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Felicity Jones to receive the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry

15 September 2016

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles (BAFTA Los Angeles) is pleased to announce it will honor Felicity Jones with the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry at this year’s British Academy Britannia Awards.

Felicity JonesBAFTA/Phil Fisk

The annual gala celebration will take place on Friday, October 28, 2016 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As previously announced, Ang Lee will be honored with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing, Samuel L. Jackson will be honored with the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment, Ricky Gervais will be honored with the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy, and Ewan McGregor will be honored with the Britannia Humanitarian Award.  World-renowned television and event production company Done + Dusted will produce the ceremony.

The British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry pays tribute to a talented British artist whose outstanding performances in a year have demonstrated the high quality of their craftsmanship. Whether an emerging talent, or an established name, the British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry honors a person who represents the best of British talent.  Prior recipients include James Corden, Emma Watson, Daniel Craig, Kate Winslet, Tilda Swinton, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Blunt, Michael Sheen, and Rachel Weisz.

Jones is best known for her Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild-nominated starring role opposite Eddie Redmayne in James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything. She next stars in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, directed by Gareth Edwards; Ron Howard’s Inferno, opposite Tom Hanks, and A Monster Calls, directed by JA Bayona. 

"Felicity Jones is one of the finest, most sought-after actors of her generation." said Kieran Breen, Chairman of BAFTA Los Angeles. "With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Inferno and A Monster Calls, this year is set to be the one when Felicity’s remarkable talents reach a truly global audience. We are delighted to honor her with this year’s Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry.”

The British Academy Britannia Awards evening is BAFTA’s big night out in Hollywood, where Brits and anglophiles alike come together in celebration of exceptional individuals who have dedicated their careers to advancing the art forms of the moving image in the US, UK and beyond. Known to be an enjoyable evening that captures a unique blend of sincerity and British irreverence, the evening also serves to celebrate the long-standing collaboration between the British and American industries. The Britannia Awards are BAFTA Los Angeles’ highest accolades, recognizing both outstanding British talent, and exceptional international talent by virtue of their strong connection to the British industry through their body of work. Proceeds from the event support BAFTA Los Angeles’ on-going education, scholarship, community outreach and archival projects.

American audiences first took notice of Jones in 2011 as the star of Drake Doremus’ romantic drama Like Crazy, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim, earning the Grand Jury Prize for American Dramatic Film and earning her a Special Jury Award for Acting.  Ms. Jones subsequently went on to win the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor, the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performer, and the Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer. 

Her other feature credits include The Invisible Woman, in which she starred with Ralph Fiennes, who also directed; Rupert Goold’s drama True Story, opposite Jonah Hill and James Franco; Breathe In, which reteamed her with director Drake Doremus; Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2; Julie Taymor’s film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest; Stephen Merchant’s Cemetery Junction; and Julian Jarrold’s Brideshead Revisited.

Ms. Jones’ extensive television credits include David Hare’s telefilms Page Eight and Salting the Battlefield, both with Bill Nighy; the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank and Jane Austen’s Northhanger Abbey, both directed by Jon Jones; and a guest-starring role on HBO’s hit series Girls.

A veteran of the stage, she recently earned rave reviews in Michael Grandage’s Donmar Warehouse production of Luise Miller.  Additional theater credits include Jeremy Herrin’s staging of That Face, at the Royal Court; and The Chalk Garden, also directed by Mr. Grandage at the Donmar, which earned Ms. Jones an Outstanding Newcomer nomination at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. 

Burberry has a long-standing history of supporting and celebrating creative talent – from film and fashion to music and theatre, through a series of global events and initiatives including BAFTA Breakthrough Brits, Burberry Acoustic, runway shows, brand events and the support of emerging talent awards.

The 2015 Britannia Awards ceremony took place in October at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Harrison Ford received the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment, Orlando Bloom received the Britannia Humanitarian Award presented by the Beazley Group, Meryl Streep received the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, Sam Mendes received the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing presented by the GREAT Britain campaign, James Corden received the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry and Amy Schumer received the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy presented by Kodak.

The British Academy Britannia Awards is produced through a partnership between BAFTA Los Angeles and Done & Dusted. Event Production and Management is by MTA Events.

For further information:

Elyse Weissman at SLATE PR

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About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – featuring workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes – in the UK, USA and Asia; it offers unique access to the world’s most inspiring talent and connects with a global audience of all ages and backgrounds. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. To access the best creative minds in film, television and games production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.

Founded in 1987, BAFTA Los Angeles serves as a bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities. Its commitment to professional and community education is at the heart of all activity, including an award-winning community outreach programme, screenings, seminars, Behind Closed Doors series, Q&As, scholarships for British students studying in the US, a Newcomers Program for emerging British talents working in the US, and a Heritage Archive project that preserves in-depth interviews with the industry's leading talents for future generations. BAFTA Los Angeles celebrates and promotes excellence through its annual Britannia Awards, Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties and the Student Film Awards.

BAFTA Los Angeles is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Corporation and relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing work. www.bafta.org/losangeles