- The ceremony, hosted by broadcaster Jules Hardy, is available to watch in full on BAFTA’s YouTube channel
- Winning games will be showcased at the Science Museum in London, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, and the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford as part of the Power Up experience from 19 June
- All of this year’s winners and finalists will have their games featured at the Young BAFTA Showcase weekend being hosted at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, 27-28 June
Today, BAFTA unveils the four winners of its prestigious BAFTA Young Game Designers competition, which celebrates and encourages the next generation of game designers and developers. This year’s winners were selected from a nationwide shortlist of finalists by judging panels representing some of the world’s most successful games companies, including IO Interactive (007 First Light) and TT Games (LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of The Dark Knight).
BAFTA and YouGov research has found that over a third of young adults believe games are an important form of social connection, while 88% of children aged 3-15 play video games (UKIE and OKRE). Following the government’s record £28.5 million investment into the British games industry in April, BAFTA remains committed to supporting the next generation of British game designers – helping them build lasting connections with each other and the wider games industry.
Now in its 16th year, BAFTA Young Game Designers supports children and young people passionate about games by providing them with hands-on experience and creating accessible pathways into industry careers. The programme engages young people directly through game-making workshops, primary school roadshows with Place2Be, dedicated secondary school events during National Careers Week, and more. The programme culminates in the annual Young Game Designers competition, which gives talented young creatives access to expert insights, advice, and the chance to showcase their game-creating ability.
This year’s winners entered into one of two categories: the Game Concept Award, which rewards the most original and best thought-out game idea, and the Game Making Award, which goes to the most impressive use of coding skills on a freely available software to create a prototype game. Each category is split into two age groups: 10-14 years and 15-18 years.
The Game Concept Award (10-14) was won by Grace Mccullagh Stacey (14) from London, for her game concept Nobody Nose, which she describes as a “quirky 2D comedy adventure game that is full of surprises”. Grace said “I’m very excited to be recognised by BAFTA, because game design means a lot to me and that’s what I’d like to do in my future career.”
The Game Concept Award (15-18) was won by Erin Goddard (17) from Sheffield. Her game TailBreak is a co-operative puzzle platformer game about a group of animals teaming up to break their friends out of pest control. Erin said “I’m so happy and immensely grateful for this amazing opportunity. I never expected this!”
The Game Making Award (10-14) was won by Thiago van Vlerken Rene (14) from Sheffield, who has been a competition finalist four times previously and was also the winner of the Game Concept Award last year; however, this year he has created a playable game called Yggdrasil. It requires players to move as a banished Valkyrie exploring Midgard, battling trolls, ravens and the dragon Nidhogg to recover a stolen amulet. Thiago said being part of the competition again is “rewarding because it gives me a moment to stop and realise how much I’ve grown through making the game.”
After becoming a finalist in the competition last year, Dylan Williams (18) from London has won the Game Making Award (15-18) this year. His game Kompis And The Wells Of Fontis follows Kompis, who is trapped inside a well with a demon called Evil Thought. Kompis must overcome this challenge by making a friend and collecting wisdom from the ancient Fontis, so he can wish himself home. Dylan said he was “very excited to be part of the competition” and called the game his “most ambitious to date”, “a real labour of love.”
This year’s winners were selected based on the creativity of their design and suitability for their chosen platform, with the aim of encouraging participants to pursue careers in games and make the industry more accessible to young talent.
Tara Saunders, chair of the BAFTA Games Committee, said: “Congratulations to the winners of this year’s BAFTA Young Game Designers competition! It’s brilliant to play a role in connecting these talented young game creators with experts in the industry, each other, and fellow competition alumni. Each winner’s game is so unique, and we’re excited to see where their passion takes them next.”
This year’s new host Jules Hardy, broadcaster, said: “It’s been such a privilege to host this year’s competition for the first time. Our four winners, some of whom have been finalists before, have designed some really exciting games and I’m really looking forward to supporting them in the future. Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners, and if you’ve been inspired by this year’s competition, I would definitely encourage you to apply next year!”
The winners ceremony for BAFTA Young Game Designers is available to stream on BAFTA’s YouTube channel.
Official Partners of BAFTA Young Game Designers 2026 are EE, PlayStation, Google Play, Hasbro and WB Games, and all of this year’s finalists will have their games featured at the Young BAFTA Showcase weekend being hosted at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly on 27-28 June, giving them the chance to play each other’s games before it opens to the public the following day.
2026 winners will also be featured in the prestigious Power Up games experience, alongside some of the very best video games and consoles from the past five decades, including an array of previous Young Game Designers winners. Power Up will be showcasing this year’s winners from 19 June at the Science Museum in London and the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, as well as the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester from 20 June.
Further details on all the winners and their games are available here. Interviews with finalists, schools or parents are available on request. Further information about BAFTA Young Game Designers can be found here.
Notes to Editors:
All external figures have been taken from UKIE and OKRE’s joint report on Building a Unified Framework For UK Video Games Impacts published May 2026, as well as from the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, published 13 April 2026.
For further information, to be added to the press release distribution list or for interview requests, please contact WDM Entertainment.
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CONTENT
Winner headshots, game imagery and summaries HERE
Official Partners of BAFTA Young Game Designers 2026 include PlayStation, Google Play, EE, Hasbro and WB Games.
Footage available for press
The full ceremony will be made available and footage can be taken once the livestream has ended at approx. 5.30pm BST, Thursday, 18 June 2026. Alternatively, please contact WDM Entertainment for clips.
PROGRAMME RESTRICTIONS
THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO USING EXCERPTS OF THE BAFTA YOUNG GAME DESIGNERS AWARDS 2026 LIVE STREAM:
Broadcasters/news wires/online content providers must use the on-screen credit ‘BAFTA Young Game Designers Awards 2026’
No use of excerpt(s) until after transmission ends on BAFTA channels, at approx 5.30pm BST, Thursday 18 June 2026
Broadcasters/news wires/online content providers may use up to TWO (2) minutes under news access restrictions within the period ending 00.01am BST on Friday 3 July 2026
The material may be used only for news reporting purposes directly related to the ceremony as an event. Broadcasters do not have the right to use the content for special programming
No library access. No resale.
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ABOUT BAFTA
BAFTA’s mission as a charity is to champion the creative and cultural importance of the screen arts across film, games and television. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of talent initiatives and learning events that include masterclasses, lectures, scholarships, bursaries and mentoring schemes in the UK and North America, BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new screen talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).
ABOUT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP AND POWER UP
The Science Museum Group is the world’s leading group of science museums, welcoming over five million visitors each year to six sites: the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York; the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester; the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford; Locomotion in Shildon; and the Science and Innovation Park in Wiltshire. Power Up is a hands-on, fully interactive gaming experience featuring the very best video games and consoles from the past five decades. From Pong to Pacman and Minecraft to Mario, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a retro games fan, a serious gamer or just want to beat your family at Mario Kart. Power Up is open daily at the Science Museum in London and at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, and at weekends and during school holidays at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.
ABOUT HOST JULES HARDY
Jules Hardy is the host of CBBC’s Game on Grandparents and the Gran Turismo World Series. Previously they were BBC Radio 1’s gaming presenter, hosted BBC Top Gear’s Gaming Show and an aria nominated podcast called This Game Changed My Life. They have also hosted gaming TV shows for Bravo, Challenge TV and 4Music.
