Next week, the annual BAFTA Games Awards will be hosted, with many of the industry's best and brightest travelling to London's Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre, for a premium show where tons of promising awards and trophies will be handed out.
While many of these winning recipients will be determined on the day, BAFTA has revealed who will be given the highest possible honour at this year's show. The prestigious Fellowship will be handed out to Supercell's (Clash of Clans, among other mobile hits) CEO and co-founder, Ilkka Paananen, for his efforts in building up the studio into one of the most successful game developers in the entire world.
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip spoke about this decision, adding: "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."
Paananen has also issued a statement about receiving this honour, noting: "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."
In the past, the BAFTA Fellowship award has been handed to a slate of other video game titans, including Yoko Shimomura, Shuhei Yoshida, Siobhan Reddy, Hideo Kojima, Tim Schafer, and John Carmack.
As for when the BAFTA Games Awards will be held, the show is slated to take place on Friday, April 17. You can see all of the categories and nominees here.
