BAFTA Cymru Awards 2026 Celebrate the Strength of Welsh Screen Talent
Matthew Rhys, Gabrielle Creevy, The Guest, Y Golau: Dŵr and Y Crwydryn were among the winners as BAFTA Cymru celebrated another year of Welsh talent across film and television.
The Welsh screen industries took centre stage at the 35th BAFTA Cymru Awards, with actors, writers, directors, producers and craftspeople gathering at ICC Wales in Newport for one of the biggest nights in the country’s film and television calendar.
Hosted by Welsh television presenter Owain Wyn Evans, the 2026 ceremony presented 17 competitive awards alongside two Outstanding Contribution honours, recognising work spanning drama, documentary, factual programming, short film, children’s television and technical craft.
It was an evening which demonstrated not only the depth of established Welsh talent, but the increasingly broad range of productions and creative voices emerging from Wales.
Matthew Rhys and Gabrielle Creevy take acting honours
Matthew Rhys won the Actor award for his performance in The Beast in Me, securing his second BAFTA Cymru. Although Rhys was unable to attend the ceremony, the win added another accolade to a career which has taken the Cardiff-born actor from Welsh television to major international productions.
The Actress award went to Gabrielle Creevy for The Guest, marking her second BAFTA Cymru win in the category. Creevy’s success was part of a particularly strong evening for the production, with Matthew Barry also taking the Writer award for his work on the series.
The Guest was one of three productions to leave the ceremony with two awards. Welsh-language drama Y Golau: Dŵr won Television Drama, while Mali Evans received the Editing award for the series. Documentary Y Crwydryn also secured two trophies, winning Single Documentary and earning Rhys Edwards the Director: Factual award.
Mr Burton wins Feature/Television Film
For the film community, one of the evening’s key awards went to Mr Burton, which took the Feature/Television Film prize. Producers and filmmakers Ed Talfan, Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams collected the award.
The film tells the story surrounding the early life of Richard Burton and the relationship with teacher Philip Burton that helped shape his future. Its BAFTA Cymru success provides another reminder of the continuing appetite for Welsh stories capable of reaching audiences far beyond Wales itself.
The Short Film award went to Gofod Ymennydd – Brain Space, with Laura Tofarides and the production team celebrating the win, while Itopia took the Children’s Programme award.
Recognition across television and factual production
Elsewhere, Gareth Bryn received Director: Fiction for Karen Pirie, while Adam Scarth won Photography and Lighting: Fiction for Under Salt Marsh.
Amour A Mynydd was named Entertainment Programme, with Elin Fflur accepting the award, while Stori’r Iaith won Factual Series. Anna Marie Robinson received the News/Current Affairs Programme award for Foden: O Brifathro I Bedoffeil, and the Sound award went to Max Hughes, Aria Prayogi and Gareth Steel for Havoc.
Presenter Mari Grug received her first BAFTA Cymru award for the deeply personal Un Dydd Ar Y Tro, another example of the prominence of Welsh-language programming throughout this year’s awards.
Carol Vorderman honoured for contribution to television
Beyond the competitive categories, BAFTA Cymru also recognised two careers which have made substantial contributions to the industry.
Broadcaster and presenter Carol Vorderman MBE received the Siân Phillips Award for Outstanding Contribution to Television, one of BAFTA Cymru’s highest honours. Presented by Owain Wyn Evans, the award recognised Vorderman’s long career in British broadcasting and her impact on television.
Casting director Lauren Evans received the inaugural BAFTA Cymru Outstanding Contribution to Craft Award, presented by actor Sion Daniel Young. The introduction of the award also placed welcome emphasis on the many creative professionals working behind the camera whose contribution is fundamental to bringing productions to the screen.
A showcase for an increasingly important screen industry
The value of the BAFTA Cymru Awards extends beyond the trophies themselves. Wales has become an increasingly important part of the wider UK production landscape, combining established studios and production infrastructure with distinctive locations, bilingual storytelling and a substantial pool of creative and technical talent.
Perhaps more importantly, the awards provide visibility for the breadth of that community. Internationally recognised actors such as Matthew Rhys may attract headlines, but the same ceremony celebrates editors, cinematographers, sound teams, writers, documentary filmmakers and emerging creatives whose work is less frequently placed in the spotlight.
That combination was particularly evident in 2026. English and Welsh-language productions sat comfortably alongside one another, established names shared the evening with newer talent, and awards ranged from major television drama to short film and factual storytelling.
For filmmakers and television professionals across the UK, it is another indication that Wales should not simply be viewed as a filming location. It is a creative centre in its own right, producing stories, talent and technical expertise capable of travelling well beyond its borders.
As the images from Newport show, the BAFTA Cymru Awards remain a celebration, but underneath the red carpet and ceremony sits something more significant: a screen community with an increasingly confident identity and an important role within the future of British film and television.