The British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance is an award given out by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts at their annual BAFTA Television Awards ceremony.
This category has had minor name changes:
From 1958 to 1962 it was presented as an individual award named Best Light Entertainment Artist. From 1963 to 1965 it was awarded as Best Light Entertainment Personality From 1967 to 1999 it was awarded as Best Light Entertainment Performance. Since 2000 the award has been known as Best Entertainment Performance.
Prior to the 1994 ceremony, acting performances in comedy roles were included in this category. Since 1994 they have been recognised in the Best Comedy Performance category.
Winners and nominees
1950s Year Performer 1958 Tony Hancock 1959 Alan Melville
1960s Year Performer Programme 1960 Tony Hancock 1961 Stanley Baxter 1962Eric Sykes 1963 Michael Bentine 1964 Morecambe and Wise 1965 Millicent Martin 1966 Peter Cook, Dudley Moore Not Only... But Also John Bird Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life Charlie Drake The Worker Benny Hill The Benny Hill Show Terry Scott Scott on Birds; Scott on Money; Scott on Food; Hugh and I; Christmas Night with the Stars 1967Alan Bennett 1968Alan Bennett 1969 Marty Feldman Marty
1970s Year Performer Programme 1970 Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise The Morecambe and Wise Show Ronnie Barker Hark at Barker John Cleese Monty Python's Flying Circus Spike Milligan The World of Beachcomber; Q.5; Curry and Chips 1971 Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise The Morecambe and Wise Show John Cleese Monty Python's Flying Circus Ronnie Corbett Frost Show; No – That's Me Over Here! Frankie Howerd Up Pompeii! Arthur Lowe Dad's Army 1972 Ronnie Barker & Ronnie Corbett The Two Ronnies Dick Emery The Dick Emery Show Benny Hill The Benny Hill Show 1973 Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise The Morecambe and Wise Show Arthur Lowe Dad's Army Monty Python Team Monty Python's Flying Circus 1974 Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise The Morecambe and Wise Show Dave Allen Dave Allen At Large Stanley Baxter The Stanley Baxter Big Picture Show Ronnie Barker & Ronnie Corbett The Two Ronnies 1975 Stanley Baxter The Moving Picture Show Ronnie Barker Porridge Michael Crawford Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Arthur Lowe Dad's Army 1976 Ronnie Barker Porridge Ronnie Barker & Ronnie Corbett The Two Ronnies Stanley Baxter The Stanley Picture Show Part III John Cleese Fawlty Towers 1977 Penelope Keith The Good Life Ronnie Barker Open All Hours; The Two Ronnies Richard Briers The Good Life; One-Upmanship Leonard Rossiter The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin 1978 Ronnie Barker Porridge & The Two Ronnies Penelope Keith The Good Life; The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show Arthur Lowe Dad's Army Leonard Rossiter The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; Rising Damp 1979 Ronnie Barker Going Straight & The Two Ronnies Leonard Rossiter The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; The Losers; Rising Damp Donald Sinden Two's Company Elaine Stritch
1980s Year Performer Programme 1980 John Cleese Fawlty Towers Ronnie Barker The Two Ronnies Penelope Keith To The Manor Born Andrew Sachs Fawlty Towers 1981 Rowan Atkinson Not the Nine O'Clock News Barry Humphries An Audience with Dame Edna Everage Maureen Lipman Agony Pamela Stephenson Not the Nine O'Clock News 1982 Nigel Hawthorne Yes Minister Dave Allen The Dave Allen Show Paul Eddington Yes Minister Stanley Baxter The Stanley Baxter Series 1983 Nigel Hawthorne Yes Minister Rowan Atkinson Not the Nine O'Clock News Judi Dench A Fine Romance Paul Eddington Yes Minister & Let There Be Love 1984 Tracey Ullman Three of a Kind Ronnie Barker & Ronnie Corbett The Two Ronnies Judi Dench A Fine Romance Jasper Carrot Carrot's Lib 1985 Judi Dench A Fine Romance Lenny Henry The Lenny Henry Show Julia McKenzie Fresh Fields Ruth Madoc Hi-de-Hi! Paul Nicholas Just Good Friends 1986 Victoria Wood Victoria Wood As Seen On TV Ronnie Barker Open All Hours & The Two Ronnies David Jason Only Fools and Horses Gorden Kaye 'Allo 'Allo! 1987 Nigel Hawthorne Yes, Prime Minister David Jason Only Fools and Horses Nicholas Lyndhurst Paul Eddington Yes, Prime Minister Julie WaltersVictoria Wood As Seen On TV Victoria Wood 1988 Nigel Hawthorne Yes, Prime Minister Rowan Atkinson Blackadder the Third Paul Eddington Yes, Prime Minister Barry Humphries The Dame Edna Experience 1989 Victoria Wood An Audience with Victoria Wood Dawn French French and Saunders Barry Humphries One More Audience with Dame Edna David Jason Only Fools and Horses
1990s Year Performer Programme Network 1990 Rowan Atkinson Blackadder Goes Forth BBC One Barry Humphries The Dame Edna Experience ITV David Jason Only Fools and HorsesBBC One Victoria Wood Victoria Wood 1991 David Jason Only Fools and Horses BBC One Rowan Atkinson The Return of Mr. Bean ITV Dawn French French and Saunders BBC Two Nicholas Lyndhurst Only Fools and Horses BBC One 1992 Richard Wilson One Foot in the Grave BBC One Rowan Atkinson The Curse of Mr. Bean ITV Haydn Gwynne Drop the Dead Donkey Channel 4 Patricia Routledge Keeping Up Appearances BBC One 1993 Joanna Lumley Absolutely Fabulous BBC One Patricia Routledge Keeping Up AppearancesBBC One Richard Wilson One Foot in the Grave Jennifer Saunders Absolutely Fabulous 1994 Richard Wilson One Foot in the Grave; One Foot in the Algarve BBC One Rowan Atkinson Mr. Bean ITV Rory Bremner Rory Bremner...Who Else? Channel 4 Annette Crosbie One Foot in the Grave BBC One Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC Two 1995 Rory Bremner Rory Bremner...Who Else? Channel 4 Michael Barrymore Barrymore ITV Steve Coogan Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge BBC Two Victoria Wood Victoria Wood: Live in Your Own Home BBC One 1996(42nd) Rory Bremner Rory Bremner...Who Else? Channel 4 Caroline Aherne The Mrs. Merton Show BBC One Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC Two Peter Ustinov An Evening with Peter Ustinov ITV 1997(43rd) John Bird & John Fortune Rory Bremner...Who Else?/The Long John's Channel 4 Caroline Aherne The Mrs. Merton Christmas Show BBC One Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC Two Rory Bremner Rory Bremner... Who Else? Channel 4 1998(44th) Paul Whitehouse The Fast Show BBC Two Kathy Burke Harry Enfield & ChumsBBC One Harry Enfield Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC Two 1999(45th) Michael Parkinson Parkinson BBC One John Bird & John Fortune Rory Bremner... Who Else? Channel 4 Kathy Burke Harry Enfield's Yule Log ChumsBBC One Billy Connolly 30 Years of Billy Connolly
2000s Year Performer Programme Network 2000 (46th) Graham Norton So Graham Norton Channel 4 John Bird & John Fortune Bremner, Bird and FortuneChannel 4 Sacha Baron Cohen The 11 O'Clock Show Michael Parkinson Parkinson BBC One 2001 (47th) Graham Norton So Graham Norton Channel 4 Angus Deayton Have I Got News for YouBBC One Paul Merton Rory Bremner Blair Did It All Go Wrong? Channel 4 2002 (48th) Graham Norton So Graham Norton Channel 4 Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly Pop Idol ITV Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC One John Bird & John Fortune Bremner, Bird and Fortune Channel 4 2003 (49th) Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC One Sanjeev Bhaskar The Kumars at No. 42BBC Two Meera Syal Angus Deayton Have I Got News for You BBC One 2004 (50th) Jonathan Ross Friday Night with Jonathan Ross BBC One Stephen Fry QI BBC Four/BBC Two Boris Johnson Have I Got News for YouBBC One Paul Merton 2005 (51st) Paul O'Grady The Paul O'Grady Show ITV Stephen Fry QI BBC Four/BBC Two Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ITV Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC One 2006 (52nd) Jonathan Ross Friday Night with Jonathan Ross BBC One Jeremy Clarkson Top Gear BBC Two Jack Dee Jack Dee Live at the Apollo BBC One Noel Edmonds Deal or No Deal Channel 4 2007 (53rd) Jonathan Ross Friday Night with Jonathan Ross BBC One Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ITV Stephen Fry QI BBC Four/BBC Two Paul Merton Have I Got News for You BBC One 2008 (54th) Harry Hill Harry Hill's TV Burp ITV Simon Amstell Never Mind the Buzzcocks BBC One Alan Carr & Justin Lee Collins The Friday Night Project Channel 4 Stephen Fry QI BBC Two 2009 (55th) Harry Hill Harry Hill's TV Burp ITV Stephen Fry QI BBC One/BBC Two Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ITV Jonathan Ross Friday Night with Jonathan Ross BBC One
2010s Year Performer Programme Network 2010 (56th) Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ITV1 Stephen Fry QI BBC Two/BBC One Harry Hill Harry Hill's TV Burp ITV1 Michael McIntyre Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow BBC One 2011 (57th) Graham Norton The Graham Norton Show BBC One Rob Brydon The Rob Brydon Show BBC Two Stephen Fry QI BBC Two Harry Hill Harry Hill's TV Burp ITV1 2012 (58th) Graham Norton The Graham Norton Show BBC One Alan Carr Alan Carr: Chatty Man Channel 4 Harry Hill Harry Hill's TV Burp ITV1 Dara Ó Briain Mock the Week BBC Two 2013 (59th) Alan Carr Alan Carr: Chatty Man Channel 4 Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ITV Sarah Millican The Sarah Millican Television Programme BBC Two Graham Norton The Graham Norton Show BBC One 2014 (60th) Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ITV Charlie Brooker 10 O'Clock Live Channel 4 Sarah Millican The Sarah Millican Television Programme BBC Two Graham Norton The Graham Norton Show BBC One 2015 (61st) Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ITV Leigh Francis Celebrity Juice ITV2 Graham Norton The Graham Norton ShowBBC One Claudia Winkleman Strictly Come Dancing 2016 (62nd) Leigh Francis Celebrity Juice ITV2 Stephen Fry QI BBC Two Graham Norton The Graham Norton Show BBC One Romesh Ranganathan Asian Provocateur BBC Three 2017 (63rd) Michael McIntyre Michael McIntyre's Big Show BBC One Adam Hills The Last Leg Channel 4 Graham Norton The Graham Norton ShowBBC One Claudia Winkleman Strictly Come Dancing 2018 (64th) Graham Norton The Graham Norton Show BBC One Adam Hills The Last Leg Channel 4 Michael McIntyre Michael McIntyre's Big Show BBC One Sandi Toksvig QI BBC Two 2019 (65th) Lee Mack Would I Lie To You? BBC One Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ITV David Mitchell Would I Lie To You? BBC One Rachel Parris The Mash Report BBC Two
2020s