Amanda Sonia Berry

Early life

Berry was born in Darlingon, County Durham, the daughter of Tom (owner of a dry cleaning company in Richmond, North Yorkshire) and Anita Berry. She is the eldest of three children.

Berry read business studies and graphic design at Newcastle Polytechnic, and took a student job in the press office of Thames Television.

In 1982 Berry left her studies to continue at Thames Television and then took a job at theatrical agency Duncan Heath Associates Ltd (which later became part of the International Creative Management (ICM) Group). Clients included Christopher Lee, Ian McShane, Paul McCartney and David Bowie. She left in 1988 as a Director with the company.

In 1989, Berry worked at London Weekend Television (LWT) as a researcher for light entertainment.

From 1990, Berry worked extensively as a producer and development executive for Scottish Television Enterprises, both in Glasgow and in London, where her credits included three BAFTA awards ceremonies.

BAFTA

Berry joined BAFTA in October 1998 as Director of Development and Events. She became its Chief Executive in December 2000.

Berry is widely acknowledged to have transformed the fortunes of the Academy in 2001, bringing the date of its annual Film Awards ceremony ahead of the American Academy’s Oscars. The move boosted BAFTA’s international profile at a time when it was eclipsed by other organisations in the awards season, and studios and industry commentators now rate BAFTA’s Film Awards as one of the most reliable predictors of the Oscars, as well as being the pre-eminent film awards outside the annual Hollywood ceremony.

As Chief Executive, Berry has been instrumental in the major changes BAFTA has undergone in recent years, successfully positioning it as the pre-eminent charitable body that educates, promotes and rewards excellence in the art forms of the moving image. Under her leadership, BAFTA’s charitable activities have grown to include a year-round learning and events programme consisting of over 200 events a year, many of which are filmed and made available to the public via BAFTA’s Guru Website.

Honours

Berry was appointed an OBE for services to the Film Industry in HM The Queen’s 2009 Birthday Honours List.

In 1999, Berry was named Media Boss of the Year by recruitment company Pathfinders and Woman of the Year. In 2010, she was named in the Telegraph’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Britain: Entertainment, Media and Sport. In 2012, she made The Times’ British Film Power 100, the Women in Film and Television Power List, and the Women: Inspiration & Enterprise’s Power 50. In 2013, she topped the 'film' list of the Guardian Culture Professionals Network and Hospital Club's h.club100, their 'annual search for the most influential, innovative and interesting people in the creative and media industries'. In 2015 she was named in The Daily Telegraph's 10 Most Powerful Women In The Arts and received the BKSTS Outstanding Contribution to the Industry award. Berry regularly features in the Evening Standard's London's 1,000 Most Influential People and in Debrett's 500, "a recognition and celebration of Britain’s 500 most influential people". In 2017 she was named in The Times' Film Power List, the British newspaper's ranking of "the star players with global clout".