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How to watch this year's BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition

15 June 2020

Hosted by presenter Aoife Wilson on Thursday 18th June 2020
Online stream commences at 17:00 BST on BAFTA’s Youtube

This year’s BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition marks the first-ever digital ceremony, hosted by Aoife Wilson, and will be as-live on Thursday 18th June 2020 at 17:00 GMT on www.youtube.com/BAFTA

BAFTA YGD discovers, showcases and supports Britain’s young games talent by providing access to some of the most creative minds in the industry, through a year-round programme of mentorship, workshops and networking. The winners, selected by a jury of industry experts, will be revealed at the first-ever digital ceremony.

In light of government restrictions and advice in relation to COVID-19, this year’s BAFTA YGD Ceremony will be a pre-produced digital show. The ceremony will entail a highlights reel looking back at the last 10 years of BAFTA YGD, including an insight into previous recipients and what they’ve gone on to achieve, as well as the announcement of this year’s winners and their games. 

This year’s finalists’ entries encompass a diverse range of contemporary topics, including mental health, relationships, bereavement, education, climate change, female empowerment, disability, transgender rights, and inclusion. Entries also feature a plethora of challenges, problem-solving quests, supernatural adventures, and survival tasks. The shortlisted entries highlight the notion of games as an art form to inspire and connect young people across the UK. Further details on all finalists and their games are available here.

The cohort of 53 talented finalists will compete for the YGD Game Concept Award, split into two categories (10-14 years) and (15-18 years), celebrating the best original game idea, as well as the YGD Game Making Award, also split into (10-14 years) and (15-18 years), rewarding the coding skills used to create a prototype game. 

Host Aoife Wilson, said: “I’m so honoured to host the BAFTA Young Game Designers Awards. The ceremony is certainly going to look a little different this year but it’s still going to be just as special! We may all be physically separated for the time-being, but we’re still able to virtually come together to make this a big celebration. This really goes to show how valuable the BAFTA YGD competition can be in empowering young people to refine skills that will shape the world we live in. I can’t wait to see what this year’s ceremony has in store, I just hope my cat doesn’t interrupt while I’m hosting…” 

The BAFTA YGD Ceremony will be streamed on BAFTA’s YouTube, with highlights and clips from the show available to watch on Twitter (@BAFTAGames). #YGD2020

Tune in on Thursday 18th June from 17:00 BST for the digital ceremony.

Supporting partners of BAFTA Young Game Designers include: Creative Assembly (SEGA), Criterion (EA), Jagex, PlayStation, Tencent, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

ENDS 

Notes to editors: 

BAFTA YGD images HERE 

Finalists’ headshots + quotes HERE

Games’ summaries + images HERE

Footage available for press:

The full programme will be made available and can be taken as off-air from approx. 18:30BST, following completion of the full broadcast online. Alternatively, please contact WDW Entertainment for clips. 

PROGRAMME RESTRICTIONS

THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO USING EXCERPTS OF THE BAFTA YOUNG GAME DESIGNERS COMPETITION 2020 LIVE STREAM

  • Broadcasters/news wires/online content providers must use the on-screen credit ‘BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition 2020’
  • No use of excerpt(s) until after transmission on BAFTA channels, commencing at 17:00 BST, Thursday 18 June 2020
  • Broadcasters/news wires/online content providers may use up to TWO (2) minutes under news access restrictions within the period ending 00:00 BST on Friday 26 June 2020
  • The material may be used only for news reporting purposes directly related to the competition ceremony as an event. Broadcasters do not have the right to use the content for special programming
  • No library access. No resale

Requests for extensions to the news access window may be emailed to Joe Okell at [email protected]

 

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. BAFTA Young Game Designers gives young people and educators insights into the industry and access to the brightest creative minds in games; BAFTA Crew Games is a network that connects practitioners working in the UK games industry and provides participants with a skills development programmes;  BAFTA Scholarships, which enable talented individuals to study a postgraduate course in games; and BAFTA Breakthrough Brits, which supports emerging stars of the games industry. 

For further information, to receive the winners press release or interview requests, please contact WDW Entertainment:

Izzy Baker | [email protected] | +447876222779

Molly Whitehall | [email protected] | +447789848782

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.