British Association for Screen Entertainment announce BASE Award winners

Last Night, the 44th annual BASE Awards returned to Camden’s iconic Roundhouse, celebrating another year of success, talent, hard work and resilience across the £4.9bn UK Home Entertainment Industry.

The British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE) hosted nearly 600 colleagues and presented 52 awards across 36 categories celebrating achievements across UK entertainment. 

The coveted Distributor of the Year award was presented to Warner Bros. Discovery for the second consecutive year, following the huge commercial and critical success of the 2023 Biggest Title of the Year across all formats, BARBIE.

2023 Title of the Year for Ownership was awarded to The Walt Disney Studios title AVATAR: THE WAY of WATER, while the sought-after Campaign of the Year for Film – Over £16m Box Office Award was won by Lionsgate UK for their work on the inimitable JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4.

Evergreen fan favourite Doctor Who helped BBC Studios secure Independent Label of the Year – Physical, while super-indie Lionsgate UK took home Independent Label of the Year – Digital.

Physical Retailer of the Year was won by hmv after another resurgent year that saw them reclaim their prime retail spot at 363 Oxford Street. 

Digital Retailer of the Year was awarded to Amazon Prime Video, recognising their huge contribution to the UK Home Entertainment Industry.

Campaign of the Year for Catalogue – Multiple Product was awarded to Universal Pictures for their innovation in the Universal Special Edition Strategy 2023.

Campaign of the Year for Film: £8m – £16m was awarded to Sony Pictures Entertainment for their work on the thrilling 2023 title THE EQUALIZER 3.

Commercial Initiative of the Year was awarded to Official Charts for their innovative service Official Charts Video Online 2.0.

Agency of the Year was snapped up for a second consecutive year by the UK and LA-based creative audio-visual content agency Silk Factory.

Best in Class – Technical Operations was awarded to Deluxe for their American Sign Language initiative, an innovative approach to film accessibility for Deaf audiences.

Script to Screen, an award that celebrates overcoming adversity and challenges to ensure a title reaches the screen, was awarded to Picnik Entertainment & Relsah Films for their title VINDICATION SWIM. 

The People’s Choice Awards were again voted for by both the industry and the general public. The Hidden Gem Award, celebrating the title that best captured the audience’s imagination irrespective of commercial performance, and sponsored for the second year running by Discussing Film, found a worthy winner in STUDIOCANAL’s PAST LIVES. Entertainment Moment of the Year, celebrating a pivotal moment in visual entertainment across all channels and formats, and sponsored for the first time by EPSON went to ITV Studios / Spirit Entertainment for the incredibly popular MR BATES vs. THE POST OFFICE.

A high point of the night was the presentation of two new awards: the BASE & DEGI Hedy Lamarr Inspirational Women in Entertainment: Rising Star Award, and Inspirational Leader Award. The Inaugural Rising Star Award was presented to Johanna Beaven, Marketing Manager at NBCUniversal, who will also receive coaching from entertainment industry expert former Chair of the British Independent Film Awards Advisory Board Monica Chadha.

The BASE & DEGI Hedy Lamarr Inspirational Women in Entertainment: Leader Award was presented by Liz Bales (CEO, BASE), Rob Marsh (Sony Pictures, BASE Chair), and Johnnie Thompson (The Walt Disney Company, DEGI Co-Chair) at the beginning of the event to Marie-Claire Benson, EVP, Head of MPG, Lionsgate UK, Anna Godas, CEO at Dogwoof, and Helen Parker, EVP, Universal Pictures Content Group.

The BASE Category Hero awards returned, recognising the hard work and dedication of individuals in the industry, focusing this year on Positive Impact, Leadership, Creative Excellence, and Sales & Operations. Across the night, 15 individuals from a range of agencies, platforms, and studios were celebrated. Positive Impact was awarded to David Paget (Warner Bros. Discovery), Irene Tobajas (Amazon Prime Video), and Richard Ayres (Visual Data). Leadership was awarded to Chris Austin (Official Charts), Ipar L’Aimable (OC), John Partridge (Universal Pictures), Andrew Stewart (Amazon Prime Video), Paul Newton (Sky Store) and Jeremy Enos (Paramount Pictures). Creative Excellence was awarded to Matt Armstrong (OC), Simon Day (Sony DADC), Stephen White (Universal Pictures International Entertainment), John Partridge (Universal Pictures), Jonathan Mullenger (Visual Data) and Riana Barrow (Amazon Prime Video). Finally, Sales & Operations was awarded to Rob Spink (NBCUniversal) and Jonathan Mullenger (Visual Data).

The awards welcomed popular new partners and sponsors Tom Savano Cocktails, G Spot Drinks, and The Hummingbird Bakery, and established favourites Birra Moretti and The Uncommon Sparkling Wine, who kept the crowd happily refreshed for another year. Additionally, the BASE Awards welcomed back its Charity Sponsor, Action for Children, with £10 from each ticket sold donated to their cause, raising over £5,500.

Entertainment came from the award-winning Twisted Time Machine, ensuring another night of shock and surprises, showcasing a fantastic tribute to the Title of the Year, BARBIE. A NOW YOU SEE ME-inspired tribute celebrated Lionsgate UK’s win as 2023 Independent Label of the Year – Digital, and a tribute to BBC Studios as the winner of 2023 Independent Label of the Year – Physical with a performance inspired by THE APPRENTICE. Twisted Time Machine dedicated an AVATAR-inspired performance for our Title of the Year – Ownership, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, with the final performance inspired by our 2023 Distributor of the Year, Warner Bros. Discovery, and their title FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA.

Liz Bales, Chief Executive at the British Association for Screen Entertainment, said: “I’m so proud of the BASE team for delivering another fantastic BASE Awards for this incredible community of entertainment. It was a night packed with highlights for me, just one of which was awarding the first ever BASE and DEGI Hedy Lamarr awards to four amazing women in our industry, in the knowledge that BASE has been able to attach ongoing mentoring and coaching for all the nominees in the Rising Star category. Last night was quite rightly a huge celebration of collective and individual achievement. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees – I’ll see you all next year!” 

Rob Marsh, Vice President, International Account Management / Sales, & UK Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Chair at the British Association for Screen Entertainment, said: “Serving as Chair of BASE is an honour, and it was fantastic to be able to stand alongside Liz at the Awards and thank everyone in the room for their contribution to an amazing, vibrant industry. I feel so privileged to work with so many talented colleagues who share my enthusiasm and aspirations for the UK Home Entertainment industry. The collective effort, highlighted by the incredible winners at the Awards this year, will continue to push us towards even greater achievements in the future.”

The Full List of 2024 BASE Awards Winners:

Agency of the Year (Sponsored by BDSWest10)

Winner: Silk Factory

Audience Engagement Initiative of the Year (Sponsored by Sony Pictures)

Winner: Sky Store VIP Movie Night In

Best in Class – Bonus Features

Winner: The Wicker Man (STUDIOCANAL & Digital Factory)

Best in Class – Blu-ray (incl. Blu-ray 4K)

Winner: The Exorcist 50^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – (Warner Bros. Discovery, Westrock & Bloomsbury Publishing)

Best in Class – Insights

Winner: Video Online 2.0 (Official Charts)

Best in Class – Packaging & Artwork

Winner: Gladiator – Titans of Cult (Universal Pictures & Scanavo)

Best in Class – Social / PR

Winner: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures & DnA PR)

Best in Class – Technical Operations (Sponsored by The Walt Disney Company)

Winner: American Sign Language (Deluxe)

Best in Class – Video Asset

Winner: The Sidemen Story – Main Netflix Trailer (OC & Pangaea Group)

Campaign of the Year for Catalogue – Single Product (Sponsored by WLP Vision)

Winner: The Exorcist 50^th Anniversary 4K Remaster (Warner Bros. Discovery)

Campaign of the Year for Catalogue – Multiple Product (Sponsored by WLP Vision)

Winner: Universal Special Edition Strategy 2023 (Universal Pictures)

Campaign of the Year for Independent Film (Sponsored by BIFA)

Winner: Rise of the Footsoldiers: Vengeance (Signature Entertainment)

Campaign of the Year for Film – Up to £8m Box Office (Sponsored by Snakes and Ladders)

Winner: Evil Dead Rise (STUDIOCANAL)

Campaign of the Year for Film – £8m-£16m Box Office

Winner: The Equalizer 3 (Sony Pictures)

Campaign of the Year for Film – Over £16m Box Office (Sponsored by OC)

Winner: John Wick 4 (Lionsgate UK)

Campaign of the Year for Specialist (Sponsored by Action for Children)

Winner: Breaking Olympia: The Phil Heath Story (Universal Pictures Content Group)

Campaign of the Year for TV

Winner: The Walking Dead Season 11 & 1-11 Boxset (Universal Pictures)

Creative Initiative of the Year (Sponsored by Universal Pictures)

Winner: Sky Store Barbie Campaign (Sky Store)

Commercial Initiative of the Year (Sponsored by Lionsgate UK)

Winner: Official Charts Video Online 2.0 (Official Charts)

Digital Retailer of the Year (Sponsored by STUDIOCANAL)

Winner: Amazon Prime Video

Physical Retailer of the Year (Sponsored by Spirit Entertainment)

Winner: hmv

Script to Screen

Winner: Vindication Swim (Picnik Entertainment & Relsah Films)

Social Impact (Sponsored by BBC Studios)

Winner: 20 Days in Mariupol – Awareness Impact Action (Dogwoof)

Winner: NBCUniversal x The Prince’s Trust – Million Makers 2023 (Universal Pictures)

People’s Choice Award: Hidden Gem (Sponsored by DiscussingFilm)

Winner: Past Lives (STUDIOCANAL)

People’s Choice Award: Entertainment Moment of the Year (Sponsored by EPSON)

Winner: Mr Bates vs. The Post Office – Helps the Real-Life Victims (ITV Studios / Spirit Entertainment)

2023 Distributor of the Year (Sponsored by Official Charts)

Winner: Warner Bros. Discovery

2023 Independent Label of the Year – Digital (Sponsored by Official Charts)

Winner: Lionsgate UK

2023 Independent Label of the Year – Physical (Sponsored by Official Charts)

Winner: BBC Studios

2023 Biggest Title of the Year – Across all formats (Sponsored by Official Charts)

Winner: Barbie (Warner Bros. Discovery)

2023 Title of the Year Ownership (Sponsored by Official Charts)

Winner: Avatar: The Way of Water (The Walt Disney Company)