LONDON -- Downton Abbey might be coming to an end, but it's going out on a high.
With the show wrapping up filming for the sixth and final season, which airs later this year, the acclaimed ITV drama has been presented with a special Bafta award recognizing its success in the UK and abroad.
Actress Julie Walters presented the cast with the award at a special ceremony in London on Tuesday night. Although Downton Abbey has never won a Bafta for best drama series, it's scooped 12 Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes over the years.
Hugh Bonneville and fellow star Allen Leech celebrated their win with a big smacker on the red carpet.
Downton Abbey stars Hugh Bonneville and Allan Leech kiss on red carpet http://t.co/MpyHhaZgKc pic.twitter.com/vNVLp7wbOH— ITV News London (@itvlondon) August 11, 2015
Bonneville said it would have been a "misstep" for the show to continue beyond six seasons, adding that creator Julian Fellowes "would have run out of ideas."
Downton Abbey comes to an end this Christmas, and the cast and crew have been documenting the #LastDaysOfDownton on social media over the past few days.
#LastDaysofDownton. Literally . My last. #tears. #tears #tears pic.twitter.com/YxWrj8fkFm— Elizabeth McGovern (@ElizabethMcGov) August 8, 2015
The Bafta tribute, hosted by Jonathan Ross, will air in the autumn, with the final Downton hitting screens on Christmas Day.