The British Academy Children’s Awards took place earlier today, celebrating the very best in children’s film, television, games and online media of the past year and the talent behind their successes.
A top line-up of presenters including Jack Whitehall, Martin Kemp, Warwick Davis,
Heidi Range (Sugababes), Tanya Byron, Sam Branson, Ronni Ancona, Sam Claflin, Richard Fleeshman, Laura Hamilton, Anthony Horowitz, Sebastien Izambard (Il Divo), Dakota Blue Richards and Ted Robbins joined host Barney Harwood at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
The final
Harry Potter instalment,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, took the Feature Film Award and the BAFTA Kids’ Vote in the ‘Film’ category. This comes as a fitting climax to a year in which the franchise received the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the Orange British Academy Film Awards earlier in 2011.
There were three other double-winners on the night:
Peppa Pig won for the second time in the Pre-School Animation category, its first win since 2005 (it has been nominated for the past four years) and also won the Performer Award for nine year-old Harley Bird, who voices Peppa; Deadly 60 won Awards for Factual programme and Presenter, for adventurer Steve Backshall; and Cartoon Network’s new hit show,
The Amazing World of Gumball, took the Animation and Writer Awards.
Newsround, the world’s first regular news bulletin for children that celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, was honoured with the Special Award. BBC political editor, Nick Robinson presented the Award to the programme’s very first presenter, John Craven, creator Edward Barnes and current presenter Ore Oduba.
The BAFTA Kids’ Vote competition powered by Yahoo attracted over 400,000 votes from 7 to 14 year-olds in the UK. There were winners in four categories:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Film);
Good Luck Charlie (Television);
Just Dance 2 (Video Games);
Bin Weevils (Website).
www.baftakidsvote.org remains a year-round destination for the under 14s, with quizzes, games, interviews, and reports from the Awards.
The BAFTA Young Game Designers Award in association with Electronic Arts was presented to a team of 15 year-olds called Nose Dive Studios, from London. Tyger Drew-Honey presented the Award to the team, who will also receive a prize package including a valuable work experience stint at EA’s Criterion Games studio and a prototype of their winning game developed with Abertay University. This was the culmination of a
BAFTA initiative that, now in its second year, encourages young people to consider a career in video games.
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “Getting young people interested in and engaged with film, television, video games and online media is a very important part of
BAFTA’s charitable activity, which takes place all year round. We encourage engagement with the Kids’ Vote, giving children their voice and a website full of entertainment and interactivity, and we reward the spark of creativity – and hard work – with the
BAFTA Young Game Designers competition. Just as importantly, the Awards ceremony celebrated the very finest talent behind the nation’s favourite children’s television shows, films, games and websites, and the nominees and winners are incredible inspirations to the next generation of creative talent in Britain. We encourage kids everywhere to follow in their footsteps.”
