The youngest person to ever win a Bafta Award
Every year, awards are given to honour the best music and film industry talents, generating considerable buzz around who will win the coveted prizes and who will be snubbed. The Oscars remain the most anticipated awards show in Hollywood, although the Baftas are also held in high esteem, dedicating many categories to the achievements of British actors and filmmakers.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts was founded in 1947, with the first awards ceremony taking place two years later. There were only three categories at the 1st British Academy Film Awards, with Carol Reeds’ Odd Man Out winning ‘Best British Picture’, The Best Years of Our Lives winning ‘Best Picture from any source – British or Foreign’, and The World Is Rich receiving a Special Award.
However, since then, the ceremony has expanded considerably, with the Baftas introducing the British Academy Children’s Awards in 1996. In the history of the Bafta award ceremonies, several children have been commended for their contributions to television and cinema, setting world records in the process.
The youngest person to win a Bafta, according to the Guinness World Records, is Cherry Campbell, who was nine years old when she took home the award for ‘Best Performer’. She earned the prize for her portrayal of Katie Morag McColl in the CBeebies show Katie Morag, which aired between 2013 and 2015.
The show depicted Campbell’s character’s life on the fictional island of Struay, where she interacts with a variety of entertaining characters. Katie Morag has won two British Academy Children’s Awards for ‘Best Drama’ alongside a string of other accolades elsewhere, such as a Peabody Award, making it one of the most highly acclaimed children’s shows in recent years.
Campbell had never acted before, finding out about the role through a local newspaper. After successfully completing an audition, the budding actor landed the part, leading her to secure other roles in shows such as The Loch and Clique in the coming years.
Before Campbell earned the award in 2014, Harley Bird, the voice of the beloved animated cartoon Peppa Pig, held the record for the youngest Bafta winner. She was also nine when she won the ‘Best Performer’ award. Yet, at nine years and 186 days old, Campbell only just overtook her three years later.
Meanwhile, the oldest Bafta winner remains Emmanuelle Riva, who was given an award in 2013 at the age of 85. She won the prize, which happened to be ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’, for her performance in Michael Haneke’s Amour. The oldest living BAFTA winner is Anthony Hopkins, who won ‘Best Leading Actor’ in 2021 at the age of 83 after portraying a man with Alzheimer’s in The Father.
