Finnish video game entrepreneur Ilkka Paananen, CEO and co-founder of Supercell, the mobile gaming company behind Clash of clanswill be honored with a BAFTA Scholarship at the BAFTA Games with Google Play Awards on Friday, April 17.
The British Academy emphasized that “the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by BAFTA, celebrates exceptional individuals who have led innovation, creativity and positive change in the screen arts, including games, over the course of their careers.”
“Elka is credited with building one of the most successful mobile gaming companies, having co-founded Supercell in 2010,” BAFTA said. “Under his leadership, Supercell’s innovative ‘small team’ philosophy has produced blockbuster films on mobile devices, including Clash of Clans, Clash Royaleand Brawl stars. The company is known for its strong culture of trust, open communication and effective collaboration with partners. Over the years, despite industry challenges, Supercell has thrived thanks to its impressive successes and bold investments in new games.
“Becoming a BAFTA Fellow is an incredible honour,” Paananen said. “Looking through the names of past Fellows, I see so many of my personal heroes – people whose work has inspired me and who I still look up to. Joining their company is something I could never have imagined. Throughout my career, I have been incredibly lucky. But my greatest fortune, by far, has been the honor of working with amazingly talented and passionate game developers over the past 25 years. They are the ones who make the magic happen, and this award truly belongs to each and every one of them.”
Jane Millichip, BAFTA CEO, said: “It is a real honor to recognize Ilkka with a BAFTA Scholarship this year. As a visionary leader in games, he has built a globally influential company while championing creative collaboration and trust at every level. His deep respect, commitment to nurturing emerging talent and ongoing support of young people reflect the best of BAFTA’s values.”
Aside from Supercell, Ilkka supports emerging founders as an investor and mentor through his Illusian Foundation. He also co-founded the Ilkka Paananen Foundation in 2015 to promote social and mental well-being among children, youth and families.
Previous BAFTA Games Fellowship honorees include the likes of Kingdom Hearts Series composer Yuko Shimomura, former Sony/PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, game director Siobhan Reddy, Tim Schafer, designer known for LucasArts classics Full throttle and day Tentacleand grand theft auto Publisher Rockstar Games.
