The Ember Awards 2026 - Terms and Conditions

The Ember Awards are presented by Screen Craft Guild Cymru, the trading name of SCREEN CRAFT GUILD Cyf.

 

1. General

1.1 The Ember Awards are administered by SCREEN CRAFT GUILD Cyf., trading as Screen Craft Guild Cymru (“the Guild”).

1.2 Submission of an entry or nomination constitutes agreement to these Terms and Conditions.

1.3 The Guild reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions where reasonably required to ensure fairness, eligibility, compliance or the effective administration of the Awards.

1.4 All decisions made by the Guild and its Committee are final.

 

2. Eligibility

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2.1 Eligibility Period

Television entries must have had a first UK transmission between:

1 April 2024 – 31 March 2026

For feature films, eligibility requires that the production has had one of the following within the qualifying period:

• UK theatrical release

• recognised festival screening

• UK broadcast

• UK streaming release

 

2.2 Entrant Eligibility — Main Craft Awards

Entrants for the main craft award categories must be current members of Screen Craft Guild Cymru at the point of submission and must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Welsh-born

• minimum of five years’ continuous residence in Wales

• the entrant identifies as Welsh 

• demonstrable connection to the Welsh screen industry

• entrant worked on a production that qualifies through Welsh production activity

Determination of eligibility is at the discretion of the Committee.

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2.3 Production Eligibility

Productions may qualify where a significant proportion of production has taken place in Wales.

For the purposes of these awards, a production will normally be considered Welsh-qualifying where more than 50% of principal photography has taken place within geographical Wales.

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The origin of production finance is not a determining factor.

Entrants may be required to provide evidence to support this, including:

• production schedules

• call sheets

• location breakdowns

• studio or facility usage

The Committee reserves the right to request further information where necessary.

 

2.4 Combined Eligibility Assessment

Entries may qualify through either entrant eligibility or production eligibility.

Where neither entrant nor production eligibility is sufficiently demonstrated, the entry may be deemed ineligible.

Where eligibility is unclear, the Committee may request further information and determine eligibility at its discretion.

 

2.5 Episodic Submissions Across Eligibility Periods

Where a television production is released episodically across more than one eligibility period, it may only be submitted once.

Entries may not be submitted in multiple years for the same work.

 

2.6 Short Form Definition

Short Form entries are defined as productions with a total running time of up to 40 minutes, including credits.

 

3. Award Categories

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3.1 Main Craft Awards

The Ember Awards include nine main craft awards across the following disciplines:

• Production Design

• Costume Design

• Hair & Make-up Design

 

The main craft awards include:

• six adaptive craft awards (two per craft/design discipline)

• three short form craft awards (one per craft/design discipline)

 

3.2 Adaptive Category Structure

The Ember Awards operate a flexible category structure. Categories are not fixed prior to entry.

Following submission, the Committee will determine categories based on:

• volume and type of entries

• format

• design approach

• scale and scope of production

• production resources and context, where provided

The aim is to ensure fair and equitable comparison between productions.

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3.3 Category Allocation

The Committee will assign entries to categories.

 

Entrants may provide contextual information, including budget, scale, schedule, team size, resources or production challenges.

This information:

• will be used solely for classification and eligibility purposes

• will remain confidential

• will not be shared with voting members unless otherwise stated

 

The Committee may:

• assign or reassign entries

• define or combine categories

• withdraw or amend categories where necessary

 

All decisions are final.

 

3.4 Classification Principles

Projects will be categorised based on scale and scope, informed by industry standards including PACT/BECTU banding where applicable.

 

Considerations may include:

• total production budget

• design department budget

• scale and complexity

• number of locations

• build requirements

• schedule

• team size and resources, where relevant

 

The Committee may take into account instances where work demonstrates exceptional creative achievement relative to its scale or resources when determining category allocation.

 

3.5 Co-Productions and Production Qualification

For co-productions or projects involving multiple territories, eligibility is based on production activity within Wales, not financing structure.

 

Where production is split across locations, the Committee will assess the scale and significance of Welsh-based production activity.

 

Entrants may be required to provide supporting evidence.

 

The Committee reserves the right to determine eligibility in all cases.

 

3.6 Minimum Category Threshold

A minimum of three eligible entries is required for a category to proceed.

 

Where fewer than three eligible entries are received, the Committee may combine, reassign or withdraw the category.

 

4. The Ember Award for Craft Ally

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4.1 Purpose

The Ember Award for Craft Ally recognises an industry professional working outside the Guild’s core craft departments who has shown meaningful commitment to championing craft, supporting creative teams, improving working relationships, and helping raise the visibility, respect and conditions of screen craft work.

 

4.2 Eligible Nominees

The nominee must work outside the Guild’s core craft departments of:

• Art / Production Design

• Costume

• Hair & Make-up

 

The nominee may work in any other industry role, including but not limited to:

• producer

• director

• showrunner

• executive producer

• line producer

• assistant director

• locations

• production

• broadcaster

• commissioner

• another industry role

 

The nominee does not need to be a Guild member.

 

4.3 Who May Nominate

Any current Guild member may nominate someone for the Ember Award for Craft Ally, including:

• Full Voting Members

• Associate Members

• Emerging Talent Members

 

Each Guild member may nominate one person for this award per year.

 

4.4 Nomination Requirements

Nominations should relate to work on a production eligible for the 2026 Ember Awards.

The nominator should have worked with the nominee, or had direct professional experience of their support for craft on that production.

 

Nominations must include:

• name of the nominee

• nominee role

• relevant production or industry context

• release date of the relevant production, where applicable

• written nomination statement explaining how the nominee has supported craft, creative teams, workplace culture, recognition, respect or conditions within the screen industries

 

4.5 Award Decision

The Ember Award for Craft Ally is not decided by membership vote.

 

Nominations will be reviewed by the Guild Committee, who will select the final award recipient.

 

The Committee’s decision is final.

 

The Guild reserves the right to determine eligibility for this award and to ensure that nominations align with the purpose and spirit of the category.

 

4.6 Recipient Notification and Announcement

The Guild may contact the selected recipient approximately two weeks before the Awards to inform them and confirm whether they are able to attend.

 

If the recipient confirms attendance, the Guild may publicly announce the recipient approximately one week before the Awards.

 

The recipient may be told who nominated them. Where more than one member nominated the recipient, the Guild may inform the recipient of the names of the nominators.

 

The Guild may invite one of the nominating members to present the award to the recipient on stage.

 

4.7 Use of Nomination Text

The Guild may edit nomination text for clarity, length and tone.

 

If the nominee becomes the award recipient, edited extracts from the nomination may be used in awards communications, website, press, social media, ceremony materials and related publicity.

 

5. Submission Requirements — Main Craft Awards

Each main craft award entry must include:

• clear identity of the individual or individuals credited for the work submitted and who will be recognised as the nominee

• written entrant statement, maximum 2400 characters

• up to 10 supporting images of the submitted work

• one hero image in 4:5 portrait format

• image credits, where required

• viewing link

• viewing password or access note, where required

• AI use declaration

• rights and permissions declarations

• entry payment

 

Only one episode per series may be entered. Where a series broadcast/ release crosses two awards years/periods, the series may only be submitted in one year.

 

Late entries will not be accepted.

 

Submitted material must remain accessible to voting members for the duration of the voting period.

 

The Guild reserves the right to deem an entry ineligible if sufficient access to the work is not provided.

 

Entrants are responsible for ensuring they have the right to submit all materials provided, including images, written statements, viewing links, supporting documents and any other materials submitted as part of the entry.

 

Where an entry is submitted by someone other than the credited entrant, the person submitting must confirm that they have the agreement and consent of the entrant.

 

Submitted images, statements, viewing links and supporting materials may be shared with eligible voting members for the purposes of awards judging.

 

If shortlisted or nominated, submitted images, production title, nominee names and submitted text extracts may be used by the Guild in awards communications, website, press, social media, ceremony materials and related publicity.

 

6. Voting — Main Craft Awards

Voting for the main craft award categories is conducted by Full Voting Members.

 

Voting is conducted in two rounds using a 3–2–1 points system unless otherwise determined by the Guild for a specific award category.

 

Round One determines nominees.

 

Round Two determines the winner from the nominees.

 

Voting members must:

• act with integrity

• avoid conflicts of interest

• vote only where sufficiently informed

 

Voting members should not vote in a category where they have a direct conflict of interest unless otherwise permitted by the Guild’s voting guidance.

Guild committee members are permitted entry to the awards and may also vote under the same awards rules as other guild members. 

All voting results are final.

 

7. Conduct & Integrity

Entrants and nominators must ensure that all submitted information is accurate and complete.

 

Entrants must not directly or indirectly campaign to voting members, including through the distribution of screeners, promotional materials or targeted communications intended to influence voting.

 

The Guild reserves the right to withdraw entries or nominations where information is found to be incorrect, misleading or incomplete.

 

The Guild expects all submitted work and nominations to reflect professional conduct and integrity.

 

The Guild reserves the right to:

• disqualify entries or nominations

• amend categories

• request further evidence

• act to ensure fairness

• refuse entries or nominations that do not meet required standards

 

8. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Submitted Work

Entries should represent work that is primarily conceived, designed and realised by the credited individual(s).

 

The Ember Awards are intended to recognise craft: the creative judgement, skill and authorship of the practitioner. Where the use of artificial intelligence has materially shaped or determined the final creative outcome, to the extent that it diminishes the role of the credited craftsperson, the work may not be eligible.

 

This includes, but is not limited to:

• work generated wholly or predominantly using AI tools

• the use of AI within the design, production or post-production process where it has significantly influenced the final creative result

• submitted images, artwork or supporting materials that have been wholly or predominantly AI-generated without clear declaration

 

All entrants must complete the AI declaration section of the entry form.

 

Where AI tools have been used, entrants must explain how AI was used, which part of the work it affected, whether the use was limited or substantial, and whether the use was the decision of the entrant, department, production company, studio, producer or another party.

 

The Guild may ask for further information about the creative process where needed, and eligibility will be determined on this basis.

 

The Guild reserves the right to deem an entry ineligible where AI use is considered to have materially shaped, generated or determined the submitted creative outcome in a way that diminishes the authorship or craft contribution of the credited practitioner(s).

 

Where relevant, the Guild Committee may include a factual note regarding declared AI use in the information shared with voting members.

 

9. Fees

Fees must be paid at submission and are non-refundable unless otherwise determined by the Guild.

 

An entry is not complete until both the entry form and payment have been received.

 

Entries without confirmed payment by the closing deadline may not be accepted.

 

10. Data & Confidentiality

All data will be handled in accordance with UK GDPR.

 

Any financial or production data submitted will remain confidential and used only for classification and eligibility purposes.

 

Information submitted as part of a Craft Ally nomination may be reviewed by the Committee and, where the nominee is selected as the recipient, edited extracts may be used in awards communications, website, press, social media, ceremony materials and related publicity.

 

The Guild may inform a Craft Ally nominee who nominated them if they are selected as the award recipient.

 

Non-financial information submitted as part of craft entries may be used in awards materials, including voting platforms, press communications, website, social media and ceremony outputs.

 

11. Revocation of Award

The Guild reserves the right to revoke, withdraw or amend any award, nomination or recognition where, in the opinion of the Committee, significant information comes to light that would have affected eligibility, selection, voting, or the standing of the award.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• proven misconduct

• criminal conduct

• serious professional misconduct

• actions that bring the recipient, the Guild, the craft disciplines or the wider industry into disrepute

• conduct that the Committee considers materially inconsistent with the values, integrity or purpose of the Awards

• information showing that an entry, nomination or award was based on false, misleading or incomplete information

 

Before revoking an award, the Guild will, where appropriate and practicable, review the matter and may invite the recipient to respond.

 

The Committee will determine whether revocation is appropriate. The Committee’s decision shall be final.

 

Where an award is revoked, the Guild may update public records, website materials, press materials, social media and ceremony records accordingly.

 

12. Final Authority

All decisions made by the Guild and its Committee are final.

The Guild reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions as required.