Phil Wang is to host the 21st BAFTA Games Awards, the world’s most prestigious annual celebration of excellence and creative achievement in games, taking place on Tuesday 8 April 2025.
After captivating last year’s audience with his quick wit and charm, Phil is back to host for a second year. Already recognised as one of Britain’s most cherished comedic talents, Phil is the star of two Netflix specials, Phil Wang: Wang In There, Baby! and Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang, and a regular on panel and comedy shows including Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Taskmaster. Co-host of the BudPod podcast, Phil will also be taking part in the latest edition of Channel 4’s Great Celebrity Bake Off: Stand Up To Cancer.
As a lifelong player, Phil’s video games journey began with the Sega Saturn, the much-loved console of the mid ‘90s. Much of his childhood in Malaysia was dedicated to playing hours of real-time strategy (RTS) games, such as Rome: Total War, Age of Empires, and Theme Park Tycoon. Recently Phil’s obsessions have turned towards short-form indie titles alongside platformers that, while having grown from retro roots, maintain a modern edge. Multiplayer games have also made a resurgence but ultimately the titles he keeps coming back to are the ones that tell a story.
Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Phil is returning to host the 21st BAFTA Games Awards. He was utterly brilliant last year - witty, intelligent, and a true lover of games. With such a diverse and exciting range of talent this year, from first-time nominees to established studios, the 21st BAFTA Games Awards promises to be an unforgettable night celebrating the extraordinary creators shaping the future of games.”
Phil Wang said “I’m so thrilled to be returning as host of this year’s BAFTA Games Awards. Last year’s show was such an uplifting celebration of this incredible industry. I’m looking forward to continuing in that spirit, and honouring another year of superb games. I’ve played games all my life, and these awards feel like my opportunity to thank the people who make them. Because of games I never had time to learn the guitar well enough to play at house parties, and I think that is a public service. Thank you, games!”
The BAFTA Games Awards will take place on Tuesday 8 April in London and will be streamed live on BAFTA’s YouTube and Twitch. Nominations were announced on Tuesday 4 March and can be found here, with winners to be revealed at the ceremony.
