Bafta Trustees May Have Broken Charity Law Over Free Tickets to Ceremony

Bafta trustees may have violated charity and corporate law by accepting free tickets for guests at award ceremonies. This was stated by Bafta membership board chairman Michael Pritchett at the annual general meeting, reports The Guardian.

Bafta – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, is a British charity that presents annual awards in the fields of film, television, and video games and brings together professionals from these industries.

According to Pritchett, legal advice, personally paid for by him, indicates that violations may have been committed by trustees who approved the organization's reports stating that none of them received rewards or benefits. “I wasn’t looking for what I found,” he said. “I found it while doing the work you assigned me.”

He claims that trustees received free tickets for themselves and a guest at film, television, and game award ceremonies, potentially for up to 20 years. Guest tickets provided seats at the main tables, and the second ticket for the film awards was sold for £2,000.

Bafta's charter document prohibits trustees from receiving remuneration or other benefits. According to Pritchett, the reports for 2024 and 2025 claimed that trustees did not receive rewards, and the public register indicated no payments or benefits. “Lawyers believe that trustees who approved these reports likely committed violations under the Charity Act and the Companies Act,” he said.

Pritchett also raised the issue of tax obligations: such benefits are likely taxable since 2016, and Bafta may be required to pay national insurance contributions. He could not determine whether these schemes were reported to the authorities.

Outgoing Bafta chair Sarah Putt stated that the board decided to end the practice of guest tickets in 2025 on the recommendation of the governance committee. Ticket and accounting issues are being reviewed by an independent audit group, she added.

Bafta trustees are volunteers. They are invited to ceremonies in a working capacity: they host guests at tables and act as ambassadors for the academy. Guest tickets were a long-standing tradition. Pritchett criticized the Bafta leader's refusal to provide records of who received free tickets and urged to pay taxes, return money, and correct reports. Putt responded: “If we are told that these taxes need to be paid, we will certainly pay them.”