Julie Gardner and Mark Lewis Jones to be honoured at 2024 BAFTA Cymru Awards

BAFTA Cymru has revealed the Special Awards recipients for this year’s BAFTA Cymru Awards. 

The BAFTA Cymru Outstanding Contribution Award will be presented to former BBC Wales Head of Drama and producer Julie Gardner, MBE, who co-founded Bad Wolf in 2015. One of BAFTA Cymru’s highest honours, this year’s Award is presented to a Welsh individual who has made an outstanding contribution to Television, Film or Games.  

Early in Julie’s career, she co-produced Andrew Davies’ BAFTA-nominated modern retelling of Othello, which went on to win three prestigious Banff Film Festival awards – the Banff Rockie Award, Grand Prize and International Critics’ Prize in 2002. As Head of Drama at BBC Wales she produced the 2005 revival of Doctor Who, which she brought to Wales, with Phil Collinson and Russell T Davies, which also went on to win a Drama Series Award at the 2006 BAFTA Television Awards.  

In 2006, Julie produced Russell T Davies’ Doctor Who spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. At BBC Wales Drama, she oversaw several independent productions, including Life on Mars, Merlin, Ashes to Ashes, Stuart: A Life Backwards and Emmy winning Girl in A Café. 

In 2009, Julie relocated to Los Angeles from her native Glynneath to lead BBC Worldwide Productions and Adjacent Productions with Jane Tranter. 

They produced several series including an American adaptation of Getting On for HBO and Da Vinci’s Demons for Starz, which they launched in 2013, locating production in South Wales. Julie was the recipient of the Siân Phillips Award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards 2013.  

Julie and Jane launched Bad Wolf in 2015, with Julie now running Bad Wolf America.  

In 2020 Julie produced Lucy Prebble & Billie Piper’s I Hate Suzie for Bad Wolf, in association with Sky Studios. It was nominated for a Drama Series Award at the 2021 BAFTA Television Awards and, in 2023, received the Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Drama Mini Series; the RTS Television Award for Drama Writer and the TV Scholar Award for Best Lead Performance in a Comedy. Julie produced The Winter King last year for ITVX and MGM+ and National Television Awards-nominated, Red Eye for ITV.  

In the US, Bad Wolf America’s production debut Lady in the Lake, a limited series executively co-produced with Christopher Leggett and Layne Eskridge and starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram, written and directed by Alma Har’el, recently launched on Apple TV, with Fifth Season as the studio.   

In the US, Julie is in development on future projects with Sony, Legendary, Skydance and Fifth Season. In the UK, Julie is currently working on Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between The Land And The Sea. Written by Russell T Davies and Pete McTighe, this is a Bad Wolf production with BBC Studios. Julie is also currently preparing a second season of Red Eye. 

Doctor Who has received five BAFTA Cymru Awards nominations this year. 

 Julie Gardner MBE said: “Being the recipient of this prestigious Welsh award means the world to me, diolch BAFTA. From the moment I was given the job as BBC Head of Drama Wales in 2003, my mission was to bring projects into Wales The skills, passion, commitment and work ethic of people in Wales, is unbeatable.  

Actor Mark Lewis Jones, who has appeared in critically-acclaimed films and television dramas during his 38-year acting career, will become the eighteenth recipient of the Siân Phillips Award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards on 20 October 2024.  

The Siân Phillips Award, presented to a Welsh individual who has made significant contributions to film and/or television.  

Mark’s many appearances include Welsh dramas Stella, Keeping Faith, and Dal y Mellt, the first Welsh language series to feature on Netflix.  He is also known for globally recognised programmes The Crown, Gangs of London and Baby Reindeer. He is one of the stars of BBC drama Men Up, nominated in six categories at this year’s BAFTA Cymru Awards. 

Previous Siân Phillips Award recipients include: actress Rakie Ayola, director Euros Lyn, actor Rhys Ifans, writer Russell T Davies, actor Michael Sheen, actor Ioan Gruffudd and writer/actress/producer Ruth Jones.

Mark Lewis Jones said: “I am delighted to be honoured with this award, diolch BAFTA Cymru. I was born and bred in Rhosllanerchrugog near Wrexham and come from a family with no connection to the arts or creative industries but I was very fortunate to receive opportunities and support, for which I am very grateful. I fear that a young Mark Lewis Jones might not get the same opportunities that I did.

“Arts and culture are the backbone of our society and an integral part of our nation’s identity. The consequences of de-funding any arts organisations and initiatives are immeasurable.

“I feel especially honoured to receive this award in the name of someone who has shown such courage and tenacity throughout her extraordinary career and hope dearly that I will be able to use this platform to help and inspire others to realise their dreams.”

Angharad Mair, BAFTA Cymru Chair, said: “These two awards go to individuals of the highest calibre. Wales is proving once again that we not only have amazing talent in Wales, but that we’re creating work of the highest quality…Likewise, Julie has made a huge contribution here and internationally, and we are looking forward to honouring both Mark and Julie on 20 October.”

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Full list of Nominees for the 2024 BAFTA Cymru Awards 

ACTOR  

NCUTI GATWA Doctor Who – Bad Wolf / BBC Studios Productions / BBC One 

PHILIP GLENISTER Steeltown Murders – Severn Screen / BBC One Wales 

RHODRI MEILIR Pren ar y Bryn – Fiction Factory / S4C 

SION DANIEL YOUNG Slow Horses – See-Saw Films in association with Apple / Apple TV+ 

ACTRESS  

AIMEE-FFION EDWARDS Dreamland – Merman Television / Sky Atlantic 

ALEXANDRA ROACH Men Up – Boom Cymru / Quay Street Productions / BBC One 

ANNES ELWY Bariau – Rondo Media / S4C 

NIA ROBERTS Pren ar y Bryn – Fiction Factory / S4C 

BREAKTHROUGH CYMRU 

ALAW LLEWELYN ROBERTS Bariau – Rondo Media / S4C 

BETHAN MARLOW The Date – Candid Broads Productions 

DAISY BROWN Slammed: The Eighties – BBC Cymru Wales / BBC One Wales 

JANIS PUGH Chuck Chuck Baby – Artemisia Films Ltd / Delta Pictures  

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMME 

I WAS BULLIED – Yeti Television / CBBC 

NEWYDDION NI – BBC Cymru / S4C 

SER STEILIO – Yeti Television / S4C 

COSTUME DESIGN  

DAWN THOMAS-MONDO Steeltown Murders – Severn Screen / BBC One Wales 

HAYLEY NEBAUER Black Cake – Hulu / CBS UK Productions Ltd / Kapital Entertainment / Disney+ 

FFION ELINOR Pren Ar Y Bryn – Fiction Factory Films / S4C 

DIRECTOR: FACTUAL  

CARYL EBENEZER Siân Phillips Yn 90 – Rondo Media / S4C 

CHLOE FAIRWEATHER The Kidnap of Angel Lynn – Wonderhood Studios / Channel 4  

JENNY CASTERTON The Crash Detectives – BBC Cymru Wales / BBC One Wales 

JESS HOWE Strike! The Women Who Fought Back – Frank Films / BBC One Wales  

DIRECTOR: FICTION  

ASHLEY WAY Men Up – Quay Street Productions / Boom Cymru / BBC One 

EUROS LYN Heartstopper – See-Saw Films / Netflix 

LEE HAVEN JONES Passenger – Sister Pictures / ITV/ Britbox / ITV1 

MARC EVANS Steeltown Murders – Severn Screen / BBC One Wales  

EDITING  

DYLAN GOCH Firebombers – Zwwm / BBC One Wales 

JOHN RICHARDS Men Up – Boom Cymru / Quay Street Productions / BBC One 

SARA JONES The Way – Red Seam in association with Little Door Productions / BBC One 

TIM HODGES Doctor Who – Bad Wolf / BBC Studios Productions / BBC One 

ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME  

CÂN I GYMRU 2024 – Afanti Media / S4C 

CHRISTMAS WITH KATHERINE JENKINS – Afanti Media / BBC Two 

IAITH AR DAITH (WELSH ON THE ROAD) – Boom Cymru / S4C 

MAX BOYCE AT 80 – Afanti Media / BBC One Wales 

FACTUAL SERIES  

SIWRNA SCANDI CHRIS – Cwmni Da / S4C 

SLAMMED: THE EIGHTIES – BBC Cymru Wales / BBC One Wales 

WELCOME TO WREXHAM – NEO Studios for Boardwalk Pictures / FX/ Disney+ 

Y FRWYDR: STORI ANABLEDD – Cardiff Productions / S4C 

FEATURE/TELEVISION FILM  

BOLAN’S SHOES – Buffalo Dragon 

CHUCK CHUCK BABY – Artemisia Films Ltd / Delta Pictures 

MEN UP – Boom Cymru / Quay Street Productions / BBC One  

MAKE UP AND HAIR 

CLAIRE PRITCHARD-JONES Wolf – Hartswood Films / APC Studios / BBC One 

CLAIRE WILLIAMS Doctor Who – Bad Wolf / BBC Studios Productions / BBC One 

JAMES SPINKS Y Sŵn – Swnllyd  

PHOTOGRAPHY FACTUAL 

HAYDN DENMAN Siân Phillips Yn 90 – Rondo Media / S4C 

SAM JORDAN-RICHARDSON Legends of Welsh Sport: Jim Roberts – On Par Productions / BBC One Wales 

THEO TENNANT Frontier Town – Beehive Films Ltd 

PHOTOGRAPHY AND LIGHTING: FICTION  

BRYAN GAVIGAN Passenger – SISTER in Association with Northern SISTER / ITV 

SAM HEASMAN Wolf – Hartswood Films / APC Studios / BBC One 

SAM THOMAS Steeltown Murders – Severn Screen / BBC One Wales 

PRESENTER  

CHRIS ROBERTS Siwrna Scandi Chris – Cwmni Da / S4C 

LEMARL FRECKLETON Black Music Wales – Lazerbeam / BBC Two Wales 

RHOD GILBERT Rhod Gilbert: A Pain In the Neck – Kailash Films / Llanbobl Vision / Channel 4 

STIFYN PARRI Paid â Dweud Hoyw – Rondo Media / S4C  

PRODUCTION DESIGN 

CAROLINE STEINER Chuck Chuck Baby – Artemisia Films Ltd / Delta Pictures 

GERWYN LLOYD Pren Ar Y Bryn – Fiction Factory Films / S4C 

JAMES NORTH The Winter King – Bad Wolf / ITVX 

SHORT FILM  

BEING SEEN – On Par Productions 

FRONTIER TOWN – Beehive Films Ltd 

SMILE – Tremendos Films / Captain Howdy Films Ltd 

SPECTRE OF THE BEAR – CPE Productions / Ffilm Cymru Wales / BFI Network / BBC Cymru Wales  

SINGLE DOCUMENTARY 

PAID Â DWEUD HOYW – Rondo Media / S4C 

RHOD GILBERT: A PAIN IN THE NECK – Kailash Films / Llanbobl Vision / Channel 4 

SIÂN PHILLIPS YN 90 – Rondo Media / S4C 

STRIKE! THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT BACK – Frank Films / BBC One Wales 

SOUND 

SOUND TEAM Doctor Who – Bad Wolf / BBC Studios Productions / BBC One 

SOUND TEAM Men Up – Quay Street Productions / Boom Cymru / BBC One 

SOUND TEAM Wolf – Hartswood Films / APC Studios / BBC One 

TELEVISION DRAMA  

CASUALTY – BBC Studios / BBC One 

PREN AR Y BRYN – Fiction Factory Films / S4C 

STEELTOWN MURDERS – Severn Screen / BBC One Wales  

WRITER  

RUSSELL T DAVIES Doctor Who – Bad Wolf / BBC Studios Productions / BBC One 

MATTHEW BARRY Men Up – Boom Cymru / Quay Street Productions / BBC One 

MEGAN GALLAGHER Wolf – Hartswood Films / APC Studios / BBC One