BAFTA Award for Best Makeup and Hair

Overview

This category celebrates both cosmetic and creative craft: basic makeup, prosthetics, aging and character work, along with hairstyling that supports a film’s story and visual identity. The credited artists on a nominated film typically include department heads or key designers who led concept, application and on-set supervision.

Criteria and selection process

• Eligibility: films submitted for BAFTA consideration must meet the Academy’s eligibility rules for release and technical standards.
• Nomination and voting: members of the BAFTA film craft branches and wider voting membership participate in shortlisting and selecting nominees, with a final winner chosen at the awards ceremony.
• Evaluation: work is judged on creativity, technical execution, consistency across the film and how effectively makeup and hair support character and narrative.

History and development

The category reflects the long-standing recognition that makeup and hair are essential components of cinematic storytelling. Over time the award’s description has evolved to acknowledge both makeup and hair design as distinct but interdependent crafts. BAFTA’s presentation of this award underscores the Academy’s attention to below-the-line artistry that shapes a film’s look.

Importance, examples and distinctions

Makeup and hair work can include subtle period styling or dramatic prosthetic effects that enable actors to inhabit nonhuman characters, different ages or extreme conditions. The BAFTA award runs alongside similar industry honors, such as national and international prizes, and is frequently compared to the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling in the United States.

For more information about the Academy that presents this award, see the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The BAFTA Award for Best Makeup and Hair continues to raise the profile of practitioners whose work is vital to performance, production design and historical authenticity.