BAFTA Trustees Accused of Potentially Violating Charity Law Over Free Ceremony Tickets

BAFTA trustees may have violated U.K. charity and company laws by accepting complimentary awards show tickets that were not disclosed in the organization’s financial accounts, according to allegations raised at the British Academy’s annual general meeting this week.

Michael Pritchett, chair of BAFTA’s membership council, said legal advice he commissioned suggested that trustees who approved the organization’s accounts may have committed offenses under the Charities Act and Companies Act, “The Guardian” reported Wednesday.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, which operates as a registered charity, previously allowed trustees to bring guests to its ceremonies, a practice that is said to have been in place for as long as two decades. The complimentary seats reportedly included premium tickets to the BAFTA Film Awards valued at up to £2,000 ($2,660).

Pritchett raised the concerns at BAFTA’s annual general meeting on Monday, arguing that the ticket arrangements conflicted with the organization’s governing rules, which prohibit trustees from receiving remuneration or other benefits from the charity.

The allegations also raise questions about BAFTA’s financial disclosures. The organization’s 2024 and 2025 accounts stated that trustees received no remuneration for their services, while its public register reported no payments or benefits.

According to Pritchett, the legal advice suggested that trustees who approved those accounts may have violated their obligations under U.K. law. He also questioned whether the complimentary tickets should have been subject to taxes dating back to 2016, potentially leaving BAFTA liable for unpaid National Insurance contributions.

Pritchett called for trustees to repay any money owed, settle outstanding taxes and correct the organization’s financial accounts if necessary. He also criticized a senior BAFTA executive for declining to provide records identifying which trustees had received a complimentary ticket.

BAFTA discontinued its longstanding guest-ticket policy in 2025 following a recommendation from its governance committee. The organization has since launched an independent review into the long-running arrangement.

BAFTA’s outgoing chair, Sara Putt, said the organization had already taken the steps to address the concerns and noted that Pritchett’s legal advice was based on limited information, while BAFTA’s own legal advisers had access to a more complete account of the circumstances.

“Trustees of BAFTA are invited to attend events in a working capacity, representing the Academy in an ambassadorial role, and prior to 2025 they could also bring a ‘plus one’ guest to accompany them,” a BAFTA spokesperson told Variety. “In 2025 BAFTA decided to review its guest tickets arrangements and discontinued the long-standing custom and practice of trustees inviting a plus one. The Board has since established an independent review group to consider the historic guest ticket arrangement – the review is underway.”