Merthyr Tydfil School Wins Historic Back-to-Back Animation Award

Wales Scoops Three Prizes at Star-Studded Into Film Awards 2026

Caedraw Primary School from Merthyr Tydfil has made history at this year's UK Into Film Awards, becoming the first school ever to win Best Animation 5 to 11 years in two consecutive years since the awards began in 2015. The school previously won the same category last year with Cae yr Arth, but has triumphed again with The Letter, a stop-motion animation about loneliness, courage and taking the first step.

Wales took home three awards in total. Ben Gregory from Yr Orsaf community hub in Penygroes, Gwynedd received the Filmmaking Champion award for his decade of Welsh-language youth filmmaking at Clwb Ffilm Dyffryn Nantlle, while 17-year-old Araminta Stuart from Conwy was recognised in the Ones to Watch category. Llanharan Primary School in Pontypridd and Willows High School in Cardiff were also nominated, for Best Documentary and Best Film 12-15 Years respectively.

Caedraw pupils were presented with their award by Toy Story characters at the star-studded red-carpet ceremony in Leicester Square, London on Tuesday 16 June 2026, which was hosted by former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, and in front of a wealth of acting and industry talent including Jason Isaacs, Hayley Atwell, Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Peter Capaldi, Bella Ramsey, Blake Harrison, Nabhaan Rizwan, Chloe Lea, Izzy Meikle-Small, Christopher Chung, Harry Collett, Misan Harriman and David Jonsson.

Class teacher Alex McCabe at Caedraw Primary School said: "We are absolutely over the moon to win this award again. This year’s class has very much been inspired by their friends from last year and the result is something they should be enormously proud of. 

“Caedraw is a small, inclusive school with a higher-than-average proportion of pupils with additional learning needs, and to be recognised on a national stage for the second-year running is just extraordinary. It shows what schools like ours can achieve when learning through and about film is fully integrated across the curriculum.”

Non Stevens, Head of Into Film Cymru, said: " Caedraw’s double win is fantastic. This school has fully embraced their use of film and have embedded learning through and about film into cross-curricular learning.

Exploring, responding, and making films can help students develop their literacy, numeracy and digital skills and can be the vehicle to improve communication, problem solving and teamwork skills. Thank you to Caedraw for all your support, enthusiasm and for providing these invaluable experiences to your students. Congratulations – Llongyfarchiadau”

The Letter follows Cae, an older man who feels lonely after his son leaves for university and decides to write a letter, with unexpected and humorous results. Made by a Year 5 class, the film moves from black and white into colour to reflect its emotional journey, drawing inspiration from The Wizard of Oz. The project involved over 1,500 individual images and taught the young filmmakers resilience, collaboration and the art of storytelling.

Nine-year-old Jaxson, who worked on the animation, said: "I couldn't believe it when they called our name. We worked so, so hard on every single frame and it feels amazing to know people loved it. I want to make films forever now."

Also recognised at the ceremony were two further Welsh nominees. Ben Gregory received the Filmmaking Champion award, for his work at Clwb Ffilm Dyffryn Nantlle from Yr Orsaf community hub in Penygroes, Gwynedd. Since 2013, Ben has helped more than 100 young people produce 18 films in the Welsh language, with alumni going on to careers in film and television.

Ben Gregory said: "I was surprised to hear that I was to receive this UK Award. That said, I'm very proud to receive such recognition. However, this nomination really belongs to the young people of Dyffryn Nantlle. They're the ones who turn up, put in the work, and make the films. My role is to simply provide opportunities to help nurture creativity and help them develop their skills and gain new experiences.”

Araminta Stuart, 17, from Conwy, was recognised in the Ones to Watch category. The self-taught filmmaker, who won last year's Time for Action award aged just 16 for a film made in under 24 hours, was also at Piccadilly Circus in London ahead of the ceremony to see her face and films displayed on screen. This proved a fitting moment in the spotlight for a young filmmaker already building an impressive professional portfolio.

This year's Awards received over 400 entries from every corner of the UK, with stories ranging from light-hearted comedies to thought-provoking documentaries. Themes include being a teenage refugee, staying safe online, young people's mental health, special educational needs, female Muslim identity, the potential harms of AI, and much more.

Each year, the Into Film Awards are made possible through sponsorship from the UK Screen Industry: Amazon MGM Studios; EON Productions; IMDb; Lucas Film Ltd; Odeon; Paramount; Pinewood Studios; Shepperton Studios; Swatch; Universal Pictures; The Walt Disney Studios; Warner Bros Discovery; Working Title Films; 72 Films. 

Into Film is supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery, Good Cause funding. www.intofilm/awards