As if there aren’t enough awards in the film and television business, BAFTA decided we needed more for North America.
The organization that has presented annual honorary awards at an annual black tie dinner in Beverly Hills (the last was before the 2019 pandemic, particularly memorable for an acceptance speech recorded by Jane Fonda when she was arrested during a protest in DC) decided to expand this activity and ‘evolve’ this ceremony, which was known as the Britannia Awards, into a year-round and more focused undertaking, hence the newly renamed BAFTA Special Awards, which continue to go to ‘those who have made it a significant, inspiring and outstanding contribution to film, games and television through a specific project or projects and/or their work”.
Special award recipients in North America will receive the traditional BAFTA mask, with presentations throughout the year replacing the aforementioned annual dinner (usually at the Beverly Hilton), with the inaugural event expected to be held in Los Angeles, although no word has been released as of yet who will do this will be the recipient or when it will happen. Special awards are a gift from BAFTA and recipients may be proposed by members, the sector committees and the BAFTA North America Board, chaired by Kathryn Busby.
The implementation of this new way of presenting BAFTA awards, outside of the UK’s annual high-profile film and television ceremonies held in London, comes after the group’s reassessment of the presentation of its honorary awards and a year after the organisation’s expansion into North America activities that already included the expansion of membership benefits, expanding its learning, inclusion and talent programs, and making a debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.
BAFTA has had a US presence since the inception of BAFTA Los Angeles in 1987, followed by BAFTA New York in 1996. Today, with nearly 2,000 members in North America, activities include its extensive screening and Q&A program, Tea Parties, BAFTA Breakthrough USA, the Yugo BAFTA Student Awards, the US Newcomers Program, scholarships, and the Vance Byrd Mentorship Program. This new initiative will ideally include ceremonies in other cities as well as LA and NY.
Kathryn Busby, Chair of the BAFTA North America Board, said, “This is an incredibly exciting moment for BAFTA as we continue to develop and expand our awards and activities. Creating the opportunity to present awards throughout the year and celebrate excellence in more locations has been a priority for our board this year as we expand the BAFTA’s mission and activities across North America, so we’re excited to announce this one to be able to announce new direction.”
Matthew Wiseman, BAFTA Executive Director and Head of North America, said: “It is an exciting prospect to capture the same spirit and warmth of hosting the Britannia Awards and now present honorary awards throughout the year and in different cities enable BAFTA to celebrate those who have made exceptional contributions to our industry, in even more impactful and unique ways. We will also be able to use these moments to further inspire future generations of talent in our industry, many of whom will in turn be empowered by BAFTA’s many learning, inclusion and talent programs around the world.”