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Bionic Awards

AI film and creator awards · London · Since 2025

Bionic Awards

The creators-first AI film awards from London: 11 trophies at Rich Mix in March 2026, a Formula E challenge with Google Cloud at BFI IMAX in October, and Season 2 on the way[2][6][1].

Judge, moderator and speakerChris BranchJudged the music categories and moderated the advertising panelCo-founder, on AI LIVEAlex PellPremiered the Formula E trailer and winners on Eps. 131 and 136

bionicawards.comWinners and finalistsFormula E Creators ChallengeLinkedInInstagram

Live stats

YouTube views on Woodnuts, the Best Sound Design winner
9.44M[27]
on Bones of Yew, the Best Pilot winner
35.7K[28]
on Prompt and Punishment, a Best Advert finalist
11.1K[32]
on Céremony, a Best Short Film finalist
11K[30]

As of 31 October 2026 · YouTube views on Bionic-shortlisted films, refreshed weekly

01The short answer

What are the Bionic Awards?

The Bionic Awards is a London awards body and festival for AI filmmakers and creators, run by Bionic Tribes Ltd and co-founded in 2025 by Alex Pell, technology editor of The Standard, and film producer Andy Gordon[3][10]. Its first season ended with 11 awards at Rich Mix in Shoreditch on 5 March 2026, in partnership with Adobe, and in October 2026 it ran the Formula E Creators Challenge with Google Cloud, premiering nine finalists at BFI IMAX[2][12][6]. AI LIVE co-host Chris Branch judged its music categories and moderated its advertising panel, and its Best Sound Design winner, Gossip Goblin's Woodnuts, has 9.4 million YouTube views[20][23][27].

Run by
Bionic Tribes Ltd, company 16502274, incorporated in London on 6 June 2025[10]
Founders
Alex Pell, technology editor of The Standard, and Andy Gordon, film and brand-campaign producer[3][11]
Based in
London; events at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, in Soho and at BFI IMAX[12][25][6]
Season 1 final
5 March 2026, Rich Mix, Shoreditch, in partnership with Adobe[12][1]
Season 1 awards
11 categories, 39 shortlist places, 35 films[2]
Biggest winner
Ikenna Mokwe, with Best Spec Ad and Best UK Creator[2][25]
Brand challenge
ABB FIA Formula E Creators Challenge 2026, presented by Google Cloud, premiered at BFI IMAX on 22 October 2026[6][7]
Ethos
Creators first, low entry fees and finalists, not sponsors, on stage[11][25]
Season 2
Entries from October 2026; live final in London planned for spring 2027[1][26]

Page updated 31 October 2026 · 38 sources

02By the numbers

Bionic in numbers

Figures marked "by Bionic's count" are Bionic's own; the shortlist counts are worked out from its winners and finalists page.

9.4M YouTube views on Woodnuts, Gossip Goblin's Best Sound Design winner YouTube, 31 October 2026[27]
1M+ social impressions, by Bionic's count Bionic sponsor page[4]
51 countries represented, by Bionic's count Bionic sponsor page[4]
39 finalists invited to London, by Bionic's count Bionic sponsor page[4]
11 awards presented at the Season 1 final, 5 March 2026 bionicawards.com/awards[2]
35 films on the Season 1 shortlist, filling 39 places across 11 categories Counted from bionicawards.com/awards[2]
15 countries on the Season 1 shortlist, from Japan to Nigeria Counted from bionicawards.com/awards[2]
2 awards for Ikenna Mokwe, the only double winner bionicawards.com/awards; AI LIVE Ep. 131[2][25]
100+ Formula E Creators Challenge entries in about three weeks, per Alex Pell AI LIVE Ep. 136[26]
9 Formula E finalists premiered at BFI IMAX, 22 October 2026 Bionic's Formula E page[6]
$4K travel covered for each Formula E category winner, with a VIP race trip for two gen4challenge.com[7]
4 London events in under 11 months, from the December 2025 showcase to BFI IMAX Creative Boom, Ticket Tailor, allai.events, Bionic[11][12][13][6]

03Biography

The Bionic Awards story

Born at London Tech Week

The Bionic Awards began with Alex Pell, technology editor of The Standard, watching creative people react to generative AI with a mix of panic and excitement while he chaired London Tech Week[11][3]. Rather than sell to them, he wanted to back them, and with film producer Andy Gordon, who has spent decades making award-winning brand campaigns and films, including work for Google and Coca-Cola, he set out to build what they called the European equivalent of the Webbys[11][3]. Creative Boom dates the London Tech Week moment to 2024; Bionic's own About page says Alex chaired the 2025 edition[11][3].

The company behind it, Bionic Tribes Ltd, was incorporated in London on 6 June 2025[10]. The pitch was simple: creators first, low entry fees, and an awards night where the people on stage are the finalists talking about their work rather than sponsors[11][25].

Bionic is much more inclusive, and our ethos is 'creators first'.

Alex Pell, to Creative Boom[11]

Season 1: the call for entries

Creative Boom announced the awards on 11 November 2025, after meeting the founders at Upscale, Freepik's AI conference in Málaga[11]. It listed twelve categories, including art installations and digital out-of-home, a judging panel from Pinewood Studios, WPP, Studio B, Jellyfish and Coca-Cola's Studio X, and a deadline of 30 December 2025[11]. Entries had to make meaningful use of generative video, on any platform, and hybrid workflows were welcome[11].

On 4 December 2025 Bionic held its first event, the AI Creator Showcase at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, hosted by Alex Pell, with talks from Afro Futcha, Ryan Phillips of Uncanny Harry and Riccardo Fredro[11][16]. In January 2026 Chris Branch told the AI LIVE audience he was judging the Bionic music categories[20], and in February he met the Bionic team at the Chroma Awards in London, where they agreed to bring category winners onto the show[21].

The final at Rich Mix

The final, billed as the AI Creator Summit and Awards, took over Rich Mix on 5 March 2026, in partnership with Adobe[12][1]. From 2pm, nominees presented their work alongside industry speakers including Jens Christensen of Pinewood Studios, Rourke Sefton-Minns of GenHQ, Alvaro Corrochano of WPP, Salma Aboukar of Silverside.ai, Christos Michaels of Lee & Thompson and Chris Branch, with Alex Pell hosting[12]. The panels covered short film, studios, advertising, influencers and music videos, and Chris moderated the advertising panel[23][22].

From 7pm came the awards. Pinewood Studios had upscaled every film for the cinema screen, and finalists flew in from across Europe, Panama and Lagos[23][25]. Eleven trophies went out, clear glass blocks with a black plaque reading Bionic Awards, Winner 2026, the category and the Adobe partnership[2][1]. Ikenna Mokwe took two of them, Best Spec Ad and Best UK Creator, and Léo Cannone's Costa Verde won Best Short Film[2][25].

Bionic's site records the results with a winner badge on each winning film rather than a text list[2]. Six winners are also confirmed elsewhere, by trophies, Bionic's other pages or Alex Pell on AI LIVE: Costa Verde, Ausencia, Woodnuts, Bones of Yew and both of Ikenna's films[2][3][5][25]. The other five, Let Animals Grow Old, The Alterverse, Rourke Sefton-Minns, Blue City: First Visit and A Creative Journey to Our End, are given here as Bionic's badges show them[2].

Finally, these events are showcasing what us Europeans and Brits are doing on the AI stage.

Chris Branch, AI LIVE Ep. 112[23]

AI LIVE in the room

AI LIVE ran a finalists roundup the following Tuesday, on Ep. 112, with Ikenna's commute film, Nir Refuah's Fiverr spot, Ruf Lanz's Let Animals Grow Old, Simon Meyer's Frankenstein and Jacopo Zanetti's The Twin Earth, and invited every finalist onto the show[23]. A week later it played SAGE's opening sequence for the awards, which draws Chris as one of the judges[24][15]. The final kept turning up in later shows: it was where Chris first met Zed Anwar in person, and where he met SAGE, the Contamination studio and the filmmaking couple behind Candy[23][35][36][37].

Bionic School and the months between

Between seasons Bionic built out Bionic School, masterclasses and team training led by creators from its own orbit: Chris Branch, Afro Futcha, Uncanny Harry, Toby Hyder, Salma Aboukar and data storyteller Sophie Sparkes[5]. In March the team was out at Freepik's Upscale event and a BytePlus mixer in London[34], and on 8 July 2026 Bionic joined LSE's Data Science Institute and King's College London for Data Is the Narrator, a London Data Week workshop led by Afro Futcha[33].

The Formula E Creators Challenge

In September 2026 Bionic launched its first brand challenge, the ABB FIA Formula E Creators Challenge 2026, presented by Google Cloud[6][7]. Entrants had to make a film of up to 60 seconds about Formula E's new GEN4 car, generated entirely with Google models, Gemini Omni or Veo 3.1, with elements from the GEN4 Asset Kit on screen for at least four seconds; it was free, open worldwide to anyone over 18, and entered through FilmFreeway[7][8]. Alex Pell world premiered the official trailer, by Bruno Detante, on AI LIVE Ep. 131 on 8 September, with guest co-host Mary Unfiltered[25][38].

Two days later Bionic held A New Era Begins, a free craft evening in Soho with talks from Chris Branch, Salma Aboukar and Toby Hyder and a screening of the trailer[13][25]. Entries closed on 30 September, extended from 26 September, and Alex says well over 100 arrived in about three weeks[7][14][26]. Google Cloud supplied judges, with at least one independent judge on the panel; Bionic named Henry Daubrez, Bruno Detante and Jo Wallace among them, and Alex Pell and Andy Gordon did not judge[8][25][14][26].

The nine finalists, sent in at 1080p and upscaled to 4K and DCP by Pinewood, premiered at BFI IMAX on 22 October 2026[26][6]. Nora Bereczki, who came from Hungary, won the Independent Creator Award with Perfected by Evolution; Special won the Agency Creator Award with Stowaway; and Salma El Makhloufy won the Flow Innovator Award with 1.8, made entirely in Google Flow[6][26][18]. Each winner gets a VIP trip for two to a 2026/27 Formula E race with $4,000 of travel covered, and a Formula E helmet as the award[7][26].

The finalists' films will be premiered at the IMAX in London, which is the UK's biggest cinema screen.

Alex Pell, AI LIVE Ep. 131[25]

Season 2

Alex presented the three winners on AI LIVE Ep. 136 on 27 October and confirmed that Season 2 will add a stills category and something for emerging filmmakers[26]. Bionic's site sets out a calendar of entries from October 2026, a showcase in December, a final deadline in January 2027, a shortlist in February and a live final in London in March 2027, though its home-page banner says April 2027[1][14]. Bionic is also exploring hybrid teams that pair screenwriters who have no AI skills with AI creators, to close what Alex sees as the gap between the tools and the storytelling[25].

04Career timeline

From London Tech Week to BFI IMAX

  1. 2024 or 2025

    The spark

    Chairing London Tech Week, Alex Pell sees creatives react to AI with panic and excitement. Creative Boom says 2024; Bionic says 2025.[11][3]

  2. 6 June 2025

    Bionic Tribes Ltd incorporated

    The company behind the awards is registered in London.[10]

  3. 11 November 2025

    Awards announced

    Creative Boom reveals the categories, the judges and a 5 March final.[11]

  4. 4 December 2025

    AI Creator Showcase

    AI Creator Showcase

    The first event, at Rich Mix, with Afro Futcha and Uncanny Harry among the speakers.[11][16]

  5. 29 January 2026

    Chris judges the music categories

    He tells the AI LIVE audience on Ep. 106.[20]

  6. 12 February 2026

    Meeting at the Chroma Awards

    Chris meets the Bionic team in London and plans to bring its winners on the show.[21]

  7. 5 March 2026

    The Final at Rich Mix

    The Final at Rich Mix

    A Creator Summit, then 11 awards, in partnership with Adobe. Ikenna Mokwe wins two.[12][2]

  8. 10 March 2026

    Finalists roundup on AI LIVE

    Finalists roundup on AI LIVE

    Ep. 112 plays five Bionic films and invites the finalists on.[23]

  9. 17 March 2026

    SAGE's opening sequence

    SAGE's opening sequence

    The anime astronaut film plays on Ep. 113.[24][15]

  10. 8 July 2026

    Data Is the Narrator

    A London Data Week workshop with LSE and King's College London.[33]

  11. 8 September 2026

    Trailer world premiere

    Trailer world premiere

    Alex Pell premieres the Formula E Creators Challenge trailer on AI LIVE Ep. 131.[25]

  12. 10 September 2026

    A New Era Begins

    A free craft evening in Soho with Chris Branch, Salma Aboukar and Toby Hyder.[13][25]

  13. 30 September 2026

    Formula E entries close

    Extended from 26 September; well over 100 films arrive.[7][26]

  14. 22 October 2026

    Premiere at BFI IMAX

    Premiere at BFI IMAX

    Nine finalists on the UK's biggest screen; three winners.[6][25]

  15. 27 October 2026

    Winners on AI LIVE

    Winners on AI LIVE

    Alex presents the three winners on Ep. 136 and teases Season 2.[26]

05Made by and for Bionic

Bionic's own films

The films Bionic commissioned or published itself. The winners' and finalists' films belong to their makers and are listed in the showcase below.

06Inside the Bionic Awards

Every edition, every winner, every judge

SAGE's opening titles frame by frame, every Bionic event with its date and venue, the full Season 1 results, the night at Rich Mix, the judges, the Formula E winners and finalists, and the trophies.

The Bionic astronaut SAGE1:17.00Scene 5 of 5Over London
  1. The Bionic astronaut, frame 1 of 1001
  2. The Bionic astronaut, frame 3 of 1003
  3. The Bionic astronaut, frame 6 of 1006
  4. The Bionic astronaut, frame 8 of 1008
  5. The Bionic astronaut, frame 10 of 1010

The opening titles · by SAGE

Opening sequenceThe Bionic astronaut

An astronaut falls through a wormhole and lands in Shoreditch

Made bySAGE (AI Commercials by SAGE)

Bionic's mascot is an astronaut with a Union Jack on the shoulder[1]. In SAGE's 90-second opening sequence the astronaut tumbles through a wormhole, lands on a wet Shoreditch street, sees the city reflected in the visor and stands over London between billboards for Bionic and Adobe, before the titles introduce the finalists and judges as anime characters[15]. AI LIVE played it on Ep. 113, with Chris among the anime judges[24].

Length
90 seconds, on YouTube and self-hosted on bionicawards.com[15][1]
On AI LIVE
Ep. 113, 17 March 2026, at 1:07:32[24]
Frames
Timecodes are seconds into SAGE's film; the end card reads Midnight Render[15]
Credit
Frames from SAGE's film, courtesy of Bionic Awards[15]

Every edition

Five dates, four venues, one year

Every Bionic event so far, with its date and venue, and the next one. Stills are Bionic's own brand art, event photos and Formula E frames; each palette is sampled from the lead still.

  1. Rich Mix, Shoreditch, London

    AI Creator Showcase4 December 2025

    The Season 1 launch event

    Hosted by Alex Pell while Season 1 entries were open, with talks from Afro Futcha, Uncanny Harry and Riccardo Fredro[11][16].

    Entries closed
    30 December 2025[11]
    Trailer
    Posted by Afro Futcha[16]

    Sampled palette

    AI Creator Showcase, Dec 2025

  2. Rich Mix, Shoreditch, London E1 6LA

    AI Creator Summit and Awards: The Final5 March 2026

    In partnership with Adobe

    A Creator Summit from 2pm, where nominees presented with industry leaders, then the awards from 7pm: 11 trophies, two for Ikenna Mokwe[12][2].

    Awards
    11 categories, 35 films shortlisted[2]
    On screen
    Films upscaled by Pinewood Studios[23]

    Sampled palette

    Every winner and finalist
    AI Creator Summit and Awards: The Final, Mar 2026

  3. Soho, central London

    A New Era Begins10 September 2026

    A free creator craft evening

    Talks from Chris Branch, Salma Aboukar and Toby Hyder, then the Formula E trailer and a Q&A, two days after its premiere on AI LIVE[13][25].

    Entry
    Free[13]
    Venue
    Soho, per Alex Pell; the listing gives no address[25]

    Sampled palette

    A New Era Begins, Sep 2026

  4. BFI IMAX, London

    Formula E Creators Challenge premiere22 October 2026

    Presented by Google Cloud

    Nine finalists, upscaled to 4K by Pinewood, premiered on the UK's biggest cinema screen; Nora Bereczki, Special and Salma El Makhloufy took the three awards[6][26][25].

    Entries
    Well over 100, per Alex Pell[26]
    Prize
    VIP race trip for two, $4,000 travel[7]

    Sampled palette

    See the winners
    Formula E Creators Challenge premiere, Oct 2026

  5. London

    Season 2Live final planned for spring 2027

    A stills category and something for emerging filmmakers

    Bionic's calendar runs from entries in October 2026 to a live final in London, and Alex Pell says Season 2 adds a stills category[1][26].

    Final
    March 2027 on Bionic's timeline; its home banner says April[1]

    Sampled palette

    Season 2, 2027

Season 1 · 5 March 2026

Every Season 1 winner and finalist

Eleven categories, 39 shortlist places and 35 films from 15 countries, as listed on bionicawards.com/awards, where each winner carries a Bionic badge[2]. Countries are as Bionic lists them. AI LIVE people are linked.

Also shortlistedFilm, maker (country)WinnerFilm, maker (country)
Best Short FilmArrow, Jiaze Li (UK); Bones of Yew, Toby Hyder (UK); Céremony, Mark Wachholz (Germany); The Realm, Seif Abdalla (US); Woodnuts, Zack London (Sweden)[2]Costa Verde, Léo Cannone (UK)[2][25]
Best AnimationThe Sea that Dreamed, Roxanne Ducharme (Canada); The Twin Earth, Jacopo Zanetti (Italy)[2]Ausencia, Javier De La Chica and Guillermo Miranda of Contamination (Spain)[2][3]
Best Sound DesignThe Archivist: From Embryom Chronicles, Giulio Fulchignoni (Italy); Audi: Game Changed, Habib Mohammed (UK)[2]Woodnuts, Zack London, aka Gossip Goblin (Sweden)[2][25]
Best PilotComunidad, Victor Bonafonte (Spain); Don't Go Back to Chungju Lake, Floriane Bont (France); The Lindisfarne Raid, Rogier Hendriks (Netherlands); Woodnuts, Zack London (Sweden); Xi, Elena Savlokhova (UK)[2]Bones of Yew, Toby Hyder (UK)[2][5]
Best AdvertPrompt and Punishment, Nir Refuah for Fiverr (Israel); Plastic Erosion, Li Yifei and Bao Zheng (China)[2]Let Animals Grow Old, Ruf Lanz with Stories Studios (Switzerland)[2]
Best Spec AdAudi: Game Changed, Habib Mohammed (UK); Grip & Grain, Johannes Vorillon (France)[2]13 Ways to Annoy People on the Commute, Ikenna Mokwe (UK)[2][1]
Best UK CreatorEra of Giants, Andrej Klimov; Tales from the Underground, Rosa Lykiardopoulos[2]The Late 1900s, Ikenna Mokwe[2][25]
Best Motion ArtArt is Human Terrain (Paint World 33), Jacob Holster (US); GLΛ55HΣΛD™: 55FACE5, GLΛ55HΣΛD™ (Poland)[2]The Alterverse, Malik Afegbua (Nigeria)[2]
Creative InfluencerOnce Upon a Time in the Future: My Secret Sunday, Rin Haneda (Japan); mAIself (100 AI Versions of Me in 100 Days), Ariane Gebhardt (Germany)[2]AI Education on 3D World Building, Rourke Sefton-Minns (UK)[2]
Best Viral MomentFrankenstein, also posted as Lonely, Simon Meyer (Germany); In Offering, Robin Kane (Germany)[2]Blue City: First Visit, Rin Haneda (Japan)[2]
Best Music VideoFreedom, Mike Bennion (US); XERO: Flame in The Wire, Paola Rocchetti (UK)[2]A Creative Journey to Our End, Jonathan Carène (France)[2]

Woodnuts was shortlisted in three categories, and Bones of Yew and Audi: Game Changed in two each, which is why 39 places hold 35 films. AI LIVE's Ep. 112 notes called Ikenna Mokwe's commute film Best Ad, though the trophy reads Best Spec Ad, and described Let Animals Grow Old as a finalist rather than the Best Advert winner[2][1][23]. Chris Branch judged the music categories[20].

The final · 5 March 2026

Summit by day, awards by night

Bionic's final took over Rich Mix, the arts centre and cinema on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch, under a lime and magenta screen reading The Final, in partnership with Adobe[12][1]. The afternoon was a Creator Summit, where nominees presented their work alongside studio, agency and legal speakers; the evening was the awards; and the afterparty ran late[12].

Every film had been upscaled by Pinewood Studios for the cinema screen, and the room held finalists who had flown in from across Europe, Panama and Lagos[23][25]. Bionic says it puts the finalists, not the sponsors, on stage[1][25].

2pm to 6pm
Creator Summit: nominees present with industry leaders[12]
7pm to 9pm
The Bionic Awards, then drinks till late[12]
Partner
Adobe, on the screen, the banners and every trophy[1][12]
Host
Co-founder Alex Pell[12]
Headliners
Jens Christensen (Pinewood), Rourke Sefton-Minns, Alvaro Corrochano (WPP), Chris Branch, Salma Aboukar, Christos Michaels[12]
Panels
Short film, studios, advertising (moderated by Chris Branch), influencers and music videos[23]
On screen
Every film upscaled by Pinewood Studios[23]
Travelled from
Across Europe, Panama and Lagos[25]

Who's judging?

The judges, as SAGE drew them

SAGE's opening sequence introduces the Season 1 judges as anime characters under the line Who's judging?[15]. Creative Boom's launch list also names Brandon Baum of Studio B, Alvaro Corrochano of Hogarth | WPP, Pedro Oliver of Coca-Cola's Studio X, Jo Wallace of Jellyfish and Ryan Phillips (Uncanny Harry)[11]. For the Formula E challenge Bionic named Henry Daubrez, Bruno Detante, Jo Wallace, Fleur Stoppani, Alex Aidan and James Niklasson[14][25].

  • Jens ChristensenSAGE's art Director of post production, Pinewood StudiosJens ChristensenSeason 1 judge Director of post production, Pinewood Studios Jens Christensen On both Creative Boom's judging list and SAGE's judge cards[11][15]. Pinewood upscaled the finalists' films for the cinema screen, and he headlined the summit[23][12].
  • Alison ScorgieSAGE's art Creative director and AI filmmakerAlison ScorgieSeason 1 judge Creative director and AI filmmaker Alison Scorgie Drawn on the Who's judging? cards in Bionic's opening sequence[15]. Named on the opening sequence's judge cards; not in Creative Boom's launch list.
  • PJ AccetturoSAGE's art Co-founder and CEO, Genre.aiPJ AccetturoSeason 1 judge Co-founder and CEO, Genre.ai PJ Accetturo Drawn in a jacket over a chest that reads (not*) Hollywood is cooked, on the Who's judging? cards[15]. Named on the opening sequence's judge cards; not in Creative Boom's launch list.
    PJ Ace on AI LIVE
  • Francesca PalauSAGE's art Executive producer, SpecialGuestXFrancesca PalauSeason 1 judge Executive producer, SpecialGuestX Francesca Palau Drawn on the Who's judging? cards in Bionic's opening sequence[15]. Named on the opening sequence's judge cards; not in Creative Boom's launch list.
  • Christos MichaelsSAGE's art Head of film group, Lee & ThompsonChristos MichaelsSeason 1 judge and speaker Head of film group, Lee & Thompson Christos Michaels On the judge cards in the opening sequence, and a headline speaker at the Creator Summit, bringing the legal view from a media law firm[15][12]. Named on the opening sequence's judge cards; not in Creative Boom's launch list.
  • Chris BranchSAGE's art Founder, Creativize.aiChris BranchJudge on the music categories Founder, Creativize.ai Chris Branch AI LIVE's co-host sat on the music categories, then moderated the advertising panel at the final[20][23]. On Ep. 113 he pointed himself out as one of the anime judges[24].
    Chris Branch's profile
  • Simon MorrisSAGE's art VP international marketing, AdobeSimon MorrisSeason 1 judge, Adobe VP international marketing, Adobe Simon Morris Adobe partnered Season 1. Bionic quotes him: Bionic shows what happens when creators use AI with intent[1][15]. Named on the opening sequence's judge cards; not in Creative Boom's launch list.
  • Adrian-Florin ArdeleanSAGE's art Director and editor, Uncommon Creative StudioAdrian-Florin ArdeleanSeason 1 judge Director and editor, Uncommon Creative Studio Adrian-Florin Ardelean Drawn on the Who's judging? cards in Bionic's opening sequence[15]. Named on the opening sequence's judge cards; not in Creative Boom's launch list.
  • Afro FutchaSAGE's art AI filmmakerAfro FutchaSeason 1 judge AI filmmaker Afro Futcha On Creative Boom's list and SAGE's cards, a showcase speaker and a Bionic School leader[11][15][5].
    Afro Futcha's profile
  • Alex Pell and Andy GordonSAGE's art The foundersAlex Pell and Andy GordonDrawn into the same film The founders Alex Pell and Andy Gordon Alex Pell, technology editor of The Standard, and film producer Andy Gordon co-founded Bionic[3]. Alex has spoken of judging Season 1; both stood aside from judging the Formula E challenge[25][26].
  • CEO, Studio BBrandon BaumSeason 1 judge CEO, Studio B Brandon Baum Named as a judge by Creative Boom[11]. Bionic quotes him: Creators get the recognition they deserve from Bionic[4].
  • Global ECD, JellyfishJo WallaceJudged both competitions Global ECD, Jellyfish Jo Wallace A Season 1 judge on Creative Boom's list, and named by Bionic as a judge of the Formula E Creators Challenge[11][14].

Judge cards are frames from SAGE's opening sequence, courtesy of Bionic Awards[15]. Bionic has not published one combined list of Season 1 judges, so names come from Creative Boom, the opening sequence and AI LIVE[11][15][20].

Three films, one car Winner 2 of 3Stowaway · Special
  1. Three films, one car, frame 1 of 1201
  2. Three films, one car, frame 3 of 1203
  3. Three films, one car, frame 5 of 1205
  4. Three films, one car, frame 8 of 1208
  5. Three films, one car, frame 10 of 1210
  6. Three films, one car, frame 12 of 1212

Formula E Creators Challenge · 22 October 2026

The winnersThree films, one car

Three ways to sell the GEN4 in 60 seconds

Presented byBionic Awards with Google Cloud and Formula E

Every film had to be generated with Google models, run 60 seconds or less and keep the GEN4 Asset Kit on screen for four seconds[8]. Nora Bereczki told the car's evolution through animals, ending on an axolotl regrowing a limb as a nod to regenerative braking; Special built a whole story around a ladybird clinging on, with a snap ending that drew gasps at the IMAX; Salma El Makhloufy made hers entirely in Google Flow around the car's straight-line sprint[26].

We do this to spotlight talent and to help them to further their careers.
Alex PellAI LIVE Ep. 136, at 1:52:22[26]
Independent Creator Award
Perfected by Evolution, Nora Bereczki[6][18]
Agency Creator Award
Stowaway, Special: Laurent Marcus and Nathaniel Kiwi[6][18]
Flow Innovator Award
1.8, Salma El Makhloufy[6][18]
Credit
Frames from Bionic's winners reel; films by Nora Bereczki, by Laurent Marcus and Nathaniel Kiwi of Special, and by Salma El Makhloufy[18]

Formula E Creators Challenge 2026

Every Formula E winner and finalist

Three awards, three finalists each, all screened at BFI IMAX on 22 October 2026[6][9]. Countries are from the finalists reel and AI LIVE where given.

Also shortlistedFilm, makerWinnerFilm, maker
Independent Creator AwardStill Racing with You, Arthur Rentroia; Assemble, Mateo Willis (UK)[6][19]Perfected by Evolution, Nora Bereczki (Hungary)[6][26]
Agency Creator Award1.8 Seconds, Buska Video (UK); Slow is Overrated, Common People Studio[6][19]Stowaway, Special: Laurent Marcus and Nathaniel Kiwi (Australia)[6][18]
Flow Innovator AwardPower Amplified, Lee Jobling (UK); Lightning Alley, Matt Slamowitz[6][19]1.8, Salma El Makhloufy (UK)[6][26]

Bionic's microsite spells two titles differently, Perfection by Evolution and 1:8; the winners reel and graphic use Perfected by Evolution and 1.8[9][18]. AI LIVE's Ep. 136 notes call Special's film Kiwi Stowaway; it is Stowaway[18].

The other six finalists

Six more takes on the GEN4, all on the IMAX screen

One frame from each of the finalists that did not win, from Bionic's finalists reel, credited to its makers[19].

Still Racing with You
Independent Creator Award · Finalist

Still Racing with You

Made by Arthur Rentroia

Shortlisted for the Independent Creator Award and premiered at BFI IMAX[6][19].

Assemble
Independent Creator Award · Finalist

Assemble

Made by Mateo Willis

A UK finalist for the Independent Creator Award[6][19].

1.8 Seconds
Agency Creator Award · Finalist

1.8 Seconds

Made by Buska Video

A UK agency finalist, built like Salma El Makhloufy's winner around the GEN4's acceleration[6][19].

Slow is Overrated
Agency Creator Award · Finalist

Slow is Overrated

Made by Common People Studio

Shortlisted for the Agency Creator Award[6][19].

Power Amplified
Flow Innovator Award · Finalist

Power Amplified

Made by Lee Jobling

A UK finalist for the Flow Innovator Award, for films made in Google Flow[6][19].

Lightning Alley
Flow Innovator Award · Finalist

Lightning Alley

Made by Matt Slamowitz

Shortlisted for the Flow Innovator Award[6][19].

Frames from Bionic's Formula E finalists reel; each film belongs to its makers[19].

The Season 1 shortlist on YouTube

Six Bionic films you can watch now

Shortlisted and winning Season 1 films that their makers have posted on YouTube, with views as of 31 October 2026. Each belongs to its maker.

How a Bionic season runs

From an open call to a cinema screen in London

The pattern both competitions have followed so far, from Bionic's site, Creative Boom and Alex Pell on AI LIVE.

  1. 01 Open call Low fees, any platform, meaningful use of generative video; hybrid work welcome[11]. Season 1: any tool
  2. 02 Jury Judges from studios, agencies and creators, looking for humanity, soul and craft[11][25]. Industry panel
  3. 03 Upscale Pinewood Studios prepares shortlisted films for the big screen, to 4K and DCP for the IMAX[23][26]. Pinewood Studios
  4. 04 Screen Finals in London cinemas: Rich Mix in March, BFI IMAX in October[12][6]. Rich Mix · BFI IMAX
  5. 05 Stage Finalists, not sponsors, talk about their work; 35 invited to speak, by Bionic's count[1][25]. The Creator Summit
  6. 06 Follow through Brand challenges, Bionic School and screenwriter-plus-creator teams[5][25]. Bionic School

What winners take home

The glass block, the badge, the laurel and the helmet

  • Ikenna Mokwe holding his two Bionic Awards trophies against a magenta wallBionic's photo of Ikenna Mokwe
    Season 1 trophy

    The glass block

    Held here by Ikenna Mokwe

    A clear glass block with a black plaque: Bionic Awards, Winner 2026, the category, and in partnership with Adobe[1][2].

  • The Bionic Awards lime and magenta badge
    On bionicawards.com

    The winner badge

    The lime and magenta mark that sits on each winning film on Bionic's awards page, which is how the site records its results[2].

  • Finalist, Bionic Awards 2026 laurel over three film framesArtwork credited to finalist Ariane Gebhardt
    For finalists

    The finalist laurel

    A white frame reading Finalist, Bionic Awards 2026, shown over finalists' work on Bionic's site[1].

  • Formula E Creators Challenge 2026 lockupEvent lockup, not the helmet
    Formula E Creators Challenge

    The helmet

    Each of the three Formula E winners received a colourful Formula E helmet, Chris said on AI LIVE, plus a VIP trip for two to a race[26][7].

What people say about Bionic

From Disneyland to Comic-Con to Bionic

Flying from Panama to London for Bionic was totally worth it. So much talent in one place.
Roxanne DucharmeFinalist, Best Animation, quoted on Bionic's site[1]
I've been to Disneyland. I've been to Comicon. Bionic is on another level.
Andrej KlimovFinalist, Best UK Creator, quoted on Bionic's site[3]
Years from now, people will say that AI cinema started in rooms like the Bionic Awards.
Jeremy AngelierFounder of Shaike, quoted on Bionic's site[4]
Bionic shows what happens when creators use AI with intent. The standard is exceptional.
Simon MorrisVP international marketing, Adobe, quoted on Bionic's site[1]
Creators get the recognition they deserve from Bionic.
Brandon BaumCEO of Studio B and Bionic judge, quoted on Bionic's site[4]
Finally, these events are showcasing what us Europeans and Brits are doing on the AI stage.
Chris BranchAI LIVE Ep. 112, at 6:03, lightly cleaned from the transcript[23]

07Partners and platforms

The tools and partners behind Bionic

  • One of the two Google models Formula E Creators Challenge films could be made with; every frame had to come from Google models.[8]

  • Gemini Omnicore

    The other permitted Google model for the Formula E challenge.[8]

  • Has its own award, the Flow Innovator Award, won by Salma El Makhloufy with a film made entirely in Flow.[6][26]

  • Pinewood Studios upscalinguses

    Pinewood upscales shortlisted films for cinema projection, to 4K and DCP for the IMAX.[23][26]

  • Adobeuses

    Season 1 partner: the final, its screens and every trophy carry in partnership with Adobe.[1][12]

  • FilmFreewayuses

    The entry platform for the Formula E challenge.[7]

Season 1 was platform-neutral: any tool, as long as generative video was used meaningfully[11].

08In their own words

Alex Pell, on the record

Sometimes what's missing from a lot of films is that kind of humanity and that soul and that craft.
Alex PellOn what Bionic looks for, AI LIVE Ep. 131, at 1:14:03[25]
The question really is whether people's storytelling craft has kept pace with the technical advances that are available to them.
Alex PellAI LIVE Ep. 131, at 1:35:31[25]
No, because it's about community. It's about bringing people together.
Alex PellAsked whether Bionic could be an online-only festival, AI LIVE Ep. 131, at 1:20:14[25]
The finalists' films will be premiered at the IMAX in London, which is the UK's biggest cinema screen.
Alex PellOn the Formula E Creators Challenge, AI LIVE Ep. 131, at 1:00:47[25]
We do this to spotlight talent and to help them to further their careers.
Alex PellOn why Bionic runs challenges, AI LIVE Ep. 136, at 1:52:22[26]
The tide has turned on conventional creativity.
Alex PellTo Creative Boom, November 2025[11]
Bionic is much more inclusive, and our ethos is 'creators first'.
Alex PellTo Creative Boom, November 2025[11]

09On AI LIVE

Bionic on AI LIVE

The AI LIVE shows where Bionic, its films or co-founder Alex Pell were on screen or on air. Alex Pell's guest spots are listed under his name, as he appears in the episode credits.

6weekly episodes
10pieces reviewed live

Weekly episodes

Work reviewed on the weekly show

10Press and awards

Bionic in the press

11Collaborators

Who Bionic works with

12Questions

Questions about Bionic

What are the Bionic Awards?

The Bionic Awards is an independent awards body and festival for AI filmmakers and creators, based in London and run by Bionic Tribes Ltd[10][1]. It ran its first season in 2025 and 2026, with 11 awards at Rich Mix in Shoreditch on 5 March 2026, and in October 2026 it ran the Formula E Creators Challenge with Google Cloud, premiering the finalists at BFI IMAX[2][6].

Who founded the Bionic Awards?

Alex Pell and Andy Gordon. Alex is technology editor of The Standard and has chaired London Tech Week; Andy is a film producer who has spent decades on award-winning brand campaigns and films[3][11]. The company, Bionic Tribes Ltd, was incorporated in London on 6 June 2025[10].

Who won at the Bionic Awards 2026?

Costa Verde by Léo Cannone (Best Short Film), Ausencia by Contamination (Best Animation), Woodnuts by Zack London (Best Sound Design), Bones of Yew by Toby Hyder (Best Pilot), Let Animals Grow Old by Ruf Lanz with Stories Studios (Best Advert), Ikenna Mokwe for Best Spec Ad and Best UK Creator, The Alterverse by Malik Afegbua (Best Motion Art), Rourke Sefton-Minns (Creative Influencer), Blue City: First Visit by Rin Haneda (Best Viral Moment) and A Creative Journey to Our End by Jonathan Carène (Best Music Video)[2].

When and where was the Bionic Awards final?

On 5 March 2026 at Rich Mix, the arts centre and cinema in Shoreditch, east London, in partnership with Adobe. A Creator Summit ran from 2pm to 6pm and the awards from 7pm to 9pm, followed by drinks[12][1].

What categories do the Bionic Awards have?

Season 1 awarded 11: Best Short Film, Best Animation, Best Sound Design, Best Pilot, Best Advert, Best Spec Ad, Best UK Creator, Best Motion Art, Creative Influencer, Best Viral Moment and Best Music Video[2]. Creative Boom's launch story listed twelve, including art installations and digital out-of-home[11]. Season 2 adds a stills category, Alex Pell says[26].

Who judges the Bionic Awards?

Season 1 judges named by Creative Boom and Bionic's opening sequence include Jens Christensen of Pinewood Studios, Brandon Baum of Studio B, Jo Wallace of Jellyfish, Alvaro Corrochano of Hogarth | WPP, Pedro Oliver of Studio X, Simon Morris of Adobe, PJ Accetturo, Christos Michaels, Alison Scorgie, Francesca Palau, Adrian-Florin Ardelean, Afro Futcha and Uncanny Harry; AI LIVE's Chris Branch judged the music categories[11][15][20]. Formula E judges included Henry Daubrez and Jo Wallace[14][25].

What is the Formula E Creators Challenge, or GEN4 Challenge?

A free, worldwide competition run by the Bionic Awards with Formula E and presented by Google Cloud: make a film of up to 60 seconds about the GEN4 car, generated entirely with Google's Gemini Omni or Veo 3.1, with the GEN4 Asset Kit on screen for at least four seconds[7][8]. Entries closed on 30 September 2026, and the nine finalists premiered at BFI IMAX on 22 October[7][6].

Who won the Formula E Creators Challenge 2026?

Nora Bereczki won the Independent Creator Award with Perfected by Evolution, Special (Laurent Marcus and Nathaniel Kiwi) won the Agency Creator Award with Stowaway, and Salma El Makhloufy won the Flow Innovator Award with 1.8, made entirely in Google Flow[6][18][26].

Did Gossip Goblin win a Bionic Award?

Yes. Entered as Zack London, his short Woodnuts won Best Sound Design and was also shortlisted for Best Short Film and Best Pilot[2]. It has more than 9.4 million views on YouTube[27].

How many entries did the Bionic Awards get?

Bionic has not published a Season 1 entry total. By its own count, its finalists came from 51 countries and 39 were invited to London[4]. For the Formula E challenge, Alex Pell said well over 100 films arrived in about three weeks[26].

When is Bionic Awards Season 2 and how do I enter?

Bionic's calendar opens Season 2 entries in October 2026, with a showcase in December, a final deadline in January 2027, a shortlist in February and a live final in London in March 2027; its home-page banner says April 2027[1][14]. Entries go through bionicawards.com, and the new season adds a stills category and something for emerging filmmakers[1][26].

What is the connection between the Bionic Awards and AI LIVE?

AI LIVE co-host Chris Branch judged the Season 1 music categories, moderated the advertising panel at the final and spoke at Bionic's September 2026 event[20][23][13]. The show ran a finalists roundup on Ep. 112, played SAGE's opening sequence on Ep. 113, and co-founder Alex Pell premiered the Formula E trailer on Ep. 131 and its winners on Ep. 136[23][24][25][26].

What does the Bionic Awards look for in an AI film?

Craft and humanity over technical polish. Alex Pell says what is often missing is humanity, soul and craft, and asks whether creators' storytelling has kept pace with the tools[25]. Season 1 rules asked for meaningful use of generative video on any platform, with hybrid workflows allowed[11].

What is Bionic School?

Bionic's training arm: masterclasses and team training led by creators including Chris Branch, Afro Futcha, Uncanny Harry, Toby Hyder, Salma Aboukar and Sophie Sparkes[5].

Is the Bionic Awards a registered company?

Yes. It trades as Bionic Awards through Bionic Tribes Ltd, company number 16502274, incorporated on 6 June 2025 and registered for media representation services[10].

13Sources

Sources

Every fact on this page links to one of these. Figures Bionic reports about itself are marked as its own count. AI LIVE episodes are cited from their recordings, with timestamps in the text.

  1. 1Bionic Awards: the global AI film festivalBionic Awards (home page) · 31 October 2026 · bionicawards.com
  2. 2Bionic Awards 2026: winners and finalistsBionic Awards · 31 October 2026 · bionicawards.com
  3. 3About Bionic: the foundersBionic Awards · 31 October 2026 · bionicawards.com
  4. 4Be a sponsorBionic Awards · 31 October 2026 · bionicawards.com
  5. 5Bionic SchoolBionic Awards · 31 October 2026 · bionicawards.com
  6. 6ABB FIA Formula E Creators Challenge 2026: finalists and winnersBionic Awards · 31 October 2026 · bionicawards.com
  7. 7Formula E Creators Challenge 2026gen4challenge.com · 31 October 2026 · gen4challenge.com
  8. 8Formula E Creators Challenge 2026: official rulesgen4challenge.com · 31 October 2026 · gen4challenge.com
  9. 9Formula E Creators Challenge 2026: finalistsgen4challenge.com · 31 October 2026 · gen4challenge.com
  10. 10BIONIC TRIBES LTD, company number 16502274Companies House · 31 October 2026 · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
  11. 11Curious how filmmakers are using AI? Check out the Bionic AwardsCreative Boom, Tom May · 11 November 2025 · creativeboom.com
  12. 12AI Creator Summit and AwardsTicket Tailor (Bionic Awards event listing) · 5 March 2026 · tickettailor.com
  13. 13Bionic Awards: A New Era Beginsallai.events · 10 September 2026 · allai.events
  14. 14Bionic Awards company page and postsLinkedIn · 31 October 2026 · uk.linkedin.com
  15. 15BIONIC AWARDS Opening SequenceAI Commercials by SAGE, YouTube · 9 March 2026 · youtube.com
  16. 16AI CREATOR SHOWCASE TRAILERAfro Futcha, YouTube · 25 November 2025 · youtube.com
  17. 17Bionic Awards: The Final, behind-the-scenes filmBionic Awards (video on bionicawards.com) · March 2026 · video.wixstatic.com
  18. 18Formula E Creators Challenge 2026: winners reelBionic Awards (video on bionicawards.com) · October 2026 · video.wixstatic.com
  19. 19Formula E Creators Challenge 2026: finalists reelBionic Awards (video on bionicawards.com) · October 2026 · video.wixstatic.com
  20. 20AI LIVE Ep. 106: The Shocking Truth About Runway Gen 4.5 (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 29 January 2026 · youtube.com
  21. 21AI LIVE Ep. 108: Has AI Video Achieved 100% Realism? (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 12 February 2026 · youtube.com
  22. 22AI LIVE Ep. 111: It's Getting Harder to Tell What's Real (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 3 March 2026 · youtube.com
  23. 23AI LIVE Ep. 112: This Work Is Getting Scary! Bionic Awards finalists roundup (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 10 March 2026 · youtube.com
  24. 24AI LIVE Ep. 113: The Wildest AI Video Ever?! (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 17 March 2026 · youtube.com
  25. 25AI LIVE Ep. 131: Formula E Creators Challenge trailer premiere with Alex Pell (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 8 September 2026 · youtube.com
  26. 26AI LIVE Ep. 136: the Formula E Creators Challenge winners with Alex Pell (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 27 October 2026 · youtube.com
  27. 27WOODNUTS | Sci-Fi Short Film (Cosmic Horror)Gossip Goblin, YouTube · 26 December 2025 · youtube.com
  28. 28Bones of Yew (Short Film) | AI-Powered Medieval StorytellingXO Link (Toby Hyder), YouTube · 11 June 2025 · youtube.com
  29. 2913 Ways to Annoy Everyone on Your CommuteIkenna Mokwe, YouTube · 7 June 2025 · youtube.com
  30. 30Céremony (2025) | 4K AI Short FilmParticle Panic (Mark Wachholz), YouTube · 20 December 2025 · youtube.com
  31. 31Award Winning AI Animation | The Twin EarthJaiostudios (Jacopo Zanetti), YouTube · 18 November 2025 · youtube.com
  32. 32Prompt and Punishment: The AI-Created Punching Bag Built by Fiverr FreelancersFiverr, YouTube · 18 August 2025 · youtube.com
  33. 33Data Is the Narrator: London Data Week workshopafrofutcha.com · 8 July 2026 · afrofutcha.com
  34. 34AI LIVE Ep. 114: Clever Girl. This AI Ad Is Dino-Mite! (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 24 March 2026 · youtube.com
  35. 35AI LIVE Ep. 116: This African Creator Just Made a Marvel-Budget Short Film With AI (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 7 April 2026 · youtube.com
  36. 36AI LIVE Ep. 120: This Unfinished AI Film Is The Most Realistic We've Ever Seen (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 12 May 2026 · youtube.com
  37. 37AI LIVE Ep. 132: Kling 4, ElevenLabs v4 and Opus 5.5 Editing Video With Code (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 29 September 2026 · youtube.com
  38. 38AI LIVE Ep. 133: Can Your First AI Film Win a Festival? (recording)AI LIVE, YouTube · 6 October 2026 · youtube.com