Donna Langley, chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, will receive the BAFTA Fellowship at the EE BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, Feb. 22. The BAFTA Fellowship is the British Academy’s highest honor, recognizing “outstanding and exceptional” contributions to film, games or television.
“Born and raised on the Isle of Wight in the U.K., Langley is the first British woman to run a major Hollywood studio,” BAFTA said on Wednesday in unveiling the news. “More than 30 years on from arriving to Los Angeles with no industry contacts, today she oversees creative strategy, business operations, production, acquisitions, marketing, and distribution across all NBCUniversal entertainment programming.”
The BAFTA Fellowship will be presented to Langley for “her transformative leadership in the face of rapid change and disruption, sustained commitment to inclusion and pipeline building, and the strength of her relationships with creative partners who bring film and television to life, all of which have led her to become one of the most influential and respected figures in the entertainment industry,” BAFTA said.
Said Langley: “It is an incredible honor to be chosen as this year’s recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship. As a Brit, to be recognized by my home country, by my peers and fellow colleagues in the industry, is an absolute privilege. I wouldn’t be receiving this award without the indelible vision of the creative partners who have defined my career.”
BAFTA chair Sara Putt highlighted: “The first British woman to lead a major Hollywood studio, Dame Donna Langley‘s cultural impact has been exceptional. BAFTA is honored to celebrate Donna’s transformative studio leadership, and strength of her creative relationships, including the many now-iconic films she has brought to audiences around the world.”
Previous BAFTA Fellows include Helen Mirren, Mike Leigh, Sidney Poitier, Mel Brooks, Ridley Scott, Thelma Schoonmaker, Kathleen Kennedy, Ang Lee, Sandy Powell, and Samantha Morton. The 2025 recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship was Warwick Davis.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller One Battle After Another earned 14 nominations for the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, narrowly edging out Ryan Coogler’s vampire film Sinners with 13. Alan Cumming will host the awards ceremony at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London.
