On Sunday, BAFTA unveiled the next phase of its plan to shine a spotlight on children’s and family TV programming with the help of three new categories at its annual BAFTA Television Awards and BAFTA TV Craft Awards.
“Three new categories celebrating children's television and the talented people who bring the genre to life on and off screen will be introduced at next year's awards,” the British Academy said. “From iconic characters loved by families around the world, to the evolutionary and educational theory behind high-quality children's programming, the genre has sparked endless joy and creativity in the hearts and minds of the youngest audiences.”
The new award categories are the Children's Scripted Award for scripted programming, including drama and comedy, both live action and animated; the Children's Non-Scripted Award for content such as factual entertainment, factual, documentary and news; and the Children's Craft Team Award which honours craft teams working on children's scripted and unscripted programming in roles behind the camera. “All three categories will focus on celebrating television for audiences aged 16 and under,” BAFTA said.
The British Academy has already announced a new Children and Family Film Award, which will be presented at next year's EE BAFTA Film Awards, and a Family Award at the BAFTA Games Awards.
“All five categories were developed in consultation with industry peers and the recently formed cross-industry Young BAFTA Advisory Group, created to guide BAFTA’s annual programmes for children and young people, as well as its ongoing support for creatives and professionals working in the children’s screen sector,” the Academy said.
“Film, games and television have a magical, unique and vital place in our culture, and the children’s stories brought to our screens are often crafted with immense skill, warmth and creativity,” said BAFTA Chair Sara Putt. “The inclusion of five new categories in our world-renowned film, games and TV awards will allow us to bring the best of the screen arts to an even wider audience.”
Andrew Miller, Chair of the Young BAFTA Advisory Group and BAFTA Trustee, added: “The children’s film industry is at the forefront of diverse and educational storytelling and is an important and essential talent pipeline, with British children’s film characters loved by families around the world. Many creatives and professionals on and off screen working in the industry owe their careers to children’s media, myself included.