The Newport Beach Film Festival has announced that Neal Street Productions, “the Oscar and BAFTA-winning UK powerhouse behind some of the most influential storytelling of the past two decades”, will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Global Entertainment award at this year’s UK and Ireland Honours.
The honours event returns for its ninth year as a star-studded celebration of British and Irish creative excellence, hosted by Edith Bowman and Nick Mohammed.
Founded and led by Sir Sam Mendes, Dame Pippa Harris, Caro Newling and Nicolas Brown, Neal Street is being recognised for its “extraordinary impact across film, television and theatre”, NBFF said.
The honour follows the critical acclaim of Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, co-produced with Hera Pictures, Amblin and Book of Shadows, which has emerged as a major BAFTA and Oscar frontrunner across multiple categories, further cementing the company’s reputation for ambitious, emotionally resilient storytelling.
It also comes as the 15th series of Neal Street’s award-winning BBC One drama Call the Midwife is on air each Sunday.
The show has sold in more than 200 territories worldwide and has been the highest rated drama on UK TV over the past year.
The award also celebrates Neal Street’s bold upcoming slate includingThe Magic Faraway Tree, adapted from the Enid Blyton novel by Simon Farnaby (Wonka, Paddington 2), The Beatles, a four-film cinematic event to be released in 2028, directed by Sam Mendes, and the highly anticipated stage adaptation of The Traitors, bringing the global phenomenon to the theatre.
Sir Sam Mendes and Dame Pippa Harris said: “We feel delighted to be recognised by the Newport Beach Film Festival and Visit Newport Beach teams, who champion British and Irish talent globally.
“We are incredibly proud of our body of work past, present and future, and this is a wonderful testament to the dedication and skill of everyone on the Neal Street team, and to the many brilliant collaborators we have been fortunate enough to work with over the years.
“We look forward to celebrating together at the ceremony in February, along with our fellow honourees across the remaining categories.”
President & CEO of Visit Newport Beach, Gary Sherwin, said: “We have long been fans of the brilliant projects helmed by Pippa, Sam and the exceptional Neal Street Productions team, having previously honoured talent from titles such as 1917 and Empire of Light.
“We are thrilled to award Neal Street with this special ‘Outstanding Contribution to Global Entertainment’ honour, to demonstrate our continued appreciation of their artistry and all they do for the global entertainment industry, and our excitement for what they do next.”
