BAFTA has changed its television awards rules with the aim of increasing the representation of women and international shows, BAFTA Announced Tuesday.
Under the new rules, the top three male nominees and top three female nominees in both the Director categories, which include Reality, Fiction and Multicamera awards, at the BAFTA Craft Awards and the Entertainment Acting category at the BAFTA TV Awards the first round of membership voting will now automatically go to the jury’s consideration.
“This new intervention, a first for the TV Craft Awards, will increase the visibility of women at the shortlist stage, with the long-term goal of fostering greater representation of thoughtful women,” BAFTA’s press release said. “This adds to BAFTA’s broader charitable work to level the playing field for all.”
As for the international category, the top three unscripted and top three scripted shows will now automatically be included in the long list, as a way of offsetting the historic “prevalence of scripted shows reaching the jury’s consideration.” even though both scripted and unscripted shows were eligible for the category from its inception.
The changes also include splitting the Original Music category into two: Original Music – Fiction and Original Music – Fact, to acknowledge “the high volume and quality of the entries”.
“Television and the way audiences consume content are constantly evolving, and it is essential that we adapt at the same time,” said Sara Putt, BAFTA Vice President and BAFTA Television Committee Chair. “As a mirror of the industry, we are in the privileged and unique position to be able to drive and influence positive change. I am delighted that the updates to our 2023 BAFTA TV Awards announced today include specific interventions to address historic gender inequality, reflecting our commitment to broaden representation, amplify key craft roles in both ceremonies and level the playing field for everybody.
“Developed with the BAFTA Television Committee and through close consultation with our peers and industry members, these changes ensure that our awards celebrate excellence on and off screen, while remaining competitive,” continued Putt. “Registration opens tomorrow; we and our members can’t wait to start voting.”
Entries for the 2023 BAFTA TV Awards open tomorrow, October 5, and nominations will be announced on March 22, 2023. The BAFTA TV Awards will take place at the Royal Festival Hall on April 20, 2023, and The BAFTA TV Craft Awards will take place at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London’s Southbank Center on May 14, 2023.
