© Rex Features
Coverage of the awards ceremony, which was held in London on May 9, averaged 5.43m (24.8%) for ITV1 from 7.30pm to 10pm.
Spinoff show The British Soap Awards 2010: Let's Party drew 595k to ITV2 from 10pm and 62k (0.7%) on timeshift.
On BBC One, Junior Apprentice continued to struggle, attracting just 3.83m (16.5%) in the 9pm hour, down 200k on last week's debut episode.
Earlier on the channel, Holby City was watched by 4.32m (19.8%) from 8pm.
BBC Two's Springwatch: City Living With Simon King had 2.09m (9.6%) in the 8pm hour. It was followed by Monty Halls' Great Hebridean Escape with 2.13m (9.1%), up an impressive 820k week-on-week.
On Channel 4, B&B reality series Three In A Bed pulled in 1.49m (6.8%) in the 8pm hour and 79k (0.3%) on timeshift. Jamie Does - Athens appealed to 1.59m (6.8%) on Channel 4 from 9pm and 290k (1.7%) on timeshift.
Crime drama NCIS attracted 1.83m (7.9%) to Five in the 9pm hour. Eurovision: A Song For Justin, in which Justin Lee Collins attempted to enter the Eurovision Song Contest, followed with 437k (2.6%).
Overall, ITV1 secured victory in primetime with 23.3%, ahead of BBC One's 19.8%. BBC Two came in third with 8%, followed by Channel 4 with 5.9% (+1: 0.7%) and Five with 4.8%.
Elsewhere, a double-bill of Chris Ryan's Strike Back delivered 386k (1.7%) and 386k (2.3%) to Sky1 from 9pm.
American Idol appealed to 299k (1.3%) on ITV2 in the 9pm hour and 82k (0.5%) on timeshift.
BARB ratings data supplied by Attentional
