An animation studio founded by three BU graduates is to receive a BAFTA Special Award in recognition of its social and cultural impact.
The award for Blue Zoo Animation Studio recognises its 25-year legacy since being founded by classmates from BU’s National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) – Tom Box, Adam Shaw and Oli Hyatt, MBE – in 2000.
The studio has since grown to become the UK’s largest producer of children’s and family content, with shows including Pip and Posy and The Adventures of Paddington, and its Alphablocks and Numberblocks series which help pre-schoolers to develop literacy and numeracy skills. The studio was the first to achieve B Corp certification, reflecting its commitment to social and environmental responsibility, and its founders have campaigned for social issues affecting young people and for greater investment in industry training.
The BAFTA award will be presented during an event and celebratory lunch on Monday 8 December.
Oli Hyatt MBE, co-founder and managing director of Blue Zoo, said: “Receiving a BAFTA Special Award is a profound honour. From the start, we’ve believed animation can do more than raise a smile - it can teach, empower, and build lovable worlds that matter to children and families everywhere. It’s a huge pat on the back for Blue Zoo, our fantastic staff, our clients, and, by extension, to the wider animation community. This award is as much for them as it is for us. Twenty-five years ago, we were just three lads sitting under the stairs of the student union bar, discussing setting up an animation company. We could have only dreamed of moments like this. We hope the award isn’t just a nod to our past, but it’s a cheer for what we do next at Blue Zoo. We’ll keep giving back, and we’ll keep speaking up for children and for our sector, but most of all, we will keep making high-quality content that inspires and entertains.”
Tom Box added: “My time at Bournemouth University was instrumental in giving me the skill, inspiration and opportunity to collaborate, which was the catalyst to starting Blue Zoo, and 25 years later, I am so proud of all we have been able to achieve and the bigger impact it's had. Along the way we have employed many BU graduates who have been pivotal to our success.”
BAFTA’s Board of trustees makes a select number of Special Awards each year to individuals and teams that have made a significant cultural and social impact. Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said: “Blue Zoo’s work exemplifies the very best of the screen arts – innovation with impact, and entertainment with purpose. For an incredible 25 years, Blue Zoo has created worlds that educate and empower, reflecting the diversity of modern childhood and proving that animation can be a powerful tool for learning, laughter and lasting change. We are delighted to honour a studio that champions inclusivity and imagination at every level of production.”
BU’s National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in computer animation and visualisation. NCCA alumni have gone on to work for leading animation studios around the world and contributed to Oscar-winning films and BAFTA-winning productions.
