Inside Soap Awards 2025 nominations in full as major category returns after six years

The Inside Soap Awards are officially back for their 29th year and it's shaping up to be a competitive season, as Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks dominate the list of nominees.

The awards celebrate the soaps with the biggest storylines, most iconic characters and most emotional exits from the past 12 months, and winners are voted for entirely by the show's fans. Viewers of all major UK soaps, including daytime dramas Home and Away and Neighbours, have the final say in who takes home the coveted trophies.

This year’s nominations are led by some of the most talked-about plots in recent soap history. On Coronation Street, Debbie Webster’s devastating dementia diagnosis struck a chord with viewers, while EastEnders made fans emotional after witnessing Phil Mitchell’s mental health struggles play out on screen.

In Emmerdale, Robert made waves after crashing Aaron and John’s wedding, and Hollyoaks shocked audiences with a gripping and sensitive storyline around teen sexual exploitation.

Inside Soap magazine editor Sarah Ellis has spoken about the upcoming ceremony, sharing: "The Inside Soap Awards remain the only trophies of their kind to be voted for entirely by the real experts – the soap viewing public.

"Over 90,000 soap fans vote each and every year; and in addition to our list of nominees, our Soap Superstar category allows readers to put forward their own suggestions of who they feel deserves to be honoured.

"The past 12 months have been an epic time in soap, and I can’t wait to see who the readers of Inside Soap have decided to crown their favourites this year."

Also making a return this year is the fan-favourite Best Exit category, which honours the most emotional and unforgettable goodbyes that took place on screen, whether caused by the death of a character or them simply moving on to new ventures.

Ellis added: "Sadly, we’ve had to say goodbye to some truly beloved soap characters over the past 12 months. Who didn’t cry their eyes out at Martin’s shock death during EastEnders’ live episode? And we’re still not over poor Craig’s tragic demise in Corrie, or the loss of Leyla and Amy in the devastating Emmerdale limo crash. But it’s up to the fans which exit will get their vote."

Voting for the Inside Soap Awards 2025 opens at midday on Tuesday, July 8, and winners will be announced at a star-studded ceremony in London this September.

Fans can vote online by visiting www.insidesoap.co.uk/awards or by filling in the voting form in the Inside Soap magazine.

Here is the full line up of awards and nominees.

Best Actress

Cait Fitton (Lauren Bolton, Coronation Street)

Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster, Coronation Street)

Vicky Myers (Lisa Swain, Coronation Street)

Diane Parish (Denise Fox, EastEnders)

Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater, EastEnders)

Michelle Collins (Cindy Beale, EastEnders)

Amy Walsh (Tracy Robinson, Emmerdale)

Beth Cordingly (Ruby Miligan, Emmerdale)

Emma Atkins (Charity Dingle, Emmerdale)

Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne, Hollyoaks)

Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen, Hollyoaks)

Nadine Mulkerrin (Cleo McQueen, Hollyoaks)

Best Actor

Gareth Pierce (Todd Grimshaw, Coronation Street)

Jack P Shepherd (David Platt, Coronation Street)

Jacob Roberts (Kit Green, Coronation Street)

Paul Bradley (Nigel Bates, EastEnders)

Scott Maslen (Jack Branning, EastEnders)

Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell, EastEnders)

Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle, Emmerdale)

Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle, Emmerdale)

William Ash (Caleb Miligan, Emmerdale)

Ashley Taylor Dawson (Darren Osborne, Hollyoaks)

Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay, Hollyoaks)

Rory Douglas-Speed (Joel Dexter, Hollyoaks)

Best Comic Performance

Jack P Shepherd (David Platt, Coronation Street)

Jodie Prenger (Glenda Shuttleworth, Coronation Street)

Patsy Palmer (Bianca Jackson, EastEnders)

Tameka Empson (Kim Fox, EastEnders)

Michael Parr (Ross Barton, Emmerdale)

Nicola Wheeler (Nicola King, Emmerdale)

Jessamy Stoddart (Liberty Savage, Hollyoaks)

Nicole Barber-Lane (Myra McQueen, Hollyoaks)

Best Villain

Claire Sweeney (Cassie Plummer, Coronation Street)

Joe Layton (Mick Michaelis, Coronation Street)

Jonny Freeman (Reiss Colwell, EastEnders)

Navin Chowdhry (Nish Panesar, EastEnders)

Ned Porteous (Joe Tate, Emmerdale)

Oliver Farnworth (John Sugden, Emmerdale)

Gemma Bissix (Clare Devine, Hollyoaks)

Jeremy Sheffield (Jeremy Blake, Hollyoaks)

Best Young Performer

Liam McCheyne (Dylan Wilson, Coronation Street)

Ryan Mulvey (Brody Michaelis, Coronation Street)

Lillia Turner (Lily Slater, EastEnders)

Sonny Kendall (Tommy Moon, EastEnders)

Amelia Flanagan (April Windsor, Emmerdale)

Fred Kettle (Dylan Penders, Emmerdale)

Ava Webster (Ro Hutchinson, Hollyoaks)

Dan Hough (Arlo Fielding, Hollyoaks)

Best Newcomer

Jonathan Howard (Carl Webster, Coronation Street)

Ryan Mulvey (Brody Michaelis, Coronation Street)

Alice Haig (Vicki Fowler, EastEnders)

Laura Doddington (Nicola Mitchell, EastEnders)

Bradley Riches (Lewis Barton, Emmerdale)

Shebz Miah (Kammy Hadiq, Emmerdale)

Brandon Fellows (Tommy Odenkirk, Hollyoaks)

Zak Sutcliffe (Bobby Costello, Hollyoaks)

Best Exit

Charlotte Jordan (Daisy Midgeley, Coronation Street)

Colson Smith (Craig Tinker, Coronation Street)

James Bye (Martin Fowler, EastEnders)

Natalie Cassidy (Sonia Fowler, EastEnders)

Natalie Ann Jamieson (Amy Barton, Emmerdale)

Roxy Shahidi (Leyla Harding, Emmerdale)

Nikki Sanderson (Maxine Minniver, Hollyoaks)

Tyler Conti (Abe Fielding, Hollyoaks)

Best Family

The Platts (Coronation Street)

The Websters (Coronation Street)

The Fox-Truemans (EastEnders)

The Slaters (EastEnders)

The Dingles (Emmerdale)

The Miligans (Emmerdale)

The Blakes (Hollyoaks)

The Osbornes (Hollyoaks)

Best Partnership

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

Sue Devaney & Vinta Morgan (Debbie Webster & Ronnie Bailey, Coronation Street)

Angela Wynter & Rudolph Walker (Yolande & Patrick Trueman, EastEnders)

Diane Parish & Scott Maslen (Denise Fox & Jack Branning, EastEnders)

Beth Cordingly & William Ash (Ruby & Caleb Miligan, Emmerdale)

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

Gemma Bissix & Tamara Wall (Clare Devine & Grace Black, Hollyoaks)

Harvey Virdi & Louis Emerick (Misbah Maalik & Donny Clark, Hollyoaks)

Best Storyline

Debbie’s dementia (Coronation Street)

Mason’s death & Abi’s PTSD (Coronation Street)

Phil Mitchell: Hypermasculinity in crisis (EastEnders)

Who attacked Cindy? (EastEnders)

Joe Tate’s wicked fight for survival (Emmerdale)

John’s Hero Complex (Emmerdale)

Cleo’s abuse at the hands of Abe (Hollyoaks)

Teenage sexual exploitation (Hollyoaks)

Best Showstopper

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

Craig’s death (Coronation Street)

The Platt house explodes (Coronation Street)

EastEnders at 40: Angie Watts returns (EastEnders)

Nish & Suki’s final showdown (EastEnders)

Robert crashes Aaron & John’s wedding (Emmerdale)

The Limo crash disaster (Emmerdale)

Clare Devine back from the dead (Hollyoaks)

Mercedes faces her cancer scars (Hollyoaks)

Best Daytime Star

Ethan Browne (Tane Parata, Home and Away)

Georgie Parker (Roo Stewart, Home and Away)

Nicholas Cartwright (Cash Newman, Home and Away)

Stephanie Panozzo (Eden Fowler, Home and Away)

Annie Jones (Jane Harris, Neighbours)

Lucinda Armstrong Hall (Holly Hoyland, Neighbours)

Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson, Neighbours)

Xavier Molyneux (Byron Stone, Neighbours)

Best Drama Star

Anna Chell (Jodie Whyte, Casualty)

Barney Walsh (Cam Mickelthwaite, Casualty )

Michael Stevenson (Iain Dean, Casualty)

Sarah Seggari (Rida Amaan, Casualty)

Hattie Dynevor (Libby Guthrie, Waterloo Road )

Jason Manford (Steve Savage, Waterloo Road)

Summer Bird (Tonya Walters, Waterloo Road)

Zak Sutcliffe (Schuey Weever, Waterloo Road)

Best Soap

Coronation Street

EastEnders

Emmerdale

Hollyoaks