BAFTA GAMES AWARDS HANDS CONTROL OVER TO GAME FANS, AS IT UNVEILS NEW EE GAME OF THE YEAR AWARD VOTED FOR BY THE PUBLIC
- EE partners with British Academy Games Awards for the third year and introduces an all-new publicly voted category to the Awards: the new EE Game of the Year Award
- The UK’s number one network for gaming will give fans at home the opportunity to have their say and vote for their favourite game
- The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday 23rd February 2021, when voting will open to the public, with the award announced at the virtual ceremony on 25th March 2021
- Nominations for all other categories at the BAFTA Games Awards will be announced Tuesday 2nd March
A brand new award, which will be the only category to be voted for by the public, is being introduced to the British Academy Games Awards 2021.
BAFTA and EE will give the public the chance to vote for their favourite game of the year, with the introduction of the all-new EE Game of the Year category. Brought to fans by EE, the UK’s number one network for gaming, the new award will be decided by the global community of games fans from a shortlist of the biggest titles, before being revealed at the BAFTA Games Awards.
The jury panel, comprised of games experts*, and chaired by Dr Jo Twist OBE, chair of the BAFTA Games Committee, met via video conference to deliberate, debate and decide upon the six nominees from a longlist of games. The hotly contested shortlist will be announced later this month, as the vote opens to the public.
Kieran Holmes-Darby, EE Game of the Year juror and Co-Founder & CGO at EXCEL ESPORTS, said: “I am thrilled to join the jury for the first ever EE Game of the Year Award. Over the past year, we’ve seen more people than ever playing video games and getting in on the action. It’s great that gaming fans have a voice and are able to choose the title that pushed all the right buttons for them this year.”
Emma Baehr, Executive Director of Awards & Content at BAFTA said: “We are delighted to be working with EE once again on the BAFTA Games Awards in 2021, this year working together to bring an exciting new category to the ceremony. Games have been an ever-increasing popular art form in supporting and entertaining the nation throughout the lockdown period and we’re looking forward to handing the reigns over to the public to vote for their favourite in the EE Game of the Year Award.”
Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at BT and EE, said: “More so than ever, gaming has provided entertainment, escapism and connection over the last year during what has been a tricky time. With that in mind, we’re thrilled to be giving the public their say in selecting this year’s EE Game of the Year Award. As the UK’s number one network for gaming, we’re in the business of keeping our customers a step ahead and connected to the things that they love most – and this year, fans will be closer to the award than ever before, with the power to vote for their favourite game of the year”.
The EE Game of the Year nominees will be announced on Tuesday 23rd February 2021, at which point public voting will open. The winner will be announced at the BAFTA Games Award on Thursday 25th March 2021.
For more information, please contact M&C Saatchi Talk on ee@mcsaatchi.com
Rankings based on the RootMetrics® UK RootScore® Reports H2 (Jul-Dec) 2020
EE Game of the Year Award Jury Panel
Kieran Holmes-Darby, Co-Founder & CGO at EXCEL ESPORTS
Aoife Wilson, Writer, video producer and presenter at Eurogamer
Blessing Adeoye Jr., Host and Producer at Kinda Funny
Elle Osili Wood, video game presenter and journalist
Jane Douglas, Writer, video producer and presenter at Outside Xbox
Kirk McKeand, Editor at The Gamer
Ryan Brown, Writer and PR at Super Rare Games
Mike Diver, Head of Content at GAMINGBible
About EE
EE runs the UK's biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast connections in more places than any other operator. EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012, and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.
EE has received extensive independent recognition, including being named the UK’s no.1 5G network by RootMetrics® in 2020 and 2021, and the UK's best network every year since 2014 for the following awards: The Mobile Choice Awards, The Mobile Industry Awards and by RootMetrics®.
As well as delivering mobile services to consumers, small and medium businesses, corporate customers and Government programmes, EE also provides home and business broadband using both 4G and fixed line connections.
EE is committed to being number one for service in the industry, and has nearly 600 shops across the UK. EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised as the UK’s Best Large Contact Centre by the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 and Welsh Contact Centre Awards 2019. EE was awarded The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work for in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named Best Employer 2018 by the European Contact Centre & Customer Service awards.
EE is part of BT’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK.
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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 working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru
For more, visit www.bafta.org.