33% of BAFTA’s Young Game Designer finalists are female

The shortlist for BAFTA’s Young Game Designer competition is now online. Ten finalists have been selected for each of the four main categories, and the winners will be announced on July 8th at a special ceremony at BAFTA HQ in London.

Now in its sixth edition, this year’s competition, which has been organised in association with Nominet Trust, gives young game designers aged between 10-14 years and 15-18 years the chance to design and create their own game. The finalists come from across England, Scotland and Wales, BAFTA said in a statement, and one-third of the shortlist is female.

In addition to the four main awards, there are five educators in the running for the Young Game Designer Mentor Award, which is presented to an individual involved in the education of young game designers nominated by the public.

BAFTA will also be presenting a Young Game Designer Hero Award to Unity Technologies for its work in supporting young game designers.

Nick Button-Brown, chair of the BAFTA Games Committee, said: Each year I’m truly inspired by the amazing games that we see and the talent, creativity and enthusiasm that all our entrants show. I never fail to be humbled by how much better their work is than what I could do at their age.The entrants to this competition will help to define the future of the games industry, and I for one look forward to seeing what they come up with and playing their games.

BAFTA Young Game Designers also recognises those who inspire the next generation, and we’re delighted to honour the companies and teams within our industry that encourage people to get involved in making games, as well as the individuals who work tirelessly to inspire the next generation of games makers to achieve their dreams. The awards ceremony in July is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate with all the winners and finalists.”

Chris Ashworth, programme director at Nominet Trust, said: Nominet Trust are delighted to support BAFTA Young Game Designers for the third consecutive year. It’s a great opportunity for young people up and down the country to take part in, and be inspired by the games industry and for the sector itself to ignite an interest in STEM careers. Once again, we’ve been overwhelmed by the creativity and thrilled to see a sustained increase in the number of entries from girls.”

Jessica Lindl, Global Head of Education atUnity, said: "We are very grateful to BAFTA for this recognition. At Unity, we believe every young person should have the opportunity to learn how to become a creator, and not just a consumer, of technology. That’s why we invest so deeply in building a powerful and flexible engine that makes young people’s dreams a reality."