BAFTA has launched a overview after its trustees have been accused of doubtless breaching UK charity regulation by accepting free visitor tickets to awards ceremonies.
Throughout BAFTA’s annual common assembly this week, Michael Pritchett, an unbiased movie producer who serves because the elected chair of BAFTA’s membership council, raised issues about whether or not trustees broke guidelines that forestall them from receiving remuneration or advantages.
Pritchett alleged that trustees had acquired complimentary tickets for themselves and a visitor at BAFTA’s movie, tv, and video games awards, in keeping with a transcription of his remarks seen by Deadline. He claimed that the customized had been ongoing for as much as 20 years, with company receiving top-table tickets doubtlessly value as much as £2,000 ($2,665) for the movie awards.
Pritchett — who mentioned he had been privately elevating issues with BAFTA officers for months — added that trustees permitted accounts, which state that no trustees acquired any remuneration throughout the 12 months for his or her providers.
Talking on the AGM, Pritchett mentioned he had paid for authorized recommendation at his personal expense, which concluded that “offenses below the Charities Act and the Firms Act are more likely to have been dedicated by the trustees who permitted these accounts.”
Pritchett additionally raised questions over whether or not BAFTA had correctly paid tax on the tickets. “Since 2016, a profit like that is more likely to have been taxable, with Nationwide Insurance coverage payable by BAFTA. BAFTA has not informed me that something has ever been reported. So I can’t guarantee you whether or not it has or hasn’t,” he mentioned.
BAFTA stopped providing plus-one tickets to trustees final 12 months following a suggestion from its governance committee. It has now launched a overview of ticketing preparations, which is being led by a bunch of three unnamed trade executives.
A BAFTA spokesperson mentioned: “Trustees of BAFTA are invited to attend occasions in a working capability, representing the Academy in an ambassadorial position, and previous to 2025 they may additionally deliver a ‘plus one’ visitor to accompany them.
“In 2025 BAFTA determined to overview its visitor tickets preparations and discontinued the long-standing customized and apply of trustees inviting a plus one. The board has since established an unbiased overview group to think about the historic visitor ticket association – the overview is underway.”
BAFTA stands by the apply of providing trustees themselves free tickets, believing it’s a part of their duties to attend occasions and act as ambassadors for the charity. BAFTA’s trustees, who present their providers voluntarily, embrace new chair, Hilary Rosen.
Pritchett was additionally important of BAFTA’s refusal at hand over data of who had acquired free awards tickets. He mentioned his request was refused by a senior BAFTA govt, with “no coverage cited.”
In the course of the annual common assembly, Sara Putt, BAFTA’s former chair, revealed that the Academy had obtained its personal authorized recommendation primarily based on a fuller image of the ticketing subject. This has not been shared with Pritchett or different members.
Pritchett informed members: “Final 12 months, you paid £4.7 million in membership charges. The data belong to the charity that you just subscribe to. And if the individual you elected will be refused these data, citing no rule, then the fitting to see something is gone perpetually. Not only for me, however for anybody who holds this workplace after me.”
He concluded: “I might merely now say to any trustee sooner or later, as I’d say to any trustee of any charity: Will you obey the regulation, pay any taxes due, and pay again something that’s due? Appropriate the accounts, open the data to the committee as the principles require.”
The Guardian first reported on the occasions at BAFTA’s annual common assembly.
