Supercell CEO and co-founder Ilkka Paananen is the latest games industry figure who will be awarded the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship.
The award, which is the highest accolade that can be bestowed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, will be given to Paananen at the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards on April 17.
In 2010 Paananen co-founded Supercell, the Finnish mobile game development giant whose titles include Clash of Clans, Clash Royale and Brawl Stars. The company was bought by Tencent in 2016, where it was valued at €8.4 billion.
Paananen also co-founded the Ilkka Paananen Foundation in 2015, which aims to advance social and mental well-being among children, young people and families.
The BAFTA Fellowship is given to those who accomplish “outstanding achievements in the art forms of the moving image”. The first recipient was Alfred Hitchcock, who was given the honour in 1971.
Other recipients have included Charlie Chaplin, David Attenborough, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorcese.
In 2007, the Fellowship was given to a member of the games industry for the first time, with SimCity and The Sims creator Will Wright receiving the accolade.
Since then, other video game recipients have included Shigeru Miyamoto (the first Asian citizen to receive the award), Hideo Kojima, Nolan Bushnell, Peter Molyneux, Shuhei Yoshida, Gabe Newell, David Braben, John Carmack, Tim Schafer, Siobhan Reddy, Yoko Shimomura and Rockstar Games as a whole.
“Receiving the BAFTA Fellowship is an incredible honour,” Paananen said in a statement. “Looking at the names of previous Fellows, I see so many of my personal heroes – people whose work has inspired me and who I continue to look up to. Being included in their company is something I never could have imagined.
“Throughout my career, I have been extremely fortunate. But my greatest fortune, by far, has been the privilege of working with amazingly talented and passionate game developers over the past 25 years. They are the ones who create the magic. This award truly belongs to each and every one of them.”
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip added: “It is a real privilege to honour Ilkka with the BAFTA Fellowship this year. A visionary leader in games, he has built a globally influential company while championing creative collaboration and trust at every level.
“His deep respect and commitment to nurturing emerging talent and his ongoing support for young people reflect the very best of BAFTA’s values. We are delighted to celebrate his exceptional contribution to the industry and look forward to presenting him with this honour at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards with Google Play.”
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