Is BAFTA Only for British?

Most of the awards are open to all nationalities, though there are awards for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Producer or Director. Only UK films are eligible for the categories of The British Short Film and British Short Animation awards. The Baftas are the biggest film awards in Britain. They’re run by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The Academy was formed in 1947 by a group of British film producers, it aims to develop and celebrate film, television and games.

Michael Gambon holds the record of most wins in this category with four, including three consecutive wins, followed by Robbie Coltrane with three, all of them also being consecutive. Benedict Cumberbatch was received the most nominations for this award, with six.

From only three categories at the first Film Awards in 1948, BAFTA now recognises outstanding achievement in 25 Film-related categories. The Academy’s Film voting membership, juries and chapters determine the nominees and winners in the majority of categories.

The winner is chosen from the four nominees by a special jury of nine academy members for each award, the members of each jury selected by the Academy’s Television Committee. The awards are decided by three seperate rounds of voting by BAFTA members. The first will form a longlist for each category, which will be released on January 6. A second round of voting will then result in the nominations, announced on January 19.

Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall

For the last six years, the BAFTAs have been held at the Royal Albert Hall, but the star-studded ceremony moved to a new home in 2023: the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, which, the organisation said, allowed the 76th iteration of the event to be the “most ambitious and accessible night yet”.

Television Awards and Television Craft Awards

The Television Awards, celebrating the best TV programmes and performances of the past year, are also often referred to simply as “the BAFTAs” or, to differentiate them from the movie awards, the “BAFTA Television Awards”.

Connect is a discounted BAFTA membership priced at £120.00 per year (for members living and working within 60-miles – as the crow flies – of BAFTA 195 Piccadilly) or £80.00 per year (for members living and working more than 60-miles from BAFTA 195 Piccadilly in England and in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland).

BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support our ongoing outreach work.

BAFTA is supported by a membership of around 6000 people from the film, television and video game industries. The awards are mostly open to all nationalities, though there is an award for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Producer or Director.

Mitzi Solomon Cunliffe

Mitzi Solomon Cunliffe (January 1, 1918 – December 30, 2006) was an American sculptor. She was most famous for designing the golden trophy in the shape of a theatrical mask that would go on to represent the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and be presented as the BAFTA Award.

Prince William, who has been the president of the BAFTAs since 2010, will make a speech during the awards ceremony, and the Prince and Princess of Wales will meet with winners and the EE Rising Star Award nominees backstage.

Since 1970, nominees have been announced in addition to the winner, and are listed, with the winner highlighted in blue. Julie Walters holds the record of most wins in this category with four, followed by Judi Dench, Thora Hird and Helen Mirren, with three wins each.

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