Epic Games will receive the award on Wednesday 12 June in Los Angeles

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced that Epic Games will be honoured with a Special Award at an event at The London West Hollywood hotel on 12 June 2019.

Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games, will accept the award on the company’s behalf. The event will take place during the E3 games convention in Los Angeles, as BAFTA continues to grow its global games activity.

Founded in 1991, Epic Games has become a world-renowned industry leader and innovator. Developing some of the most trailblazing titles of the last 30 years, from its first application ZZT to the Gears of War series and Fortnite.

Its pioneering Unreal Engine, founded twenty years ago, has underpinned some of the most successful and critically acclaimed games, including BAFTA-winning titles Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, What Remains of Edith Finch, Rocket League, Mass Effect, BioShock and the Arkham series.

Today, the company continues to innovate on established industry practice and champion the game development community.

Dr Jo Twist OBE, Chair of BAFTA’s Games Committee, said: “We are delighted to present this year’s Special Award to Epic Games. Having powered the creativity and imaginations of development teams of all sizes over the years – many of whom have gone on to win BAFTAs - it’s right to mark their huge contribution with this Special Award as part of BAFTA’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the very best in games. Epic is at the forefront of the evolution of the global games industry and the impact of their innovation is undeniable.”

Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO at Epic Games said: “All of us at Epic Games are honored that BAFTA has awarded Unreal Engine for excellence in technology, and we share this recognition with our partners and the creative community.”

Previous Games professionals to receive a BAFTA Special Award include Nolan North, Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill (on behalf of Riot Games), Brenda Romero, Amy Hennig and Markus Persson.

Event details: Wednesday 12 June 2019 at The London, West Hollywood, 1020 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA

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

ENDS

For further information and interview requests:

Molly Whitehall at WDW Entertainment (UK)

T: 07789 848 782

E: [email protected]

Caroline Stegner at Rogers & Cowan (US)

T: 310-854-8149

E: [email protected]

About BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org. 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 inner-city outreach programme, screenings, seminars, Behind Closed Doors series, Q&As, scholarships for British students studying in the US, and a Heritage Archive project, which 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. www.bafta.org/losangeles