'There are now more than a hundred awards spread across five annual ceremonies, with one even covering video games.'

Andrew Chapman celebrates 60 years of the BAFTAs.

The British Academy of Film and Television arts was founded on 16 April 1947 in a room at the Hyde Park Hotel. A detailed history is at the official BAFTA website. The initial aim was "to recognise those who had contributed outstanding creative work towards the advancement of British film", but 11 years later the group merged with the Guild of Television Producers and Directors to create a broader umbrella organisation. There are now also Welsh (since 1991) and Scottish (since 1997) branches.

The first chairman of the organisation was film director David Lean, who helped to support BAFTA with funds from Doctor Zhivago and his other iconic films. The initial committee also included Anthony Asquith, Michael Balcon, Sir Alexander Korda, Frank Launder, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Carol Reed and Paul Rotha - many of the big names of film from the era. Prince Philip became the academy's first president in 1962.

The academy is most famous for its award ceremonies - which began in its first year, with just three awards. Now there are more than a hundred in fact spread across five annual ceremonies, with one even covering video games.

The main ceremony is known as the British Academy Film Awards (see this year-by-year breakdown and the official BAFTA archive). The first British Film Awards of 1948 honoured The Best Years of Our Lives and Odd Man Out as best international and British films respectively. Winners at the 2006 awards included: Brokeback Mountain (best film); Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (best British film); Ang Lee (best direction); Reese Witherspoon (best actress); and Philip Seymour Hoffman (best actor).

The ceremony takes place in the Odeon Cinema on London's Leicester Square and takes place in February to precede the Oscars. This year's 60th award ceremony takes place on 11 February. Nominations include Babel, The Queen and The Last King of Scotland for best film, and the latter two and Casino Royale for best British film. British actors nominated for the best actor/actress roles iinclude Daniel Craig, Richard Griffiths, Peter O'Toole, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet.

The British Academy Television Awards began in 1954 with six awards. They are held in April or May and there are now around 20 categories.

The very first award statue was designed by Henry Moore in the form of a large, bronze, seated lady. They were valued at £550 at the time and are now greatly prized. The famous BAFTA mask was designed by Mitzi Cunliffe (who died last year) in 1955.