The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced this year’s hosts and further details of two shows celebrating and rewarding filmmaking excellence across the Film Awards Weekend of 10 & 11 April 2021. For the first time ever, BAFTA has the opportunity to present awards across the weekend, with both shows broadcast on the BBC.
Clara Amfo will host the EE BAFTA Film Awards Opening Night, airing on Saturday 10 April on BBC Two and BBC Two HD. Clara will be joined by a panel of guests, to be announced. Using behind the scenes footage from the nominated films to explore the creative process, audiences will get a fascinating, in-depth look at these expert crafts. The programme gives BAFTA a unique opportunity to showcase all aspects of the filmmaking process while eight BAFTA winners will be revealed on the night. BAFTA will also celebrate the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema recipient, who will be at the Royal Albert Hall for the only in-person Awards-giving moment.
On Sunday 11 April, Clara, as the official EE presenter, will interview other BAFTA presenters from the Royal Albert Hall. Through the magic of technology, Clara will also be connecting with Award recipients virtually as part of EE BAFTA’s ‘Winner Reactions’. All content will be available exclusively on EE’s Twitter throughout the evening of Sunday 11 April.
Edith Bowman and Dermot O’Leary will host the second night of the EE British Academy Film Awards, airing on Sunday 11 April on BBC One and BBC One HD, which celebrates the very best in British and International talent. Edith and Dermot, who for several years have hosted BAFTA’s live red carpet show, will be joined by a small group of Awards presenters at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as additional presenters joining from Los Angeles. All nominees will join the show virtually alongside a virtual audience. 17 awards will be announced, including the public-voted EE Rising Star Award and the Fellowship, BAFTA’s highest honour.
The programme will also highlight British film, as well as giving audiences an exciting sneak peak at the year ahead as cinemas around the world begin to re-open. Each nominee for the EE Rising Star Award will be celebrated individually during the show. There will also be musical performances, with further details to follow.
EE BAFTA Film Awards Opening Night and the EE British Academy Film Awards will be broadcast in over 160 territories around the world.
Emma Baehr, Executive Director of Awards & Content at BAFTA, said: “We’re thrilled that we have two programmes for the 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards for the very first time this year, in which we’ll showcase our nominees and reveal the winners. To help us celebrate the art and craft of filmmaking in more depth we’ll be joined by three hosts – Clara Amfo on Saturday and Dermot O’Leary and Edith Bowman on Sunday. I hope our audiences are just as excited as we are for the BAFTA weekend on the BBC.”
Marc Samuelson, Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, said: “It has been an extremely tough year for everyone, including for cinemas and for the film industry, so we are looking forward to some fun, and a celebration of great talent across the weekend. The industry and film lovers are coming together to shine a spotlight on the creativity and craft behind the 50 nominated films, and to recognise and celebrate the efforts of the industry to keep going during this particularly challenging time.”
Photography is available at https://bafta.thirdlight.com/link/BAFTAPressImages/
Notes to Editors
Clara Amfo
Clara Amfo is a dynamic and bold broadcaster best known for her 10am – 1pm BBC Radio 1 show, home of the world-famous Live Lounge.
Clara’s show has seen her interview some of the world’s most prolific artists, and Clara is also host to her own successful podcast, This City, which launched in 2020 and has seen two incredibly popular series. A respected face on our screens, Clara has hosted ITV2’s BRIT Awards coverage, is on the judging panel for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize and was a fan favourite whilst competing in the 2020 season of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
With live music being one of her many passions, Clara is part of the core presenting team on BBC2 and BBC4 for their coverage of Glastonbury and Radio 1’s Big Weekend, seeing her introduce global acts such as Adele and Ed Sheeran from the pyramid stage to millions of people worldwide.
A keen documentary maker, Clara’s projects have included a number of educational and insightful works for Radio 1Xtra, BBC Artsnight, Radio 1 and BBC iPlayer, in which she’s explored the topics of fame, grief and music, all to critical acclaim.
Clara has also appeared on the cover of a number of prominent publications in the UK, including Cosmopolitan, Stylist, Grazia, British Vogue and Balance.
Edith Bowman
Having presented shows on MTV, Capital FM, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC 5 Live, 6 Music and Virgin Radio Breakfast Show, Edith is the industry’s trusted music and film specialist and respected tastemaker in the entertainment industry for over 20 years.
Edith is the film industry’s go to with the biggest actors and composers choosing to share their story with her. The esteemed broadcaster is responsible for the critically acclaimed ongoing podcast weekly series ‘Soundtracking with Edith Bowman’ which sees her talk to directors, actors, writers and composers about the music that inspired them and how they use music in their films, from their current release to key moments in their career. Guests on the podcast include Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais, Quentin Tarantino, Hugh Grant, Bradley Cooper, Guy Ritchie and Greta Gerwig.
She also hosts Netflix’s ‘The Crown: The Official Podcast’ diving deep into the stories of each episode interviewing the likes of Olivia Colman, Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter. Edith also presents BBC Four’s ‘Life Cinematic’; a television special delving into the art of filmmaking. Each episode in the series features an in-depth interview with a renowned filmmaker, together with a selection of classic clips that have influenced their life and career. Previous guests have included Sam Mendes and Sofia Coppola.
Dermot O’Leary
Dermot O’Leary’s extensive career in the world of Television and Radio has established him as a household name, most notably as the host of ITV’s The X Factor. You can now catch Dermot on the This Morning sofa alongside Alison Hammond as a regular host on a Friday morning, discussing the latest topics with the nation in their usual fun style. Off-screen, Dermot is also a successful author of the ‘Toto the Ninja Cat’ children’s book series as well as having the pleasure of hosting UNICEF’s Soccer Aid since 2010.
Aside from this, Dermot explores his love of music in variety of projects, all produced by his production company Ora et Labora. These include his weekend Radio 2 show, ‘Saturday Breakfast with Dermot O’Leary’, his podcast series ‘People Just People and a TV show for the BBC titled ‘Reel Stories’, a series that takes an exclusive look back through the lives of iconic entertainers.
Born out of Dermot’s curiosity, his podcast series ‘People Just People’ sees him interviewing a range of guests he greatly admires from the worlds of sport, fashion, politics and entertainment.
Dermot has also presented and co-produced Reel Stories, a show that sees him chat to the likes of Kylie Minogue, Noel Gallagher and Rod Stewart, as they watch defining moments throughout their careers.
Since his first book ‘The Soundtrack to My Life’ was published in 2014, he’s turned his hand to writing children’s books. The successful ‘Toto the Ninja Cat’ series now has four books to its name.
Other career highlights include hosting The National Television Awards from 2010-2019, presenting the prestigious BRIT awards in 2017 with Emma Willis and presenting BAFTA Red Carpet Live, interviewing Hollywood A-Listers such as George Clooney, Melissa McCarthy & Amy Adams.
Dermot started his on-screen career as part of T4’s original line up, he then went on to present and produce Big Brother’s Little Brother for many years. Dermot is an ambassador for both UNICEF and CAFOD as well as championing several other charities close to his heart.
For further information please contact:
Kerry McGlone at freuds
T 020 3003 6648
E [email protected]
