The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has selected film executive Donna Langley to receive BAFTA’s highest honor, the Academy Fellowship, the organization announced on Wednesday.
The Fellowship will be presented during the 2026 EE BAFTA Awards on Feb. 22.
The honorary award recognizes an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television. Langley, who was born and raised on the UK’s Isle of Wight, is the first British woman to run a major Hollywood studio.
The chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, she has been responsible for backing zeitgeist defining movies such as “Get Out” and “Oppenheimer,” in addition to the “Fast & Furious,” “Bourne Identity” and “Despicable Me” franchises. Universal’s Focus Features released several of this year’s Oscar and BAFTA contenders, including “Hamnet” and “Bugonia.”
At the New Years Honors in 2020, Langley was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to film and entertainment.
“It is an incredible honor to be chosen as this year’s recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship,” Langley said in a statement. “As a Brit, to be recognized by my home country, by my peers and fellow colleagues in the industry, is an absolute privilege. I wouldn’t be receiving this award without the indelible vision of the creative partners who have defined my career.”
She continued, “BAFTA remains the gold standard of excellence in the U.K. for film and television, and I take great pride in working with so many local artists who are shaping the future of this business. I feel lucky every day to be part of this community.”
Sara Putt, BAFTA Chair, added: “The first British woman to lead a major Hollywood studio, Dame Donna Langley’s cultural impact has been exceptional. BAFTA is honored to celebrate Donna’s transformative studio leadership, and strength of her creative relationships, including the many now-iconic films she has brought to audiences around the world. We are immensely looking forward to presenting her with the BAFTA Fellowship.”
Previous BAFTA Fellowship recipients include Helen Mirren, Mike Leigh, Sidney Poitier, Mel Brooks, Ridley Scott, Thelma Schoonmaker, Kathleen Kennedy, Ang Lee, Sandy Powell and Samantha Morton. Warwick Davis received the honor at last year’s BAFTA Film Awards.
The 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards will air Feb. 22 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K., with U.S. coverage on E!.