BAFTA Folds Children’s Awards Into Main Ceremonies After ‘Consistent Drop in Entries and Engagement’

The BAFTA Children and Young People Awardshave been rebranded and will be incorporated into the annual film, games and television ceremonies.

The orgs support for the childrens media industry and its year-round learning programs will now take place under a new brand, Young BAFTA. New categories for childrens content will be introduced to BAFTAs film, games and television Awards in 2025. This initiative will be steered by a new cross-industry Young BAFTA advisory group.

The move to present childrens awards in the annual film, games and television BAFTAs is an evolution of the former Children and Young People awards ceremony which has seen a consistent drop in entries and engagement in recent years. The ceremony last took place in November 2022 after a two-year pause, BAFTA said in a statement.

The Young BAFTA advisory group will be led by BAFTA board member and disability champion Andrew Miller, known for presenting Channel 4 series Boom!

Sara Putt, BAFTA chair, said: We are evolving the way we celebrate childrens film and television to ensure our support of the childrens media sector is impactful, relevant and sustainable. The new Young BAFTA advisory group, to be led by BAFTA board member and industry expert Andrew Miller, will align BAFTAs long-standing support of childrens media sector with our charitable mission to bring their excellent work to wider public attention and nurture the next generation of talent.

Miller added: The childrens media industry has so often been at the forefront of progressive, innovative and inspirational storytelling. Many on and off-screen creatives and practitioners working across the sector owe their careers to childrens media, including me. I am looking forward to working closely with the new Young BAFTA advisory group over the coming months to give recognition to the childrens media sector across BAFTAs globally respected film, games and television awards and elevate BAFTAs brilliant learning initiatives to inspire the future of the industry.