Despite Lancashire's concerns regarding the decision to extend the story told in "Happy Valley", Wainwright's "genuine" storytelling and "integrity" convinced her to return for a second series, which aired in 2016. Lancashire stated that she found the second series as "emotionally brutal" as the first; disclosing to "The Independent" that she inhabited Catherine's emotional pain for the entirety of the shoot. Whilst promoting the second series, Lancashire also refuted criticism about the level of violence towards women in the series, stating she "would never condone anything which thought was salacious, titillating, or gratuitous" and that Catherine's experience represented an "absolutely honest portrayal of what a female police officer can be subjected to". For her role in the second series of "Happy Valley", Lancashire won the 2017 National Television Award for Best Dramatic Performance, and the BAFTA TV award for Best Actress.