- The 2026 BAFTA Television Craft Awards with Samsung OLED will take place on Sunday 26 April
- Acclaimed comic Maisie Adam will host this year’s ceremony
BAFTA Television Craft Awards images available here
Password: TVCraftAwards2026Press
BAFTA has today announced that Simone Pennant MBE, founder and CEO of The TV Collective, will receive this year’s BAFTA Television Craft Special Award, one of the academy’s highest honours, recognising an outstanding contribution to television craft and the wider screen industries. Previous recipients include EastEnders, Mama Youth Project, Alison Barnett as Head of Production at Kudos Films, and Triple C.
The award recognises Simone’s extraordinary leadership and the lasting legacy of change she has brought to the screen industries since founding The TV Collective (TVC) in 2008. Established with a clear mission to ensure global majority creatives can access, progress and thrive across the screen industries, connecting them to paid opportunities, to each other, and to the rooms where decisions are made, TVC has been credited with shifting broadcaster attitudes towards inclusion and having an immeasurable impact on the freelance community.
Over more than a decade, Simone has drawn on her 20 years’ experience across television, radio and podcasting to build one of the most impactful talent communities in the UK screen industries. Most notably, Breakthrough Leaders, co-developed with industry coach Remy Blumenfeld, is delivered in partnership with BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Paramount UK, Prime Video and Fremantle, and has supported over 250 senior creatives into influential and decision-making roles. Alumni have won BAFTAs, RTS and Grierson Awards, secured commissions with Netflix, Sky and the BBC, and taken senior roles across the UK and internationally. Through the TVC Indie Accelerator, delivered in partnership with Channel 4 and Channel 5, TVC has also supported over 25 diverse-led production companies to secure commissions and grow sustainable businesses. This September, TVC expands its reach with the launch of Breakthrough Leaders Global and AskTVC, an AI-powered platform combining industry knowledge with community insight to support creative careers and business growth.
This award acknowledges the full breadth of Simone’s impact, her campaigning work, her community building, and her commitment to driving systemic change, building a more inclusive, sustainable and internationally connected industry where global majority creatives and those who feel most marginalised can thrive, build successful careers and sustainable businesses, and help shape its future.
Simone Pennant MBE, founder, The TV Collective, said: “I am truly honoured and all the more so because this recognition comes from my peers. As part of the community I serve – global majority creatives who show up and back ourselves every day despite the barriers we face. This award belongs to us.
It arrives at a moment when our industry is facing difficult questions about who gets to thrive and who doesn’t.
For me, accepting it comes with a responsibility to ensure this recognition connects to something real and lasting, not just a moment of celebration. Conversations are already underway to ensure this leads to tangible, lasting results.
The measure of success for me is an industry where people like me are no longer needed as advocates where everyone, particularly those who feel most marginalised, can build careers that are lasting and sustainable. That is the world I am working towards. And for me, this award is not a destination, it is a reminder of how far we still have to go.”
Jane Millichip, BAFTA CEO, said: “It is a genuine pleasure to honour Simone Pennant with this year’s BAFTA Television Craft Special Award. Simone’s impact on television goes far beyond programmes or initiatives — it is about people, opportunity, and lasting change. Through The TV Collective, she has challenged the industry to be better, fairer and more representative, and has backed that challenge with action. BAFTA is proud to celebrate Simone’s remarkable contribution and the lasting legacy she continues to create.”
The BAFTA Television Craft Special Award will be presented to Simone Pennant MBE during the BAFTA Television Craft Awards with Samsung OLED ceremony on Sunday 26 April 2026. This year’s Craft Awards will take place at The Brewery, London, and will be hosted by Maisie Adam.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Multitude Media BAFTA Team: baftateam@multitudemedia.co.uk
BAFTA Press Office: pressoffice@bafta.org
For media and photography accreditation enquiries: Multitude Media BAFTA Team: baftateam@multitudemedia.co.uk
BAFTA Socials
Follow @BAFTA on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn and X.
Social posts should use #BAFTACraftAwards with @Samsunguk OLED.
About BAFTA
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 — including masterclasses, lectures, scholarships, bursaries and mentoring schemes in the UK and North America — BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, inspires practitioners and learners, and supports the next generation of creative talent. For more information visit: baftadev.alchemy.construction
About The TV Collective
The TV Collective (TVC) is an award-winning community platform founded by Simone Pennant MBE in 2008, celebrating excellence and driving the progression of Black and Global Majority talent across the UK and internationally. Its initiatives include Breakthrough Leaders, TVC Podcast, TVC:LIVE, TVC Content Fund, and AskTVC.AI. For more information visit: www.thetvcollective.org
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, digital signage, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances and network systems, as well as memory, system LSI and foundry. Samsung is also advancing medical imaging technologies, HVAC solutions and robotics, while creating innovative automotive and audio products through Harman. With its SmartThings ecosystem, open collaboration with partners, and integration of AI across its portfolio, Samsung delivers a seamless and intelligent connected experience. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.
