Creators of BAFTA-winning League of Legends will receive the Award on Monday 12 June in Los Angeles

Los Angeles and London, 1 June 2017: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is to honour Riot Games, creators of the BAFTA-winning League of Legends, with a Special Award at an event at The London West Hollywood on Monday 12 June. The activity, which takes place during the E3 games conference in Los Angeles, is part of BAFTA’s growing global games strand in the USA.

The award will be presented to co-CEOs and co-founders Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill, on behalf of Riot Games, in recognition of the studio’s creative contribution to the games industry. Previous games professionals to receive a BAFTA Special Award include Brenda Romero, Amy Hennig and Markus Persson.

Nick Button-Brown, Chair of BAFTA’s Games Committee, said: “Riot Games has had a major influence on our industry, from the way they work as a company, to the way they have constantly improved and evolved League of Legends, through to their approach in esports and the way they create wonderful must-see events. Their worldwide events, their stadium-filling matches and the generation of stars that they have created have changed the way we and many other industries look at games.

“At BAFTA we aim to champion innovation and creativity. We are therefore delighted to recognise Riot Games with this BAFTA Special Award.”

Riot Games was founded in Los Angeles in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to worldwide acclaim. The game has since gone on to become the most played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports. League of Legends has been continuously refined and polished and continues to grow, with an active and expansive player base. League of Legends esports events fill stadiums around the world, and the game continues to be the most watched on the streaming platform Twitch.

In 2015, League of Legends received the BAFTA for Persistent Game, with further nominations in 2016 and 2017 for the AMD Esports Audience Award, which is presented at the British Academy Games Awards.

Event details:

Monday 12 June at The London West Hollywood, 1020 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA

19.15 Doors Open

19.30 Event begins, Special Award Presentation

20.30 Drinks and Canapes

The event is by invitation only, please contact [email protected] for more information.

For further information:

Elyse Weissman at SLATE PR (US)

T: 310-461-0114

E: [email protected]

Johanna Hatch at BAFTA (UK)

E: [email protected]

About BAFTA and BAFTA Los Angeles The British Academy of Film and Television Arts supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – featuring workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes – in the UK, USA and Asia; it offers unique access to the world’s most inspiring talent and connects with a global audience of all ages and backgrounds. To access the best creative minds in film, TV and games production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org. Founded in 1987, BAFTA Los Angeles serves as a bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities. Its commitment to professional and community education is at the heart of all activity, including an award-winning community outreach programme, screenings, seminars, Behind Closed Doors series, Q&As, scholarships for British students studying in the US, a Newcomers Program for emerging British talents working in the US, and a Heritage Archive project that preserves in-depth interviews with the industry's leading talents for future generations. BAFTA Los Angeles celebrates and promotes excellence through its annual Britannia Awards, Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties and the Student Film Awards.