The British Academy Television Award for Best Live Event is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry. According to the BAFTA website, the category is for "the television coverage of a live event."
The category has gone through several changes: An individual award (occasionally with nominees) named Best Outside Broadcasts was presented from 1964 to 1968 and in 1977. From 1986 to 1991, the category was merged with the Best News Coverage category, being presented as Best News or Outside Broadcast Coverage. From 1995 to 1997 it was presented as Best Sports/Events Coverage in Real Time. In 1998 and 1999 it was awarded as Best Live Outside Broadcast Coverage. From 2012 to 2015, the category for sport evens was merged with the Best Sport category being awarded under the name Best Sport and Live Event. Since 2016, the category is presented as a stand-alone category, separate from the Best Sport category.
Winners and nominees 1960s Best Outside Broadcasts Year Title Recipient(s)1964 Antony Craxton1965 Dennis Monger1966 The State Funeral of Sir Winston ChurchillLSO - The Music Men Peter Morley Men Against the MatterhornCup Winners Cup Final: "West Ham v Munich"England v Scotland Alan Chivers, Walther Pluess The Lying-in-State and The State Funeral of Sir Winston ChurchillNATO ConferenceFestival of Remembrance at Cenotaph Antony Craxton Victory in Europe - 20 Years AfterHalf Time BritainScience SpecialChallengeTomorrow's World Glyn Jones1967 Grandstand: "World Cup" |- | rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"|1968 || colspan="2" style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Alan Chivers, Christopher Brasher
1970s Best Outside Broadcasts Year Title Recipient(s)1977 1976 FA Cup final Match of the Day St Nicholas Cantata Margery BakerThe State Opening of ParliamentWimbledon 1976
1990s Best Sports/Events Coverage in Real Time Year Title Recipient(s)1995 The Grand National Keith MacKenzie, Martin Hopkins Arnhem 50th Anniversary: Out of Ammunition Michael Begg D-Day Remembered: Beaches of Normandy and the Bayeux Service of Remembrance Neil Eccles, Stephen Morris UEFA Cup: "Aston Villa v Inter Milan" Mike Inman, John Watts1996 VE Day Coverage Peter Hylton Cleaver, Neil Eccles, Philip S. Gilbert and Team Cheltenham Gold Cup Jane Garrod Super Sunday: "The Final Day of the Premiership" Andy Melvin, Tony Mills VJ-50 Live: The Final Tribute Neil Eccles, Simon Betts, Philip S Gilbert1997 BBC1 Euro '96 Coverage Niall Sloane, Vivien Kent Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing Jim Reside, Keith MacKenzie Monday Night Football Andy Melvin, Tony Mills Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph Peter Cleaver
Best Live Outside Broadcast Coverage Year Title Recipient(s)1998 Sky Rugby Union Martin Turner The Grand National Malcolm Kemp, Martin Hopkins, Dave Gordon Hong Kong Handover: The Final Moment Philip Gilbert, Neil Eccles, Geoff Wilson and the BBC Events Production Team ITV Coverage of the Grand Prix Neil Duncanson, Keith McKenzie1999 Channel 4 Racing: "Derby Day" Andrew Franklin, Denise Large The Eurovision Song Contest Guy Freeman, Geoff Posner The Football World Cup Final Programme Paul McNamara, Niall Sloane World Cup '98: "England v Argentina" Jeff Farmer, Rick Waumsley, John Watts
2010s Best Sport and Live Event Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2012 The Royal Wedding BBC One Frankenstein's Wedding: Live in Leeds Meredith Chambers, Pat Connor, Richard Fell, Eleanor Moran BBC Three Rugby World Cup Final Phil Heslop, Paul McNamara, Tony Pastor, Roger Pearce ITV Tour de France 2011 Steve Docherty, Gary Imlach, James Venner, Carolyn Viccari ITV42013 The London 2012 Paralympic Games Channel 4 The London 2012 Olympics: "Super Saturday" BBC OneThe London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isle of WonderWimbledon 2012: "Men's Final"2014 The Ashes 2013: "1st Test, Day 5" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Sky Sports |- | colspan="2"|Wimbledon Men's Final || BBC One/BBC Sport |- | colspan="2"|Glastonbury 2013 || BBC |- | colspan="2"|Bollywood Carmen Live || BBC Three |- |rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|2015 || colspan="2" style="background:#B0C4DE;"|WW1 Remembered – From the Battlefield & Westminster Abbey BBC Two 2014 FA Cup Semi Final: Hull City v Sheffield United BT Sport 1Monty Python (Mostly) Live: One Down, Five to Go Gold Tour de France, 2014, Stage 1 Steve Docherty, Carolyn Viccari, James Venner, Gary Imlach ITV
Best Live Event Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2016 Big Blue Live BBC One The Sound of Music Live! ITVStargazing Live: "Brit in Space, Tim Peake Special" BBC Two The Vote David Clews, James Graham, Tony Grech-Smith, Josie Rourke More42017 The Queen's 90th Birthday Celebration ITV The Centenary of the Battle of the Somme: Thiepval BBC OneShakespeare Live! from the RSC BBC TwoStand Up to Cancer Channel 42018 World War One Remembered: Passchendaele BBC Two ITV News Election 2017: The Results ITVOne Love Manchester BBC OneWild Alaska Live 2019 The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance BBC OneOpen Heart Surgery: Live Channel 5The Royal Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Channel 4 Stand Up to Cancer Suzi Aplin, Andrew Charles Smith, Murray James, Gabe Turner
2020s Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2020 Blue Planet Live BBC One Election 2019 Live: The Results ITVGlastonbury 2019 BBC TwoOperation Live Channel 52021 Springwatch 2020 BBC Two Life Drawing Live! Emyr Afan, Sally Dixon, Josie d'Arby, Lachlan Goudie, Diana Ali, Nicky Philipps BBC FourThe Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance BBC OneThe Third Day: Autumn Sky Arts2022 The Earthshot Prize 2021 BBC OneThe Brit Awards 2021 ITVThe Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance BBC OneSpringwatch 2021 BBC Two2023 Platinum Jubilee: Party at the Palace BBC One Concert for Ukraine Guy Freeman, Richard Valentine, Anouk Fontaine, Tom Cuckson, Laura Djanogly, Jen Bollom ITV The State Funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II BBC One
Best Live Event Coverage Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2024 Eurovision Song Contest 2023 BBC One The Coronation Concert BBC One Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance 2025 Glastonbury 2024 BBC Two D-Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen BBC One Last Night of the Proms BBC Two2026 VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember BBC One Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 BBC One Last Night of the Proms: Finale BBC One
Note: The series that don't have recipients on the tables had Production team credited as recipients for the award or nomination.
References
External links List of winners at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts