Baftas 2026: Organisers Address Backlash Over 2 Key Omissions From 'In Memoriam' Tributes

A spokesperson for Bafta has responded to the backlash over two key omissions from the “in memoriam” section of this year’s awards show.

Every year, the Baftas pays tribute to those from the movie industry who have died over the last 12 months, with this year’s tributes being accompanied by a touching performance from Jessie Ware.

However, after this year’s broadcast, many viewers voiced their upset not to see James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane, both of whom have died in the last few weeks, included in the list of stars being honoured.

A rep for the awards body has since clarified that these two actors – who most of us know best for their work on the small screen, most notably in Dawson’s Creek, Don’t Trust The B– In Apartment 23 and Pose in James’ case, and Grey’s Anatomy, Charmed and Euphoria in Eric’s – will be honoured at the awards show’s TV counterpart later this year.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, a Bafta rep said: “We honour those within the sector in which their work was most closely associated. Our TV Awards take place later this spring.”

They also pointed out that both James and Eric have been included in a more comprehensive tributes list posted on Bafta’s website.

Earlier this month, James’ family announced that the former teen idol had died at the age of 48, just over a year after disclosing that he’d been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Last week, it was also confirmed that Eric had died at 53, having been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2025.

Following the news of the Grey’s Anatomy star’s death, it was revealed that he’d recently sat down with Netflix as part of its Famous Last Words series, in which public figures take part in interviews that only air after they have died.

Check out our round-up of winners from the 2026 Baftas here.