Huw Edwards to keep BAFTA awards – but rules set to change

BAFTA will not revoke individual awards won by disgraced news presenter Huw Edwards, Sky News understands.

Edwards, 63, was given a suspended sentence in September after pleading guilty to three counts of “making” indecent images of children.

A review of his seven BAFTA Cymru presenting awards was launched earlier this year.

Now, in a letter sent to members seen by Sky News, chair Sara Putt has announced a forfeiture process will be introduced from 2025, with guidance on what circumstances would lead the academy to consider revoking a competitive award.

These will include entries proven to have used duplicitous and/or illegal methods in the course of making the work, and also winners who are later convicted of a serious criminal offence resulting in a prison sentence, whether suspended or not.

In her letter, Ms Putt said it would be “impossible” to apply these criteria retrospectively as the awards span the last 78 years.

“Where would we reasonably draw the line?” she asked. “Would we choose to only look back one, five or 50 years? We agreed it would be impossible to do this properly.”

She said the organisation had been “shocked” by Edwards’ arrest and subsequent conviction, and that it had raised “deeply complex questions” about whether historic awards won in competition should be removed retrospectively.

In 2021, BAFTA suspended actor and director Noel Clarke’s membership and his then recently awarded outstanding contribution to British cinema gong, after allegations were made against him.

However, honorary awards such as BAFTA fellowships and special awards – and outstanding contribution prizes – can be revoked as they are gifted by the academy, which means they are not “won” in competition.

BAFTA has never rescinded a competitive award after presentation.

The review into competitive awards has concluded “there are exceptional grounds in which an award won in competition should be reviewed and possibly rescinded” and that BAFTA needs to provide more clarity – which is why the new forfeiture process will be introduced.

“No solution is perfect and there may be instances where the outcomes of this review are tested in the future, so we will review these principles and processes along with our other awards rules every year,” Ms Putt said.

Edwards won prizes for presenting at the BAFTA Cymru awards numerous times over the years, the first being in 2002 for his Election Exchange show.

The BBC also won a BAFTA in 2012 for its royal coverage of Prince William and Kate’s wedding, which was fronted by the Welsh presenter. It is understood the broadcaster will also keep this award.

Read more from Sky News:
Actor Timothy West has died, aged 90
Man jailed for loading illegal streaming services
Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? – 40th anniversary track revealed

During Edwards’ sentencing, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how he paid up to £1,500 to a paedophile who sent him 41 illegal images between December 2020 and August 2021, seven of which were of the most serious type.

Of those images, the estimated age of most of the children was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine.

As part of his sentence, he was told he must attend a sex offender treatment programme and 25 rehabilitation sessions.

He was also required to sign the sex offenders’ register for seven years and pay £3,128 in costs and a victim surcharge.