15th May 2017: Last night, Sue Perkins hosted the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards 2017 at the Royal Festival Hall, where television royalty gathered to hear the winners. As Official Champagne and wine partners to BAFTA, Champagne Taittinger and Villa Maria added elegance and sparkle to the evening.
Attendees toasted the winners at the ceremony with Champagne Taittinger, Official Champagne Partner to BAFTA, which was served to guests throughout the evening from special BAFTA labelled Magnums and 75cl bottles. Taittinger is one of the few premium Champagne houses to remain owned and actively managed by the named family.
As Official Wine Partner to BAFTA, Villa Maria, New Zealand’s most awarded winery for over 30 years, provided the wines for the Award ceremony dinner. The glamorous guests were then invited to relax in the Villa Maria wine bar at the after-party, sipping on a selection of wines from the Villa Maria range and a specially created Villa Maria Spring Fever cocktail.
Joanna Lumley was presented with the Fellowship, the highest honour awarded by the Academy, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to television. With a career spanning 40 years, Lumley has become one of the most acclaimed and distinctive performers in British television. From winning the nation’s hearts as Purdey in The New Avengers to showcasing her enviable comedic credentials with her portrayal of Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous, Joanna Lumley is a true icon of television. Recent Fellows previously honoured for their work in television include Ray Glaton, Alan Simpson, Jon Snow, Julie Walters, Sir Michael Palin, Sir Trevor McDonald, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
Nick Fraser, one of Britain’s leading figures in the documentary field, was honoured with the Special Award on the night. This recognised his outstanding creative contribution to television throughout a career that saw him launch and grow BBC’s Storyville strand and fund and develop hundreds of award-winning documentaries.