Bafta trustees may have broken charity law

Michael Pritchett told members at Bafta’s annual general meeting that the organization’s trustees likely committed legal offenses by accepting free tickets for guests at its awards ceremonies. The chair of the membership council presented legal advice obtained at his own expense to support this claim.

The legal counsel stated that offenses under the Charities Act and Companies Act were likely committed by the trustees who approved the organization’s accounts. Those accounts explicitly stated that no trustees had received remuneration or benefits, a direct contradiction of the practice Pritchett described.

Trustees received complimentary tickets for themselves and one guest at the film, television, and games awards. This practice may have continued for as long as 20 years. Pritchett noted that the guest tickets were top-table seats. At the film awards, a second ticket sells for £2,000.

Bafta’s governing document prohibits trustees from receiving remuneration or other benefits from the academy. The charity’s accounts for 2024 and 2025, along with its public register, all declared that trustees received no payments or benefits. Pritchett said he did not seek out these findings but discovered them while performing his duties for the membership council.

Pritchett also raised concerns about tax liabilities. He stated that these benefits were likely taxable starting in 2016. This could mean Bafta owes national insurance payments. He could not confirm whether the arrangement was ever reported to relevant tax authorities.

Sara Putt, the outgoing chair of Bafta, said the board ended the guest ticket practice in 2025. This decision followed a recommendation from the governance committee. An independent review group is now examining the separate guest ticket and accounting matters. Putt assured members the board would provide updates in the future.

Bafta trustees are volunteers who attend awards ceremonies to host tables and act as ambassadors for the academy. Guest tickets were a longstanding custom from a period of lower demand for awards tickets. Pritchett criticized a senior executive for refusing to provide records of who received the complimentary tickets, despite committee terms allowing such requests.

Members paid £4.7 million in fees to Bafta the previous year. Pritchett told them the records belong to the charity they support. He called on trustees to pay any taxes found due, repay any money owed, and correct the accounts. Putt responded that if the board were told to pay those taxes, they would absolutely do so.