Hatton was recognised for his work elevating the UK’s VFX and animation industries
Neil Hatton, CEO of UK Screen Alliance, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List 2025.
The list recognises the service to others of individuals across the UK.
Hatton was awarded an MBE for his services to visual effects and animation.
He’s led UK Screen Alliance since 2016, and most recently led the VFX sector’s successful call for a better incentive to bring more inward investment work to the UK.
Hatton has been involved in a range of government consultations on this subject, with the incentives now likely to lead to the UK’s VFX industry seeing an increase of up to 50% growth in the next few years, creating 2,800 new jobs.
The new VFX incentive came into effect yesterday (1 January 2025).
Hatton said: “I’m humbled and thrilled by the news that I have been awarded an MBE. It’s a real high point, to round out an eventful roller-coaster year, with winning the VFX tax credit in the March Budget, only to have the general election throw it all in doubt, before finally securing it again with the new government in October.
“It’s very gratifying to know that the UK’s VFX sector will be unleashed to achieve its full potential. I want to show huge appreciation to our UK Screen Alliance and Animation UK members, as this award is also very much in recognition of our magnificent sector and all that they do. Without their commitment to supporting our advocacy mission, none of this would have been possible.”
Hatton has supported UK Screen members through some turbulent times, from Brexit, to the actors’ and writers’ strikes, to the pandemic.
He wrote the Covid guidelines for post-production and VFX, which laid the path for companies to get back to work quickly and safely, and instigated weekly online meetings throughout lockdown to keep post and VFX managers abreast of the changing regulations and government support.
Back in 2003, he collaborated with post-production leaders Rowan Bray, Charlie Leonard and Mike Ashley to create First Post, a Creative Skillset funded course, which upskilled over 100 runners, allowing them to make their next step up the ladder.
More recently, he collaboration with Rowan Bray once more in creating the Post Production Technical Operator apprenticeship, which is now being delivered by London South Bank University.
In 2023, he was appointed to the Creative Industries Council, a government convened body that is chaired by the Secretaries of State for Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Department for Business and Trade. There, he chairs the working group on technical education, where his remit extends across vocational skills for the whole creative sector.
Neil is also a member of the High End TV Council (where he chairs the Post and VFX sub group), the British Film Commission’s national advisory board and its business subgroup, Film London’s filming executive task force, the BFI Screen Sector Task Force, and the BFI’s research unit advisory board.
He is a non-executive director and founder member of Access:VFX, an organisation focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in VFX and animation.
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