'Hades' won Best Game and the most accolades at the 2021 Bafta Games Awards.
In a typically unpredictable and surprisingly competitive Bafta Games Awards, the board was not swept–if anything, it might have been the most balanced ceremony in years. However, that’s not to say it was without some huge upsets, and a couple of massive snubs.
Hades was the big winner in the U.K.’s most prestigious gaming ceremony; the PC and Switch favorite took the Best Game honor and another four awards, from eight nominations. Despite being shortlisted for a record-breaking 13 prizes, The Last of Us Part 2 recieved just two Baftas, but it was partly redeemed by the public vote, which awarded it the EE Game of the Year.
Meanwhile, Ghost of Tsushima grabbed only one of its ten nominations–for Audio Achievement–and in turn won fewer awards than Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the hometown hero that claimed both Family Game and British Game gongs.
The 17th Bafta Games Awards were once again hosted virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic–the U.K. is still enduring its third nationwide lockdown. However, there were big changes to the new online-only format: new presenter Elle Osili-Wood, who brilliantly took care of proceedings from a professional stage, replaced ten-time host and comedian Dara Ó Briain, who valiantly hosted last year’s ceremony from his basement.
Elle Osili-Wood proved to be a fantastic host on the night.
This year’s Bafta Fellowship Award–the highest accolade given to an individual during the Games Awards–went to studio director at Media Molecule Siobhan Reddy, who was recognized for her advocacy for diversity, inclusion, and collaborative working culture. Her work includes 2021’s six-time Bafta nominee Dreams, which claimed the award for Technical Achievement on the night. She rightly followed 2020 recipient Hideo Kojima, who presented this year’s Best Game Design award to Hades.
On an entirely selfish level, the biggest personal shock was seeing Ori and the Will of the Wisps lose the award for Best Music, composed by the incredible Gareth Coker. As one of the best scores in a generation–never mind the last year–I was genuinely gutted to see it miss out. That said, I’m not as annoyed as the YouTube chat section was tonight, after it essentially classed TLoU2’s Best Game loss to Hades as a war crime.
Here are all the prize winners, in order of announcement.
2021 Bafta Games Awards winners
Best Game Design: Hades
Runners-up: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Astro’s Playroom, Ghost of Tsushima, Half-Life: Alyx, The Last of Us Part II
Best Original Property: Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
Runners-up: Carrion, Fall Guys, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, Spiritfarer
Best Performer in a Supporting Role: Logan Cunningham (Hades, Achilles, Poseidon, Asterius, Charon, and The Storyteller in Hades)
Runners-up: Carla Tassara (Judy Alvarez, Cyberpunk 2077), Jeffrey Pierce (Tommy, The Last of Us Part II), Patrick Gallagher (Khotun Khan, Ghost Of Tsushima), Shannon Woodward (Dina, The Last of Us Part II), Troy Baker (Joel, The Last of Us Part II)
An emotional and multi-talented Logan Cunningham accepted his award for his many voices on 'Hades'.
Best Evolving Game: Sea Of Thieves
Runners-up: Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Dreams, Fall Guys, Fortnite, No Man’s Sky
EE Game of the Year (public vote): The Last of Us Part II
Runners-up: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Warzone, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, Valorant
Game Beyond Entertainment: Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Runners-up: Before I Forget, Dreams, The Last of Us Part II, Spiritfarer, Tell Me Why
Audio Achievement: Ghost of Tsushima
Runners-up: Astro’s Playroom, Hades, Half-Life: Alyx, The Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Best Animation: The Last of Us Part II
Runners-up: Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Spiritfarer
Artistic Achievement: Hades
Runners-up: Cyberpunk 2077, Dreams, Ghost of Tsushima, Half-Life: Alyx, The Last of Us Part II
Technical Achievement: Dreams
Runners-up: Demon’s Souls, Doom Eternal, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Best Family Game: Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Runners-up: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Astro’s Playroom, Dreams, Fall Guys, Minecraft Dungeons
Best Debut Game: Carrion
Runners-up: Airborne Kingdom, Call of the Sea, Factorio, The Falconeer, Röki
British Game: Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Runners-up: Dreams, F1 2020, Fall Guys, The Last Campfire, Röki
Best Music: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Runners-up: Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, The Last of Us Part II, Ori and the Will Of The Wisps, Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Bafta Fellowship Award: Siobhan Reddy, Media Molecule
SIobhan Reddy was given the Bafta Fellowship Award in 2021.
Best Narrative: Hades
Runners-up: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, Ghost of Tsushima, Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Best Performer in a Leading Role: Laura Bailey (Abby, The Last of Us Part II)
Runners-up: Ashley Johnson (Ellie, The Last of Us Part II), Cherami Leigh (Female V, Cyberpunk 2077), Cody Christian (Cloud Strife, Final Fantasy VII Remake), Daisuke Tsuji (Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima), Nadji Jeter (Miles Morales, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales)
Best Multiplayer Game: Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Runners-up: Deep Rock Galactic, Fall Guys, Ghost of Tsushima, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Valorant
Best Game winner: Hades
Runners-up: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Ghost Of Tsushima, Half-Life: Alyx, The Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
2021 Bafta Games Awards winners by number of accolades
5: Hades (Game Design, Performer in Supporting Role, Artistic Achievement, Narrative, Best Game)
2: The Last of Us Part 2 (EE Game of the Year*, Animation, Performer in a Leading Role); Sackboy: A Big Adventure (Family Game, British Game); Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Game Beyond Entertainment, Multiplayer)
1: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Music); Ghost of Tsushima (Audio Achievement); Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition (Original Property); Sea of Thieves (Evolving Game); Dreams (Technical Achievement); Carrion (Debut Game).
*EE Game of the Year is not counted as a Bafta.
