Smiley Charity Film Awards see record 520 entries with voting now open
Melanie May | 8 January 2025 | News
Action for Children, British Heart Foundation, Parkinson’s UK, Mary’s Meals and Scope are among the charity entrants of this year’s Smiley Charity Film Awards – which has received a record 520 entries.
Public voting is now open – until 31 January, with all entries available to view on the awards website. Winners are selected via a judging panel of figures from the world of media, film and charity, with the public votes responsible for selecting the finalists. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Indigo O2 on 20 March.
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Championing the power of film
The awards champion the power of film to inspire, engage, and mobilise public support for charitable causes, and last year saw 350 million film impressions and over 2.7 million viewers.
Free to enter, and for charities of all sizes, since their launch seven years ago they have supported over 5,000 charities and reached nearly 1 million individuals through public voting.
Awards are categorised by charity turnover, from under £100,000 to £50 million-plus, alongside special categories such as Corporate Cause and International Impact.
A recent YouGov poll commissioned by the Charity Film Awards found that:
- 67% of UK adults are motivated to support charities if they care about the cause.
- 35% are more likely to support a charity after watching a film or documentary about it.
- 62% of those who watched a charity film went on to support the cause through donations, fundraising, or volunteering – rising to 71% in London.
- Among younger audiences, 51% of 18-24-year-olds are more likely to engage with charities after watching cause-based films, while 48% of 25-34-year-olds engage with charitable content on social media.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.