BAFTA announces over £270,000 in grants to support 112 emerging creatives

• BAFTA to support 100 early-career creatives through Prince William BAFTA Bursary, backed by Celia Imrie CBE, Paul Greengrass CBE, Peter Capaldi and more.  

• 98% of past recipients accessed opportunities otherwise out of reach, going on to work for A24, BBC, Disney+, EA and Netflix 

• More than three quarters (76.5%) of bursary funding awarded outside London, opening up the screen industries to talent across the UK 

Today, BAFTA announces the recipients of its 2026 Prince William BAFTA Bursary and scholarship programmes, awarding over £270,000 in grants to 112 emerging creatives in the UK and North America to provide vital financial and practical support to build careers in film, games, and television. The Prince William BAFTA Bursary and scholarships are part of BAFTA’s year-round charitable programmes to find and nurture the next generation of screen arts talent. 

This year, BAFTA is supporting 100 Prince William BAFTA Bursary recipients, a 40% increase on last year, ensuring 100 next generation talents receive crucial funding to build their careers across the industry. 

At a time when economic and geographic barriers continue to limit access to the screen industries, feedback from previous bursary recipients demonstrates the transformative impact of its charitable programmes. 98% of the 2024 and 2025 bursary recipients agreed the grant enabled them to access career opportunities they otherwise could not have taken up. 

88.2% of recipients reported that receiving a BAFTA bursary significantly boosted their confidence in navigating the industry, while 94.1% felt better equipped to secure their next professional role. Beyond financial aid, BAFTA’s endorsement provides vital long-term career support, previous recipients have gone on to work for major film, games and television productions for the likes of A24, BBC, Disney+, EA, and Netflix.  

Speaking at a celebratory breakfast for this year’s recipients of the bursary, Aiden, a 2025 recipient who studied game design and now works for EA as an Assistant Producer said: “It’s hard to know what benchmark for success there is, it’s hard to find direction or know where your career is headed, so at the time when I received the bursary, I really needed that confidence boost, that self-assurance. Having an organisation like BAFTA show that support and say you and your work are worth investing in is fantastic and helped so much when applying to jobs” 

77% of the recipients reside outside of London, ensuring creative voices from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are empowered to share authentic stories with global audiences. 

Daniella, a 2024 bursary recipient from Belfast who has since landed credits with A24 and Netflix, said: “I always imagined I’d have to move to London to keep a career going, but it’s been steady in Belfast for five years and I never thought I’d have the support of an organisation like BAFTA. People from the industry in Northern Ireland are always like, ‘it’s so amazing to have that support and the opportunity to do that’, so it’s definitely helped my confidence… Working up towards 2nd AD (assistant director) was part of my five-year plan when I received the bursary… but what was in my five-year plan has happened in two years.” 

Hilary Rosen, deputy chair of BAFTA, said: “BAFTA is passionate about the need to invest in fresh talent that the future of our industries relies on. The Prince William BAFTA Bursary and Scholarships programmes do exactly this – giving life-changing grants to emerging creatives who otherwise might well have been locked out of a career in the screen arts. We are delighted to announce the 2026 cohort and can’t wait to see what they go on to achieve”.  We know they will have impact.” 

Paul Greengrass CBE, filmmaker and founding supporter of the Prince William BAFTA Bursary said: “There’s so much talent out there, but getting a start in our industries is really tough. The Prince William BAFTA Bursary scheme gives aspiring, talented, creative people really practical help to get that first foot on the ladder and to keep moving forward. With the pressures facing film, games and television making those barriers even harder to overcome, it’s important to do everything we can to help to open doors. People from every background should have the chance to tell their stories and help shape what we see on screen, and I’m proud to be a part of this important BAFTA scheme”. 

Celia Imrie CBE, actress and supporter of the Prince William BAFTA Bursary said: “I was not aware of the superb work BAFTA does to support young people in the profession until I watched a film showing the recipients of the bursaries BAFTA awards each year. Before this, I thought BAFTA just gave out glittering awards, but now I know what a tremendously generous organisation it is. Hats off to BAFTA.” 

See the 2026 recipients of BAFTA’s scholarships and Prince William BAFTA bursary below. For more information on these programmes visit: bafta.org/programmes 

Notes to Editors: 

The Prince William BAFTA Bursary continues to provide grants of up to £2,000 each to help creatives from across Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland cover essential costs, such as training courses, equipment and software, relocation costs and driving lessons which can otherwise prevent talented people from pursuing careers in the screen industries. 

Abbie Freeman – Researcher, Adam Klis – independent filmmaker & cinematographer, Aidan Donnachie – screenwriter & director, Alex Fusco – documentary researcher, Alfie O’Sullivan-Neill – writer & director, Aminah Alhamdu – filmmaker & curator, Aminat Abari – production assistant, Ana Jana – filmmaker & content creator, Athina Chatzidaki – documentary editor, Ayomide Adegun – actor, Bellayna Lopez – 2D game artist & animator,  Billy Evans – camera trainee, Callie Holden – costume trainee, Cameron Goodchild – actor & filmmaker, Catrin Beynon – junior researcher, Chai Lee Tan – camera trainee, Chandler Pierre – assistant producer Misfits Entertainment, Chloe Bingham – freelance unscripted assistant producer & videographer/photographer, Chloe Lim – director/producer, Clarissa Hepburn – junior casting researcher, Cyd Talbot – animator and director, Daisy Williams – AD, Dan Nash – actor/camera trainee/runner, Daniela Sinai Morales Ochoa – filmmaker, David Kemmer-Amoda – Filmmaker (Treble media), Dearbhaile Collins – 2nd AC, Ellie Lewington – art department trainee, Ellis Josebury – spark trainee, Erin Curtis – freelance 2D game artist, Eve Gil – Artist, Ewura-Ama Quarshie – freelance runner & writer, Fatima Jawara – production secretary, Fiorella Wyn Martínez – hair and makeup junior, Francesca DelGuidice – freelance film, TV & locations, Gabrielle Häfner – freelance sound designer, Gagandeep Kaur Chahal – animation director, Gemma McAdam – sound recordist, Hana Yaqoob – emerging filmmaker, Harry Martin – art department trainee, Helen Rose – script supervisor, Helena Veysey – actress and writer, Holly Barbour – actor/writer, Holly-Jasmine Kilvington – production coordinator, Ira Putilova – documentary director / editor, James Pritchard – costume trainee, Janet Marrett – screenwriter director, Jessica Murray – game designer and writer, Jessica Speller  – production coordinator, assistant director & casting director, Joel Williams  – sound recordist, John Black – assistant editor/DIT assistant, John Kamara – writer / filmmaker, Johnny Massahi – writer-director, Julie Tsang – screenwriter, Kate Smith – film extra, Kenna Igwe – writer/actor/director, Kevwe Ayigbe – freelancer, Klarissa Webster – filmmaker, Leviathan Vi Amare – technical artist, Lily Caccia – production designer, Lori Cairney – events co-ordinator, Maryam Haddadi – director, Mia Haynes-French – actor, Mo Jannah – creative entrepreneur, Nadine O’Mahony – writer/director, Poppy Brown – development producer, Rosa Brooke – writer-director , Rosie Berry – costume designer, Ross Shaddick – independent filmmaker – Salma Salah – camera assistant, Sam Davis Orr – animator, Sarah Macleod – camera assistant, Sean Patrick Murray – writer, Sean Simmons – freelance illustrator and concept artist, Serena Gardner – producer, Serena Soumiya – pa and documentary researcher, Serina Lopez – 2D artist x game producer, Stefano Navarra – 2nd assistant editor, Suda Mohamedin – creative producer & curator, Symoné – game designer, Tamzin Khan – actor, Theo Kotz – filmmaker, Thusika Baskaran – runner, Tibiyan Hayden-Smith – multimedia creative, Tinu Alabi – office runner, Usaamah Hussain  – actor, Vaiva Azzolini – assistant script supervisor, Wilma Smith – writer/director/animator  

The Prince William BAFTA Bursary Fund is generously supported by: Brian Abel, Celia Imrie CBE, James and Victoria Corcoran, Kevin and Carrie Burke, Paul Greengrass CBE and Joanna Kaye, Peter Capaldi and Elaine Collins, Peter Samengo-Turner, Phil Davies, Priya Dogra, Richard Sydenham, and Stephen Merchant, as well as Brooks MacDonald, The Thompson Family Charitable Trust, The Zilberman Film Foundation, True Brit Entertainment, RH and the generous individuals who pledged their support at the BAFTA Invest in Talent Gala 2026. 

Alongside the bursary programme, BAFTA has named the new UK BAFTA Scholars, who will receive up to £12,000 in funding towards tuition fees or living costs, in addition to mentoring and free access to BAFTA’s year-round events. 

• Christopher Loat, National Film and Television School, BAFTA Reuben Scholar, MA Sound Design for Film and TV 

• Chloe Lamb, Falmouth University, Reuben Scholar, MA Film and Television 

• Hamzah Ali, Staffordshire University, Reuben Scholar, MA Games Art 

• Sophie Hogan, Drama Studio London, BAFTA Scholarship, BA Hons Professional Acting 

• Ava Rogerson, Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), BAFTA Scholarship, BA Games Art and Design 

The BAFTA Scholarships Programme is generously supported by The Reuben Foundation (supporting the BAFTA Reuben Scholars) and BAFTA patrons.  

BAFTA North America Scholarships

BAFTA North America has also announced its 2026 cohort of scholars who will receive funding packages of up to $60,000 to support studying at leading institutions, including Columbia University, Loyola Marymount University, New York University, School for Visual Arts and Stanford University. 

• Abdullah Khan – BAFTA Ben Jorgensen Scholarship, Columbia University for an MFA in Film. 

• Alex Darby – Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship, Stanford University for an MFA in Documentary Film. 

• İlayda McIntosh – Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship, New York University Tisch School of the Arts for an MFA in Dramatic Writing. 

• Róise Nic an Bheatha – Fulbright-BAFTA Scholarship and the Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship, School of Visual Arts for an MA in Film Directing. 

• Sebastian Wright – Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship, Columbia University for an MS in Documentary
 

• Sarvin Shakib – Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship, New York University Tisch School of the Arts for a Graduate Film Degree 

• Elena Moreno – BAFTA Bridge Scholarship, Loyola Marymount University for a BA in Film, Television, and Media Studies 

The BAFTA North America Scholarships Programme is supported by the Fulbright Program, philanthropist Sir Mark Pigott KBE, and Tina Micklethwait. 

• Fulbright, supporting the Fulbright-BAFTA Postgraduate Scholarship for a UK student to pursue a master’s degree in film, or discipline related to the practical art forms of the moving image, at any accredited US university. 

• Mark Pigott KBE, supporting the Pigott/BAFTA Scholarship for British graduate students pursuing a master’s degrees in the United States in disciplines leading to production roles in filmmaking. 

• Tina Micklethwait, supporting the BAFTA Ben Jorgensen scholarship dedicated to her son, Ben Alexander Jorgensen who was born in London and raised in New York from the age of seven. Ben’s work as a filmmaker included documentaries, music videos, TV programs and PSAs. Ben was also a well-known actor in films and soaps. Modest about his own accomplishments, Ben was full of praise and admiration for his friends and colleagues. The BAFTA Ben Jorgensen Scholarship will keep his kindness and generosity alive. 

The BAFTA Bridge Scholarship is funded by BAFTA North America and is an extension of their Bridge programs that provides Los Angeles based grade schools with bespoke presentations given by BAFTA members on various aspects of the screen industries.  

Survey data cited in this release was collected by BAFTA from 51 recipients of the Prince William BAFTA Bursary in the 2024 and 2025 cohorts. 

This year’s recipients were celebrated at a special breakfast at BAFTA, hosted by BAFTA deputy chair Hilary Rosen and featuring founding bursary supporter Paul Greengrass CBE. 

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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).