Bafta announces dates for 2022 awards as well as changes to eligibility

The awards, which celebrate the best of British film and television, will return in April

The Bafta Awards will take place in April 2022. Reuters

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has announced the dates for its 2022 ceremonies, as well as a number of new policies for its awards.

The British Academy Television Craft Awards will take place on April 24, followed two weeks later by the main ceremony on May 8.

Nominees for the awards, which celebrate the best in British film and television, will be announced in March, organisers announced on Monday.

Bafta also revealed a number of changes to its eligibility and voting criteria for the 2022 awards.

The changes include allowing UK actors appearing in shows only eligible in the international category to be individually eligible in all performance categories, as well as expanding the international category to include six nominees, up from four in previous years.

Line producers, production managers and heads of production will now be eligible candidates for consideration and recognised alongside other members of the production team under the new changes, and international members of the academy can now vote across all categories. Before this, they were limited to four.

The requirement under the BFI Diversity Standards 2020 to meet one of at least four entry criteria will now double to two, one relating to industry access and opportunities, and one other.

Bafta will also begin asking entrants if they have completed the Albert carbon calculator to achieve Albert certification, a scheme introduced by Bafta to champion environmental sustainability on screen. However, the academy said this will not affect eligibility for the awards.

“The television industry has continued to innovate and creatively thrive during the challenges of the last year,” Sara Putt, deputy chairwoman of Bafta and chairwoman of the Bafta Television Committee, said. “TV has once again proven its unique value in keeping audiences entertained and informed, and its vital role in all of our lives.

“The progress being made to better represent a broader range of stories and voices on screen and to be properly inclusive and open to talent irrespective of background, was evident in the range of outstanding work and individuals recognised in the Virgin Media Bafta Television Awards and Television Craft Awards earlier this year.”

“Each year we consult with the industry and review our rules and eligibility criteria to ensure our awards not only reflect an evolving global industry but also help drive positive change,” Putt said. “And this year I’m proud that we are stepping up our consultation with the industry on environmental sustainability with a view to formally adopting requirements from 2023 that will ensure a more sustainable industry for all.”