Spun Gold, the go-to production company for royal events and documentaries, have been appointed a co-producer of the BAFTA film and TV awards.
The company recently produced Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for ITV and are known for their royal documentaries, including “Prince William: Monarch in the Making” and “Secrets of the Royals: Inside the Crown.” They were awarded the BAFTA production contract for two years, beginning in 2023, following a tender process.
As part of their remit, they have been tasked with “reimagining and significantly expanding” the awards shows’ production and format for broadcast.
This year’s BAFTA film awards ceremony, which was hosted by Rebel Wilson, drew an average of 2.5 million viewers for its broadcast, down on 2020’s pre-pandemic 3 million. Meanwhile the TV awards, hosted by Richard Ayoade, drew 2.4 million viewers. Both shows are traditionally broadcast an hour or two after they take place, which allows them to be edited. However, the time lag also means that audiences know who’s won what via social media.
The BAFTA film awards traditionally take place in late February or early March, right before the Oscars, while the TV awards take place later in the spring. Both ceremonies are broadcast in the U.K. on BBC One and its streaming service iPlayer while both the BBC’s and BAFTA’s social channels also stream the red carpet.
“It is an honour to be asked to produce two of the most prestigious events in the entertainment world’s calendar,” said Spun Gold CEO Nick Bullen. “We’re looking forward to working together with BAFTA and the BBC to create exciting content for viewers that celebrates the best creative talent from around the globe.”
Emma Baehr, BAFTA’s executive director of awards and content, said: “Our awards are a unique and treasured celebration of British and international creativity. With a new venue for our EE BAFTA Film Awards, it felt a natural moment to reinvent and expand the format. We can’t wait to deliver two of the best and biggest nights in the U.K.’s entertainment calendar for film and TV fans at home and around the world, and to share our exciting plans in more detail soon.”
Next year’s ceremonies are set to take place on Feb. 19 (for the film awards) and May 14 for the TV awards.