Special BAFTA Craft Award for 'Game of Thrones'

The British Academy will honor HBO's fantasy series for “revolutionizing and pushing the boundaries” of television production.


The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTAs, will give a special award to Game of Thrones for the show's contribution to the art and craft of TV.


The HBO fantasy series will receive a special BAFTA at this year's British Academy Television Craft Awards on April 22 in honor of its “outstanding contribution to revolutionizing and pushing the boundaries” of TV production.


“This award recognizes and celebrates the excellent craftsmanship of the entire production team behind Game of Thrones,” said Krishnendu Majumdar, chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee. “The craft behind what is one of the most popular dramas of our time is nothing short of incredible, from the breathtaking location shots to the intricately designed costumes and set pieces, and not forgetting the level of detail from the makeup and prosthetics team to name a few.”


Actor John Bradley, who plays Samwell Tarly in the series, and his onscreen wife, Hannah Murray (Gilly), will receive the BAFTA award on behalf of the entire Game of Thrones production team.


Game of Thrones is also nominated in two categories for the British Academy Television Craft Awards, with Michelle Clapton nominated for best costume design; and Deborah Riley and Rob Cameron nominated in the category of best production design.


The series, which will kick off its final season next year, also has been a huge boon to the British industry, with much of the series filming across various locations in Northern Ireland and production headquarters located at Titanic Studios in Belfast since the pilot.


Game of Thrones executive producers D. B. Weiss and David Benioff, speaking on behalf of the entire production team, said: “This award makes us extremely happy on behalf of the people who actually earned it — all our brilliant, talented, hard-working department heads and crew. Many, many people work insanely hard to create any film or television show. They are creators every bit as much as actors, writers, producers or directors, and deserve to be recognized as such."