebration of Coronation Street, Emmerdale and EastEnders, especially after the recent crossover pulled in huge numbers. Instead, the ceremony is taking another surprise year off, and nobody is explaining why.
ITV Confirms 2026 Break Despite Huge Viewing Success
ITV officially announced that the British Soap Awards are cancelled for 2026, meaning no trophies will be handed out this year. The ceremony first launched back in 1999 and ran annually for decades, only stopping during the COVID years in 2020 and 2021.
It then returned for two editions, skipped 2024, came back in 2025 and now pauses again. Just like the previous hiatus, ITV hasn’t given a specific reason for shelving the show.
The decision feels particularly unexpected because soaps have recently been performing strongly. The big Corrie-Emmerdale crossover dominated January ratings and became the most-watched ITV programme of the month, drawing 5.9 million viewers across consolidated TV and streaming.
Streaming figures also surged. Reports say both soaps achieved their highest monthly streaming totals ever, rising 48% year-on-year and reaching around 65 million streams.
Coronation Street: Last Ceremony Drama On And Off Screen
The most recent ceremony in 2025, hosted again by Jane McDonald, turned into a major victory night for EastEnders. The BBC soap picked up Best British Soap, while Lacey Turner won Best Leading Performance and Navin Chowdhry took Villain of the Year.
Patsy Palmer grabbed Best Comedy Performance, Steve McFadden earned Best Dramatic Performance, and Angie’s ghost return won Best Scene among several other prizes. But the drama didn’t stay confined to the stage.
After the awards, stars headed to a glamorous afterparty at Hackney Town Hall next door to the Hackney Empire, and the evening suddenly took a turn when security raised an alert. Staff calmly evacuated guests from the building, bringing the celebrations to an abrupt halt.
Meanwhile, storylines across the soaps continue moving ahead regardless of the awards break. Emmerdale recently confirmed a major arc for Kammy Hadiq that will finally explore his past. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Coronation Street spoilers.