BAFTA named 11-year-old Sam from Horsham a 2026 Young Presenter after live auditions in Piccadilly. He wins a year of interviews, events and industry mentoring.

An 11-year-old from Horsham has won BAFTA’s 2026 Young Presenters competition. He beat three other finalists in the 10 to 14 category after a day of live auditions at BAFTA’s headquarters on Piccadilly.

BAFTA names him only as Sam, and we have followed the academy in that (BAFTA announcement, 27 August 2026). He shares the title with Hana, 15, from Harrow, who won the 15 to 18 category.

The eight finalists were chosen from what BAFTA describes as hundreds of entries nationwide.

How it was won

Entrants submitted a film of no more than two minutes on this year’s theme, “This is My Place”. The eight who made it through were then put in front of a guest and asked to interview them live.

Sam interviewed the television presenter Angellica Bell about her career and her advice for younger presenters. BAFTA’s account of the judging says he showed “impressive confidence and natural warmth”. Hana interviewed the BBC Radio 1 film critic Ali Plumb.

The judging panel was made up of professionals from across the screen industries alongside members of the Young BAFTA Advisory Group, which was set up in 2023.

Bell said the finalists asked her “burning questions, from what emoji best represents me to what my talent show act would be”, and that it was “a joy to see how bright the future of presenting is”.

The full 2026 finalist list, as published by BAFTA:

  • 10 to 14: Elemie, 10, London; Kyle, 11, St Albans; Louis, 14, Twickenham; Sam, 11, Horsham (winner)
  • 15 to 18: Caitlyn, 18, Guildford; Hana, 15, Harrow (winner); Michalina, 16, Crewe; Noah, 16, Birmingham

What the title actually gets you

This is not a certificate and a handshake. Young Presenters join BAFTA’s presenting team for a year, front content for the Young BAFTA YouTube channel, appear at events around the country and receive industry mentoring.

Previous holders have interviewed Dame Judi Dench, Stormzy, Tom Hiddleston, Kit Connor and William Gao, and have fronted red carpet coverage at the EE BAFTA Film Awards with David Tennant and Cynthia Erivo. BAFTA says last year’s winners interviewed Jessie Buckley, Robert Aramayo, David Jonsson, Ryan Coogler and Aimee Lou Wood at the 2026 awards.

The competition has run since 2016 and has produced 15 Young Presenters in total. BAFTA’s list of past winners shows one a year from 2016 to 2019 and again in 2021, none for 2020, and two a year in the two age categories since 2022 (Young Presenters programme page).

Lisa Campbell, BAFTA’s executive director of programmes, said the standard of this year’s entries was “exceptional” and that Sam and Hana “stood out for the energy and originality, and humour”.

Why the competition is tied to a mental health charity

The competition launches each year during Children’s Mental Health Week, run by the charity Place2Be. 2026 marks ten years of the partnership between Place2Be and Young BAFTA, which began in 2016.

Place2Be provides mental health support inside schools. It says it currently runs an embedded service in more than 650 UK schools, reaching a school community of around 340,000 children and young people.

What it means for you

If your child wants to enter, the 2026 competition is closed, but the pattern is predictable and worth diarising.

  • Entry is open to anyone aged 10 to 18 living in the UK, with parental consent for under-18s, applying as an individual rather than as a pair or team.
  • You submit a film of no more than two minutes on a set theme, announced with the competition.
  • The competition launches during Children’s Mental Health Week, which Place2Be has confirmed runs from 1 to 7 February 2027 (Children’s Mental Health Week).
  • BAFTA also runs free Young Presenters workshops through the year, and a separate Young Game Designers competition.

The entry route and terms are on BAFTA’s Young Presenters page. It is a charity programme and there is no entry fee.

Closer to home, the town’s own screen and stage venue is due back later this year: we set out the dates for the Capitol’s reopening, and there is more for families in our guide to things to do in Horsham.

Sources