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BAFTA, with headline partner e.l.f. Cosmetics, a brand from e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF), announced the winners of the 2026 BAFTA Student Awards on July 17, 2026, in Los Angeles. The Awards celebrated emerging creative talent from around the world across film, games, and immersive storytelling. This year’s winners were selected from more than 600 submissions from universities worldwide. Now in its 22nd year, the competition has grown into a global platform for spotlighting the next generation of voices shaping the future of the screen industries.
The 2026 awards recognized exceptional emerging talent across six categories, including the BAFTA Student Film Awards for Animation, Documentary, and Live Action, the BAFTA Student Awards for Games and Immersive, and The Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli Special Jury Prize at the BAFTA Student Awards.
The ceremony was hosted by Elle Osili Wood, acclaimed television host and BAFTA Breakthrough whose work with BBC, ITV, and BAFTA highlights the evolving intersection of arts, gaming, and culture. Awards were presented by a dynamic lineup of leading voices from across the creative industries including actor and producer Asif Ali, immersive artist Gina Kim, film executive Kathryn Busby, EVP & MD Universal Pictures International, Universal Pictures and President International Distribution, Focus Features Niels Swinkels, and actor and writer Wil Wheaton.
The Special Jury for this year’s competition featured an influential group of artists and innovators including actor and writer Joel Kim Booster, Creative Director of EON Productions Heather Callow, composer Laura Karpman, documentary filmmaker Smriti Mundhra, and actor and comedian Nico Santos.
The Student Awards are an integral part of BAFTA North America’s year-round programs, which support emerging talent from all backgrounds and aim to build an inclusive and representative screen industry through initiatives in mentorship, education, and community development. The awards serve as an international celebration of the next generation of creative talent inspiring the future of cinema, television, and interactive media.
Courtney LaBarge Bell, executive director of BAFTA North America, said: “We continue to be inspired by the originality and ambition of student work from across the globe. Each year, these projects raise the bar for storytelling across film, games, and immersive media, and reflect the creative energy driving the future. We’re proud to provide a platform that recognizes this talent and helps support the next stage of their careers.”
Patrick O’Keefe, chief integrated marketing officer, e.l.f. Brands, said: “At e.l.f. Beauty, we believe access to opportunity should never be a privilege and our partnership with BAFTA North America on the Student Awards is a direct reflection of that commitment. The screen industry is strongest when it reflects the full spectrum of voices and experiences, and these awards help make that possible. The creativity and fearlessness of this next generation of filmmakers, storytellers and innovators is deeply inspiring, and we couldn’t be more excited about the future they’re building.”
Ahead of the Awards ceremony, Experience Week took place from Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July 16, bringing together the 2026 BAFTA Student Awards finalists for a week of industry access, learning, and connection. The program featured studio visits, workshops with leading creative professionals, and networking opportunities designed to provide emerging talent with insight into career pathways across film, games, and immersive storytelling. As part of Experience Week, the inaugural BAFTA Games Summit was held at e.l.f.’s Los Angeles office on Wednesday, July 15, and livestreamed on the elfyou Twitch channel. The Summit featured two panel discussions with industry leaders focused on careers in gaming, storytelling, community building, and audience engagement, with panelists including Mayanna Berrin, Anjali Bhimani, Erika Ewing, Jay-Ann Lopez, Karrie Shao, and Kathryn Yu, moderated by Elle Osili Wood. The event was followed by a Showcase and Mixer offering attendees the opportunity to play and experience the nominated games and immersive projects while connecting with fellow creators and industry professionals. The Summit drew more than 38,000 unique live viewers.
The partnership also brought BAFTA programming to the elfyou Twitch channel, culminating in the first-ever livestream of the Awards ceremony. Through this initiative, e.l.f. will continue to focus on spotlighting emerging developers on the elfyou Twitch channel, amplifying underrepresented voices, and creating opportunities for the next generation of gaming talent.
Additionally, e.l.f. announced a US$15,000 grant to support an emerging female or non-binary developer in pursuing their ambitions and expanding access and opportunity within the gaming industry. The brand is committed to supporting underrepresented talent in traditionally male-dominated fields and addressing the persistent lack of visibility and resources they often face. Eligibility criteria and application details will be announced on bafta.org in the coming weeks.
The 2026 BAFTA Student Awards were supported by headline partner e.l.f. Cosmetics, and sponsors Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, The Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Charitable Foundation, ESPN Bold, Crunchyroll and Whitewall Creative.
The 2026 BAFTA Student Awards winners are as follows:
THE ALBERT R. ‘CUBBY’ BROCCOLI SPECIAL JURY PRIZE AT THE BAFTA STUDENT AWARDS:
Rage
Fran Moreno Blanco, Santi Pujol Amat Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya, Spain
FOR ANIMATION PRESENTED BY CRUNCHYROLL:
Gauze
Noran Fikri Alezabi, Nicholas Arujah, Xinyue Ma, Yulin Yue, Xiaonan Zhou
Gobelins, France
FOR DOCUMENTARY PRESENTED BY ESPN BOLD:
Strangers on Our Land
Zane Karram, Kelsey Oliver
University of California, Berkeley, United States
FOR LIVE ACTION:
Whispers of the Waves
Patricia Xu
Beijing Film Academy, China
FOR GAMES:
Candellum
Eva Martinello, Mattéo Gomez
Isart Digital, France
FOR IMMERSIVE:
Sonderambla
Tomis Fras
University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
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 North America is a registered charity (EIN 95-4130773).
About e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is fueled by a belief that anything is e.l.f.ing possible. We are a different kind of company that disrupts norms, shapes culture and connects communities through positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. e.l.f. Cosmetics, our global flagship brand, makes the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face by bringing together the best of beauty, culture and entertainment. Our superpower is delivering universally appealing, premium quality products at accessible prices that are e.l.f. clean and vegan, all double-certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA as cruelty free. We are proud to have products made in Fair Trade Certified facilities. Learn more at www.elfcosmetics.com.
