Hamzah Ali

Hamzah Ali, from Bradford, is awarded the BAFTA Reuben Scholarship to support his completion of the MA Games Art at the University of Staffordshire.

Born and raised in Bradford, Hamzah has held a lifelong passion for video games and visual art. Fascinated from an early age by the immersive worlds created by game artists, he recognised game art as the ideal combination of his creative interests.

This passion led him to achieve a First-Class Honours degree in Graphics for Games at the University of Bradford. During his studies, he won the Peter Molyneux Award in 2017 and showcased his final year project at EGX, Yorkshire Games Festival and Games Republic.

Following graduation, personal responsibilities and unforeseen challenges temporarily paused Hamzah’s pursuit of a career as a games artist. However, his creative ambition never faded. After an extended break, he is returning to higher education to study MA Games Art at the University of Staffordshire, where he will develop his skills in line with current industry practices. He is committed to building a career creating immersive worlds and experiences through game art.

He says: “Receiving the BAFTA Scholarship is a genuinely life-changing opportunity. Beyond removing financial barriers to my studies at Staffordshire, it will give me access to an industry mentor and the wider BAFTA network. This has reignited a sense of direction and confidence that I have not felt in years.

My long-term ambition is to work as an environment artist and eventually return to higher education as a lecturer, helping to support the next generation of creatives. I am one step closer to the career I have always wanted, and I am thrilled to have BAFTA supporting me as I begin this exciting new chapter.”