BAFTA today announces that Duncan Kenworthy OBE will receive a BAFTA Fellowship award on Friday 23 October at a special presentation at BAFTA. The acclaimed producer will be honoured for his extraordinary contribution to film, championing British talent and storytelling through a distinguished body of work that has resonated with audiences worldwide, as well as his enduring commitment to inspiring and supporting the next generation of screen talent.
The BAFTA Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual, in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television.
Across a career spanning more than five decades, Kenworthy has helped define modern British cinema, producing internationally acclaimed films including Richard Curtis’ CBE Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999) and Love Actually (2003). His creative partnership with Curtis has shaped the British romantic comedy and brought British storytelling to global audiences. A multiple BAFTA Award-winner and OBE recipient for services to film, Kenworthy co-founded DNA with Andrew Macdonald, one of the UK’s leading independent production companies, whose films include Trainspotting (1996), 28 Days Later (2002), The Last King of Scotland (2006) and Civil War (2024). Kenworthy’s career also stretches to numerous television credits, including Sesame Street (1969), Fraggle Rock (1983) and the Emmy-winning Gulliver’s Travels (1996), made through his long association with Jim Henson and The Jim Henson Company.
Kenworthy’s impact on the screen industry extends far beyond his work as a producer. Throughout his career, he has played a significant role in supporting the development of the next generation of screen talent and strengthening the UK’s film and television landscape. Alongside generous philanthropic support, his longstanding relationship with BAFTA – first joining the Film Committee in 1996, serving as Chair from 2004 to 2006 and later as Vice President from 2009 to 2015 – has aided BAFTA’s wider mission as a cultural organisation committed to nurturing screen talent at all levels. His legacy is commemorated by a room named in his honour at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly.
A passionate advocate for film education and greater diversity within the industry, Kenworthy has made a lasting commitment to developing emerging talent. He served on the Board of Governors of the National Film and Television School (NFTS) and, through his production company Toledo Productions, established the Toledo Scholarship. The financial aid programme supports talented UK students from underrepresented backgrounds, helping to address gaps in representation and ensuring that a wider range of voices can access and build careers across the British film and TV industry.
Sara Putt, BAFTA chair, said: “Duncan Kenworthy is one of the great champions of British film and filmmaking talent. For over five decades he has played a pivotal role in bringing some of Britain’s most beloved stories to life on screen. Just as significant has been his tireless commitment to giving back and supporting the next generation of screen talent through his charitable work and dedication to the industry, including his work with BAFTA. It is not an understatement to say that BAFTA would not be the thriving and dynamic organisation it is today without the work of Duncan. He is hugely respected by his peers for his creativity, generosity and passion for storytelling, and we are absolutely delighted to honour his exceptional contribution to film and his lasting impact on the future of the British screen industries.”
Duncan Kenworthy OBE said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be the recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend my life doing something I love, alongside so many talented and inspiring people. Having been closely involved with BAFTA for more than 30 of those years, to be recognised in this way is very special indeed.”
The Fellowship Award will be presented to Duncan Kenworthy on Friday 23 October at BAFTA in London at a presentation hosted by his longtime collaborator, Richard Curtis. The special presentation will be supported by Peugeot.
BAFTA Fellows previously honoured for their work in film include Dame Donna Langley, Warwick Davis OBE, Samantha Morton OBE, Sir Ridley Scott, Dame Judi Dench, Martin Scorsese, Dame Maggie Smith, Steven Spielberg & more.
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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).
