Watch Anne Morrison open proceedings at the British Academy Games Awards on 12 March 2015.
Anne Morrison, Chair of BAFTA, welcomed guests to the 2015 British Academy Games Awards ceremony, describing the occassion as; "one of the biggest celebrations of games excellence in the world".
Speech Transcript
Anne Morrison, Chair of BAFTA - Speech, British Academy Games Awards in 2015
Good evening, welcome to Tobacco Dock for this year’s British Academy Games Awards.
And welcome to viewers at home, streaming the ceremony live via Twitch.
I was almost late coming here tonight as my car didn’t arrive. So in true games spirit, I ran into the road, waved down a passing car, dragged the driver out, drove through six red lights … I wasn’t actually planning on coming in here, I’m just waiting for the heat to die down outside.
At BAFTA, we celebrate great games. With this ceremony, and with other events too, like Inside Games Arcade, part of EGX Rezzed, which is on right now.
BAFTA’s Games Awards is one of the biggest annual celebrations of excellence in the world. It’s how the Academy rewards the best talent and the best games of the past year to inspire and encourage others. And it’s a reflection of the health of the industry to see so many incredible talents here tonight. We’re committed to celebrating your achievements, just as we do for those in film and television. Your success raises standards for everyone in the industry, all around the world.
BAFTA is totally committed to supporting, developing and nurturing new talent, as well, regardless of their background.
BAFTA Crew, our network for professional development, has expanded to games. We’ve now got 98 games crew members with access to top industry talent. For younger people, ten to eighteen year olds, Young Game Designers is a BAFTA resource for kids at school considering a career in games. Since 2010, it’s been a hugely popular way for them to learn about game making and think about their options. This year, we’re encouraging more girls to get involved, and we’re bringing in more female mentors. If you’re interested in supporting Young Game Designers, becoming a mentor or even a BAFTA member, pass your details to anyone here from BAFTA and we’ll get the ball rolling.
Speaking of women, I’m looking forward to when we can announce the woman giving this year’s annual Games Lecture. She’s a very successful and influential person in the business, and I’m sure she’ll have a lot to say. I’m going to keep you guessing for now but we’ll reveal who she is in a couple of weeks.
My thanks to the wonderful Harvey Elliott and the Games Committee, which guides BAFTA’s support of games. Thank you to the BAFTA team, particularly Kelly Smith and our Producer of these awards Trey Farley, and to our generous partners, including Activision, EA and Sega. We’re delighted to announce a new partnership with the Mayor of London, Ukie , Film London, and London & Partners, with a shared ambition to grow the games sector in London. Our plans are well underway, with a number of US investors here tonight to see what London has to offer. We hope they’ll start building some new partnerships while they’re here, and the Mayor hopes to announce our activity for the next couple of years next month. Whilst the activity will be focused on London it will also benefit the wider UK games sector.
Finally, congratulations to our fellow, who’ll receive his award tonight, and good luck to all the anxious-looking nominees. Not long now till you find out the result – hang on a bit longer!
As the sirens have died down outside, I think the heat is off, and it’s now safe for me to leave.
Enjoy your evening.
