Shirley Henderson and Stuart Wilson announced as BAFTA Scotland Outstanding Contribution Recipients for 2023

Wednesday 25 October, Scotland: BAFTA Scotland has today announced that actress Shirley Henderson and sound engineer Stuart Wilson will be presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television, and Outstanding Contribution to Craft (In Memory of Robert McCann) Awards respectively, at the BAFTA Scotland Awards ceremony on Sunday 19 November.  

Stuart Wilson was born and grew up in Glasgow. There being no film school in Scotland at that time, he moved south to study at The National Film and TV School near London. Working mainly in feature films, his career spans work with filmmakers from Sam Mendes, Sofia Coppola, and Michael Winterbottom, to John Byrne, Fernando Meirelles, JJ Abrams, Wes Anderson, Steven Spielberg, David Cronenberg, and Bernardo Bertolucci. 

With work ranging from major studio films such as Star Wars, James Bond and Harry Potter to smaller, art-house films like The Two Popes, Macbeth, 24 Hour Party People and In This World, he has received multiple BAFTA nominations, winning Best Sound at the EE BAFTA Film Awards in 2020 for his work on the film 1917. 

Stuart Wilson, said: “I can’t believe it! I am delighted to be receiving the BAFTA Scotland Outstanding Contribution to Craft Award. It seems a long time since I was chapping the doors of Glasgow’s production companies, asking if I could carry their boxes and make tea, but the opportunities that began there have since taken me on adventures all round Scotland and across five continents of the world. I couldn’t be more proud and thank BAFTA for this remarkable honour.”

Shirley Henderson grew up in the village of Kincardine, Fife. She first began performing in her youth, singing at local clubs, pubs and charity events. At 16, Henderson went to Kirkcaldy Tech to do a one-year course in drama, and a year later, moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After graduating in 1986, Shirley went on to perform at the Repertory Theatre in Scotland, the National Theatre, and the Royal Court Theatre in London. It was in 1995 that she became part of the main cast of Hamish Macbeth, alongside Robert Carlyle – which she describes as “a very happy job with a fun and lovely cast”. She continued over the next few years, with memorable roles in Trainspotting, Bridget Jones’ Diary and 24 Hour Party People – the latter of which was the first of many collaborations with director Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan. 

Throughout her career, Henderson’s ability to transform on screen has allowed her to accumulate an extraordinarily versatile CV. Her work spans the fantastical worlds of Harry Potter, Doctor Who and Star Wars, to period pieces such as Marie Antoinette, Meek’s Cutoff, Stan and Ollie, and See How They Run - through to contemporary dramas like Filth, Happy Valley and Okja. Her work has earned her several accolades, including two BAFTA Scotland Awards - Actress Film in 2005 for Frozen, and Actress Television in 2014 for Southcliffe, the latter of which she was also nominated for at the BAFTA TV Awards earlier that year. 

When asked about receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award, Shirley Henderson said: “It is so kind of BAFTA to give me this Award and it has come as a huge surprise. It is overwhelming and lovely all at the same time. Thank you.”

Jude MacLaverty, Director of BAFTA Scotland, said: “We are extremely honoured to be celebrating the careers of such prestigious names in the television and film industries. Shirley Henderson and Stuart Wilson are both highly respected in their fields, with remarkable careers that have seen them appear in the credits of some of the biggest franchises of all time, work alongside legendary auteurs, and often – each other! We are proud to present the Outstanding Contribution Awards to them this year to honour their tremendous body of work.”

Edith Bowman will host the BAFTA Scotland Awards at DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central on Sunday 19 November. The ceremony will be available to watch live at 17.30 on YouTube @BAFTA, followed by a highlights programme on BBC Scotland at 22.00 GMT. 

Event supporters and partners of this year’s event are Acqua Panna, BBC Scotland, Champagne Taittinger, Channel 4, Deloitte, EE, Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Lancôme, Screen Scotland, S.Pellegrino, STV and Villa Maria.

-ENDS-