Owen Cooper, the 16-year-old star of Adolescence, achieves a historic milestone by winning Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series at the Actor Awards. This victory eclipses the previous record held by Kate Winslet, who was 20 when she claimed her award for portraying Marianne Dashwood in the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Breakthrough Performance in Adolescence
Cooper earns the honor for his intense portrayal of a 13-year-old schoolboy who commits a shocking murder of a female classmate. He surpasses competitors including Stephen Graham, who portrayed his character’s father in the miniseries and co-created it with Jack Thorne.
Unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles, Cooper sees presenter Damson Idris accept the award on his behalf. Idris quips, ‘I’ll be taking this home, thank you.’
Filming Commitments Explain Absence
Cooper’s absence stems from his involvement in Tom Ford’s upcoming film Cry to Heaven, an adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1982 novel. The project follows a castrated nobleman in 18th-century Italy who rises as an opera soprano. The star-studded cast features Adele in her acting debut, alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Hoult, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Thandiwe Newton, Paul Bettany, Ciaran Hinds, Hunter Schafer, and Lux Pascal.
Principal photography occurs in Italy and the UK, aligning with the awards timing.
Ongoing Awards Dominance
This win continues Cooper’s remarkable streak with Adolescence, filmed when he was 14. Last September, at age 15, he became the youngest male Primetime Emmy winner for a supporting role in a limited series. Backstage, he shares, ‘This means so much to me and my family, people back home.’
He notes his UK friends were likely asleep, as it was around 4 a.m. there, but adds they would be ‘over the moon’ and he ‘can’t wait to tell them.’
In January, while preparing for GCSEs, Cooper secures the Golden Globe for best supporting actor on television, becoming the second-youngest recipient ever after Ricky Schroder. In his speech, he reflects: ‘What started off as what I thought I might be okay at, I might be awful at – I took a risk and I went to drama classes. I was the only boy there. It was embarrassing but I got through it.’ He emphasizes, ‘I’m still very much an apprentice, I’m still learning every day… I wouldn’t be here without you guys. This is mad. What is going on?’
Adolescence also garners acclaim for Graham and co-star Erin Doherty.
Key Winners at the 2026 Actor Awards
Film Categories
- Cast in a Motion Picture: Sinners (Warner Bros)
- Male Actor in a Leading Role: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Female Actor in a Leading Role: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
- Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
- Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Amy Madigan – Weapons
- Stunt Ensemble: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Television Categories
- Ensemble in a Drama Series: The Pitt (HBO Max)
- Male Actor in a Drama Series: Noah Wyle – The Pitt
- Female Actor in a Drama Series: Keri Russell – The Diplomat
- Ensemble in a Comedy Series: The Studio (Apple TV)
- Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Seth Rogen – The Studio
- Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Catherine O’Hara – The Studio
- Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series: Owen Cooper – Adolescence
- Female Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series: Michelle Williams – Dying For Sex
- Stunt Ensemble: The Last of Us (HBO)
