Molyneux becomes BAFTA Academy Fellow

Lionhead and Bullfrog co-founder Peter Molyneux has been named a recipient of the BAFTA Academy Fellowship. Molyneux is the second figure to be awarded the status this year, following actor Sir Christopher Lee.

He is but the fourth game-maker to be made a fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Previously, the plaudit has gone to Sims creator Will Wright (2007), Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell (2009) and Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto (2010).

Said BAFTA chief executive Amanda Berry OBE, "We are delighted to be honouring Peter at this point in his long and successful career in video games. He is one of the leading figures in the development of videogames as an art form and an inspiration to the next generation of creative minds."

The Populous, Theme Park and Fable co-creator observed that "I remember back in 1967 watching the first BAFTA awards on television with my family and seeing them being so excited about those accolades. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it would be possible for me to accept one of the greatest honours the entertainment industry has to offer.

"My first thought on learning that I was awarded an Academy Fellowship was that to be in the company of some of the greatest talents the entertainment industry has ever seen is truly humbling and secondly that this is an award not just for myself, but for all the people I've ever worked with."

In receiving the award, Molyneux joins a roster of famous names including Hitchcock, Spielberg and Bruce Forsyth.