BAFTA’s decision-making process has been called into question by the producer of End Of The F***ing World, after he was denied the chance to buy a trophy.
The Channel 4 and Netflix show scooped the coveted best drama series prize at the BAFTA TV Awards last month, while Naomie Ackie won for best supporting actress.
However, producer Dominic Buchanan, whose show is produced by Dominic Buchanan Productions and Clerkenwell Films, has revealed that, due to the organisation’s prize-giving rules, his joy at winning quickly turned to sadness.
Upset: BAFTA’s decision-making process has been called into question by Dominic Buchanan, the producer of End Of The F***ing World, after he was denied the chance to buy a trophy
Penning an open letter, which was shared on Twitter on Monday, Buchanan revealed that just four names can be put forward for best drama series: a writer, a director, a producer and an executive producer.
For the 2018 ceremony, Clerkenwell Films executive producer Ed Macdonald’s name was put forward, but when the company asked if Buchanan could be included their request was denied.
Macdonald was out forward once again in 2020, with Buchanan explaining in his open letter: ‘To give you an insight into my thinking, as long as my production company is named, all should be OK if we win, right?’
But days after the awards, when Buchanan discovered that delivery of the masks would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he contacted BAFTA to ask if he could be directly sent a mask as his production company was named as a winner.
Wrote Buchanan: ‘I took it upon myself to message the BAFTA rep and ask if they would be sending me a copy of the award directly, since my name and company, “Dominic Buchanan Productions” is the co-producer with Clerkenwell.
‘A few days of no response and then, seven whole days after the awards themselves, and a couple days after I emailed BAFTA, I got the fateful email response, in short: I would not be receiving the famed mask award because the rules stipulate only the four people who were named in the entry would be.’
He added: ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes, they wouldn’t even allow me to buy a copy, much like the RTS Award, or the Peabody award that I have sitting in my flat.
Support: The open letter garnered an outpouring of support from a number of individuals on Twitter, including Destiny Ekaragha, who has directed four episodes
‘This prestigious BAFTA prize that I had apparently won, maybe I really didn’t? Oh, but I could purchase a winners certificate if I wanted that instead?!’
Buchanan was instead informed that he could purchase a certificate, as rules state that BAFTA does not issue replicas of the coveted award.
Continuing to share his reaction, Buchanan said: ‘Imagine the devastation of being me, with everything I have achieved, and now not being able to get a copy of the actual BAFTA Award my show won, that my production company, that yes albeit due to ego, my name is a part of.
‘Imagine the furthered trauma of being the only Black person on the entire eight-year journey for a successful show (only Kharmel Cochrane has been on the journey almost as long as me), and everyone who is going to get the physical BAFTA is white?
Winner: The Channel 4 and Netflix show scooped the coveted best drama series prize at the BAFTA TV Awards last month, while Naomie Ackie (pictured) won for best supporting actress
‘Was the decision to exclude me racist? No, I don’t need to reach for that, because that would be untrue. My white colleagues who will get their award actually deserve it.’
The open letter garnered an outpouring of support from a number of individuals on Twitter, including Destiny Ekaragha, who has directed four episodes of the show.
She wrote: ‘So, that Bafta that “we” won wasn’t as inclusive as I thought. Can’t say I’m surprised but it still kinda hurts.
‘Dominic Buchanan went through a madness to create TEOTFW, I went through a madness directing it. But. Same old, same old I guess…’
Sharing the letter on her Twitter account actress Louise Connolly-Burnham simply wrote: ‘Give Dominic Buchanan the BAFTA he deserves for TEOTFW.’
Chiming in: Twitter users both in the industry and outside of it chimed in with their opinions
Wrote a third supporter: ‘This is harsh…and The End of the F***ing World is so so great, both series. Absolutely deserved a BAFTA. But the limit on names who can win when we all know it takes a village…’
Meanwhile, another chimed in: ‘I massively enjoyed TEOTFW and have heard nothing but great things about Dominic Buchanan for a while now; he (and Destiny Ekaragha!) deserves the accolades he’s already won, and ought not be denied them. Conversations need to happen about how this outcome came to be.’
In response to the open letter, BAFTA said in a statement: ‘We would like to thank Dominic for raising his concerns as part of our ongoing review of the Film, Games and Television Awards, which scrutinises our processes, and for his ongoing contribution as a BAFTA member, which is hugely valued.
“Our current rules around candidates for nomination for the 2020 Television Awards are clear and the decision on who is put forward as a named representative of the Production Team is made by the entrant and not BAFTA.
‘In this instance, Dominic was not put forward in either 2018 or 2019 and no appeal was submitted through our appeals process at the point of entry.
‘We continue to review our rules and eligibility criteria each year, and as part of our ongoing review the number of candidates for nomination is one of the elements under consideration.’
Pandemic: Actress Naomie was among the many stars who took part in the awards’ first ever virtual ceremony last month, brought about due to the COVID-19 pandemic