London, 27 February 2020: BAFTA has announced today that Hideo Kojima, the renowned designer best known for Death Stranding and the Metal Gear series, will be presented with the Fellowship at the BAFTA Games Awards on Thursday 2 April 2020, in recognition of his creative contribution to the industry.
The Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television. Fellowships previously presented for outstanding work across these industries include Kathleen Kennedy, Thelma Shoonmaker, Tim Schafer, Joanna Lumley, John Carmack, David Braben OBE, Helen Mirren, Rockstar Games, Julie Walters, Gabe Newell, Peter Molyneux, Vanessa Redgrave, Shigeru Miyamoto and Will Wright.
Hideo Kojima said: “Thank you very much for this precious BAFTA Fellowship award. I am very honored, and would like to take this moment to reflect on the many predecessors that came before me, as I deeply respect their contributions to entertainment, whether in movies, television, or games. I would also like to thank those who have supported me over the years and I will continue my commitment to creating new and innovative ways that will push the world of ‘play’ entertainment forward.”
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “I am delighted that we are recognising Hideo Kojima’s remarkable career with a BAFTA Fellowship, the highest accolade presented by the Academy, at the BAFTA Games Awards on Thursday 2 April. Kojima is the trailblazing creator behind multiple games and is revered around the world for his innovative work.”
Hideo Kojima is a revered Japanese video game designer, writer, director and producer with over 20 years of experience within the industry. Widely considered as the father figure of the stealth genre, he is also credited with innovating both story-telling and cinematic presentation in video games at large. Kojima has been nominated for seven BAFTA Games Awards.
In 1987, during his tenure at Konami, Kojima designed and wrote Metal Gear, a game that laid the foundations for stealth games and the Metal Gear series. He is also known for producing the Zone of the Enders series, as well as writing and designing Snatcher (1988) and Policenauts (1994); graphic adventure games regarded for their cinematic presentation.
In 2015, Kojima Productions became an independent studio, and in 2019, the studio released Death Stranding. The game has since gone on to win numerous awards and in November 2019, BAFTA held a special showcase event with Kojima ahead of the game’s release. The event was attended by prestigious and high-profile people within the industry.
The nominations for the 2020 BAFTA Games Awards will be announced on Tuesday 3 March 2020. The Awards take place on Thursday 2 April at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, where an array of stellar presenters will be celebrating the very best in games of the past year. The BAFTA Games Awards is part of the London Games Festival, which runs from 26 March to 6 April.
Follow the BAFTA Games Awards on Twitter (@BAFTAGames)
BAFTA curates a year-round global programme of events and initiatives that support the games industry. This includes developer talks, showcases, debates, scholarships and networking, as well as the flagship Games Lecture by an inspirational practitioner. Applications are now open for: BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD), which gives young people and educators insights into the industry and access to the brightest creative minds in games; BAFTA Scholarships, which enable talented individuals to study a post-graduate course in games; and BAFTA Breakthrough Brits, which supports emerging stars of the games industry. Applications for BAFTA YGD are currently open.
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About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.
About Hideo Kojima / Kojima Productions
Hideo Kojima is a world-renowned game creator and auteur known for pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. Widely considered the father of the stealth genre, he is also credited with innovating both story-telling and cinematic presentation in video games at large.
On December 16th, 2015 Hideo Kojima established his own studio called KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, under the banner of "From Sapiens to Ludens,” which signifies an evolution from "human beings" to "beings who play".
On November 8th, 2019, the studio released its first title, DEATH STRANDING, starring Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Léa Seydoux, for PlayStation® 4 and is currently under development for PC. Since its release, DEATH STRANDING has received numerous game awards and achieved worldwide acclaim.
For more information, please visit: www.kojimaproductions.jp
