Education charity Into Film has officially announced that acclaimed broadcaster, screenwriter, and bestselling children's author Konnie Huq will host the 2026 Into Film Awards. Scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the prestigious ceremony will take place at the ODEON Luxe in London's Leicester Square. The event stands as the UK’s largest national celebration of young filmmaking talent and film-based learning.
The glitzy afternoon ceremony is set to be a star-studded affair, with high-profile industry figures including Peter Capaldi, Bella Ramsey, Hayley Atwell, Jason Isaacs, Nick Frost, David Jonsson, and Blake Harrison appearing to present accolades. Huq, celebrated as Blue Peter’s longest-serving female presenter and a co-writer on the critically acclaimed anthology series Black Mirror, will oversee the distribution of awards across 13 diverse categories. These competitive fields include Best Animation, Best Documentary, Innovation in Filmmaking, and the highly anticipated Audience Choice Award.
"The Into Film Awards are an incredible celebration of young filmmaking talent from across the UK, and it’s a real honour to be presenting them," stated Huq. She highlighted that the platform offers individuals aged 5 to 19 an essential creative voice, allowing them to share personal experiences and educate wider audiences through cinema. The 2026 nominations pool consists of 27 short films selected from hundreds of nationwide entries. Submissions cover a profound array of contemporary issues, ranging from youth mental health and online safety to the lived experiences of Ukrainian refugees.
Supported by the BFI through National Lottery funding and sponsored by major studio partners including Warner Bros.
Discovery, Paramount, and Amazon MGM Studios, the event aims to showcase the next generation of British creative professionals. Nominated projects were evaluated by an esteemed industry judging panel featuring producer Barbara Broccoli and IMDb founder Col Needham. Into Film Chief Executive Fiona Evans expressed immense enthusiasm for Huq’s appointment, noting that her lifelong dedication to championing youth storytelling makes her the perfect host to honor these remarkable young filmmakers.
