Inside Soap Awards 2026 nominations revealed – with exciting hall of fame addition

Inside Soap

The Inside Soap Awards are back for their milestone 30th year – and voting will open right here from midday today!

In the only soap awards ceremony to be held in 2026, Inside Soap is offering fans the unique chance to pick their favourites across 15 show-stopping categories.

This is your opportunity to reward the talented stars of Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks – and for the first time since 2009, viewers are now able to vote for Aussie soap Home and Away in all of the main categories, too!

Casualty and Waterloo Road are also in the mix with their own award, as viewers can pick their favourite cast member from the two BBC dramas.

Competition is sure to be fierce after another unmissable year in soap. We’ve seen the historic Corriedale crossover episode, Nigel Bates’s tear-jerking exit in EastEnders, Diane Hutchinson’s emotional farewell in Hollyoaks and the jaw-dropping Home and Away train crash.

There have been emotional weddings, including the long-awaited Swarla nuptials in Corrie, as well as dramatic baby bombshells like Charity Dingle’s lies over Leyla in Emmerdale, and impactful issue-based stories as the long-running soaps continue to shine a light on real-life topics.

All of these moments and many more are reflected in this year’s nominations. And in a change to proceedings, it’ll be a party up north this year as the awards are moving to Manchester for the first time ever!

“The Inside Soap Awards are still going strong after 30 years, and we’re proud to be championing all the wonderful work the soaps produce day in, day out,” says Inside Soap magazine editor Sarah Ellis.

“Our readers are just as passionate and loyal now as they were back in 1996, with over 90,000 of them voting each year – and the Inside Soap Awards remain the only accolades of their kind to be voted for entirely by the true experts, the soap fans themselves.”

Excitingly, the weekly magazine will also be marking 30 years of the awards by launching the Inside Soap Hall of Fame, with the inaugural inductee being announced on the night.

“The soap star who receives this prestigious accolade will be someone who’s been closely associated with the Inside Soap Awards since they began in 1996,” adds Sarah. “In addition, fans will also be able to nominate their Soap Superstar of 2026, a person they feel has gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to providing entertainment.”

Don’t forget to check back on this page from midday today for the official voting details you need. In the meantime, here’s a first look at the full longlist of nominations…

• Best Actress
• Best Actor
• Best Comic Performance
• Best Villain
• Best Young Performer
• Best Newcomer
• Best Exit
• Best Family
• Best Partnership
• Best Storyline
• Best Showstopper
• Best Drama Star
• Best Soap

Best Actress

Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster, Coronation Street)

Vicky Myers (Lisa Connor-Swain, Coronation Street)

Tina O’Brien (Sarah Platt, Coronation Street)

Emma Barton (Honey Mitchell, EastEnders)

Karen Henthorn (Julie Bates, EastEnders)

Diane Parish (Denise Fox, EastEnders)

Emma Atkins (Charity Dingle, Emmerdale)

Olivia Bromley (Dawn Fletcher, Emmerdale)

Natalie J Robb (Moira Barton, Emmerdale)

Alex Fletcher (Diane Hutchinson, Hollyoaks)

Nadine Mulkerrin (Cleo McQueen, Hollyoaks)

Anna Passey (Sienna Blake, Hollyoaks)

Ada Nicodemou (Leah Patterson, Home and Away)

Sophea Pennington (Lacey Miller, Home and Away)

Emily Weir (Mackenzie Booth, Home and Away)

Best Actor

Rob Mallard (Daniel Osbourne, Coronation Street)

Vinta Morgan (Ronnie Bailey, Coronation Street)

Gareth Pierce (Todd Grimshaw, Coronation Street)

Paul Bradley (Nigel Bates, EastEnders)

Colin Salmon (George Knight, EastEnders)

Aaron Thiara (Ravi Gulati, EastEnders)

Ryan Hawley (Robert Sugden, Emmerdale)

Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle, Emmerdale)

Joshua Richards (Bear Wolf, Emmerdale)

Louis Emerick (Donny Clark, Hollyoaks)

Danny Mac (Dodger Savage, Hollyoaks)

Nick Pickard (Tony Hutchinson, Hollyoaks)

Ethan Browne (Tane Parata, Home and Away)

Tristan Gorey (Levi Fowler, Home and Away)

James Stewart (Justin Morgan, Home and Away)

Best Comic Performance

Amy Robbins (Christina Boyd, Coronation Street)

Jack P Shepherd (David Platt, Coronation Street)

Pierre Counihan-Moullier (Oscar Branning, EastEnders)

Harriet Thorpe (Elaine Peacock, EastEnders)

Chris Coghill (Kev Townsend, Emmerdale)

Shebz Miah (Kammy Hadiq, Emmerdale)

Nicole Barber-Lane (Myra McQueen, Hollyoaks)

Jorgie Porter (Theresa McQueen, Hollyoaks)

Emily Symons (Marilyn Chambers, Home and Away)

Shane Withington (John Palmer, Home and Away)

Best Villain

James Cartwright (Theo Silverton, Coronation Street)

Beth Nixon (Megan Walsh, Coronation Street)

Ronni Ancona (Bea Pollard, EastEnders)

Christopher Fairbank (Eddie Knight, EastEnders)

Joe Absolom (Ray Walters, Emmerdale)

Ned Porteous (Joe Tate, Emmerdale)

Gemma Bissix (Clare Devine, Hollyoaks)

Anna Passey (Sienna Blake, Hollyoaks)

Lachlan Miller (Holden Dwyer, Home and Away)

Sara Wiseman (Kerrie Matheson, Home and Away)

Best Young Performer

Lucas Hodgson-Wale (Will Driscoll, Coronation Street)

Jude Riordan (Sam Blakeman, Coronation Street)

Sonny Kendall (Tommy Moon, EastEnders)

Max Murray (Joel Marshall, EastEnders)

Amelia Flanagan (April Windsor, Emmerdale)

Fred Kettle (Dylan Penders, Emmerdale)

Charlie Behan (Charlie Dean, Hollyoaks)

Oscar Curtis (Lucas Hay, Hollyoaks)

Austin Cutcliffe (Casey Sharpe-Braxton, Home and Away)

Nathan Murray (Cohen Luthor, Home and Away)

Best Newcomer

Olivia Frances-Brown (Jodie Ramsey, Coronation Street)

Junade Khan (Idris Nazir, Coronation Street)

Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness (Jasmine Fisher, EastEnders)

Pierre Counihan-Moullier (Oscar Branning, EastEnders)

Casey Al-Shaqsy (Serena Sugden, Emmerdale)

Chris Coghill (Kev Townsend, Emmerdale)

Tisha Merry (Gemma Johnson, Hollyoaks)

Naledi Rapotu (Kathleen-Angel McQueen, Hollyoaks)

Maddison Brown (Jo Langham, Home and Away)

Jeremy Lindsay Taylor (David Langham, Home and Away)

Best Exit

Daniel Brocklebank (Billy Mayhew, Coronation Street)

James Cartwright (Theo Silverton, Coronation Street)

Nicholas Bailey (Anthony Trueman, EastEnders)

Paul Bradley (Nigel Bates, EastEnders)

Joe Absolom (Ray Walters, Emmerdale)

Jaye Griffiths (Celia Daniels, Emmerdale)

Alex Fletcher (Diane Hutchinson, Hollyoaks)

Tamara Wall (Grace Black, Hollyoaks)

Matt Evans (Theo Poulos, Home and Away)

Lynne McGranger (Irene Roberts, Home and Away)

Best Family

The Driscolls (Coronation Street)

The Platts (Coronation Street)

The Brannings (EastEnders)

The Watts-Fowlers (EastEnders)

The Dingles (Emmerdale)

The Sugdens (Emmerdale)

The Hutchinsons (Hollyoaks)

The Maalik-Clarkes (Hollyoaks)

The Fowlers (Home and Away)

The Langhams (Home and Away)

Best Partnership

Alison King & Vicky Myers (Carla & Lisa Connor-Swain, Coronation Street)

Jack P Shepherd & Julia Goulding (David & Shona Platt, Coronation Street)

Steve McFadden & Paul Bradley (Phil Mitchell & Nigel Bates, EastEnders)

Heather Peace & Balvinder Sopal (Eve & Suki Panesar-Unwin, EastEnders)

Jeff Hordley & Natalie J Robb (Cain & Moira Dingle, Emmerdale)

Danny Miller & Ryan Hawley (Aaron Dingle & Robert Sugden, Emmerdale)

Jennifer Metcalfe & Jamie Lomas (Mercedes McQueen & Warren Fox, Hollyoaks)

Kieron Richardson & Jonny Labey (Ste Hay & Rex Gallagher, Hollyoaks)

Nicholas Cartwright & Stephanie Panozzo (Cash Newman & Eden Fowler, Home and Away)

Ada Nicodemou & James Stewart (Leah Patterson & Justin Morgan, Home and Away)

Best Storyline

Todd’s abuse at the hands of Theo (Coronation Street)

Will groomed by predator Megan (Coronation Street)

Denise’s cancer diagnosis (EastEnders)

Nigel’s dementia & final goodbye (EastEnders)

Bear’s modern slavery nightmare (Emmerdale)

Charity’s baby bombshell (Emmerdale)

Diane’s ovarian cancer (Hollyoaks)

Cleo’s postpartum psychosis (Hollyoaks)

Mackenzie & Levi’s fertility journey (Home and Away)

Irene’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis (Home and Away)

Best Showstopper

(Awarded to a soap event that had the audience on the edge of their seats)

Corriedale (Coronation Street & Emmerdale)

Murder mystery flash forward: who dies? (Coronation Street)

Kat & Zoe’s Reunion (EastEnders)

Nigel’s 90’s Special (EastEnders)

Ray’s killer revealed (Emmerdale)

Return to Brookside Close (Hollyoaks)

Clare & Sienna’s final showdown (Hollyoaks)

The Train Crash (Home and Away)

Tane flees to Western Australia (Home and Away)

Best Drama Star

William Beck (Dylan Keogh, Casualty)

Elinor Lawless (Stevie Nash, Casualty)

Kirsty Mitchell (Faith Dean, Casualty)

Olly Rix (Flynn Byron, Casualty)

Lindsey Coulson (Stella Drake, Waterloo Road)

Jon Richardson (Darius Donovan, Waterloo Road)

Maisey Robinson (Portia Weever, Waterloo Road)

Adam Thomas (Donte Charles, Waterloo Road)

Best Soap

Coronation Street

EastEnders

Emmerdale

Hollyoaks

Home and Away

The winner of the Soap Superstar prize will also be announced on the night, as well as the first inductee into the Hall of Fame.

Check back here from midday for the voting details – and stay tuned for all the news and gossip ahead of the ceremony in Manchester in September.