BBC Cymru Wales and Iris Prize unveil the latest 19 Pink Portraits for 2026

Tuesday, 29 September 2026

 

  • Pink Portraits 2026 will launch in St David’s Dewi Sant on 12 October, the opening night of the 20th edition of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ film festival
  • The portraits will be on display at the BBC Cymru Wales headquarters in Central Square, USW’s Atrium campus, Cineworld Cardiff, home of the 2026 Iris Prize Festival, and at St David’s Dewi Sant for Iris Week
  • Cardiff creative Harrison Williams is the photographer and creator of Pink Portraits 2026
  • A short film shot and edited by Kole Parrott will be shown on opening night, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the Pink Portraits 2026
  • “In this our 20th anniversary year we’ve pulled out all the stops and are delighted to be working with BBC Cymru Wales.” Berwyn Rowlands

Team Iris and BBC Cymru Wales are thrilled to unveil the 19 Pink Portraits for 2026 created by Harrison Williams. The Pink Portraits 2026 celebrates LGBTQ+ colleagues whose experiences and individuality help shape the BBC in Wales. Featuring 19 people from across the organisation – from presenters and journalists to producers and editors – the project is produced by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with Iris Prize and Ffotogallery. BTS – Pink Portraits 2026 is filmed and edited by Kole Parrott, a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the Pink Portraits 2026, will be shown on Opening Night (Monday, 12 October).

Unveiled at St David’s Dewi Sant – one of the leading European retail destinations – during Iris Prize’s 20th anniversary year, the portraits reflect the power of being  seen, heard and valued, and they will remain on display for the week of the festival in the area just outside TGI Fridays.

Full of pride, personality and heart, the Pink Portraits highlight the people  behind the content that connect with audiences across Wales and beyond, and the importance of creating an environment where everyone can be themselves. The portraits will be on display at Cineworld Cardiff, and the exhibition that Ffotogallery are holding of the images as part of their Ffoto Cymru Festival will be on display from 2 to 31 October in the Atrium, the Cardiff campus of University of South Wales.

BBC Cymru Wales presenter Owain Wyn Evans, who was one of the sitters, said: “Pink Portraits is such a joyful celebration of identity, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of it. I’ve always admired the work of Iris, and as an LGBTQ+ person at the BBC, I now feel able to bring my whole self to work, and I feel very lucky to do so. If these portraits help even one person feel a little more confident, more represented or more proud of who they are, then that’s something really worth celebrating.”

Pink Portraits 2026 will be the fourth year of the second iteration of the project, which was initially launched in 2010. The Iris Prize, together with the UK Film Council, commissioned celebrated Scottish portrait photographer, Donald MacLellan to photograph 20 gay and lesbian professionals working in front and behind the lens. They included Simon Callow, Terence Davies, Stephen Fry, Phyllida Lloyd, Mark Gatiss, Briony Hanson, Sean Mathias, Sir Ian McKellen, Berwyn Rowlands, Sophie Ward and Sir Antony Sher.

This year, sitters include the journalist Felicity Evans; the reporter David Grundy; the presenter Owain Wyn Evans; and Production Coordinator and podcaster Jack Davies.

Iris Prize Festival Director Berwyn Rowlands said: “The Pink Portraits have become an important part of the film festival’s ability to connect with the wider community through photography. In this our 20th anniversary year we’ve pulled out all the stops and are delighted to be working with BBC Cymru Wales. The portraits taken by Cardiff creative Harrison Williams can be seen in at Cineworld, St Davids Dewi Sant and at the BBC Cymru Wales headquarters in Central Square, as well as online.” 

Garmon Rhys, Interim Director of BBC Cymru Wales, said: “Our 2026 partnership with the Pink Portraits is a powerful celebration of the people who make BBC Cymru Wales what it is, and I’m looking forward to seeing these portraits brought to life and displayed across Cardiff over the next month. We’re proud to partner with the Iris Prize in its 20th anniversary year to showcase stories of visibility, authenticity and belonging.” 

Here is a full list of sitters for the Pink Portraits 2026

Dylan Reynolds, Production Apprentice
Ella West, Assistant Editor
Rhian Fuller, Production Manager
David Grundy, Reporter
Lois Jones, Content Producer
Tyler Edwards, Journalist
Owain Wyn Evans, Presenter
Jack Davies, Production Coordinator
Felicity Evans, Money Editor
Jacob Cook, Production Apprentice
Jake Sawyers, Tour Guide
Soph Karpaty, Tour Guide
Amy Mackrill, Journalist
George Lee, BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, Head of Artistic Planning & Production
Ben Evans, Content Producer
Miriam Barker, Journalist
Caitlin Jones, Production Apprentice
Tim Dodd, Journalist
Glyn Lewis (1973-2026), BBC TV Presentation, Announcer Director

Iris Prize returns for the 20th edition on Monday 12 October until Sunday 18 October, with the support of the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding. 

The main festival sponsors are: The Michael Bishop Foundation; Creative Wales, a Welsh Government agency that supports the creative sectors in Wales; the BFI awarding funds from The National Lottery; Ffilm Cymru Wales; Film4; University of South Wales; Co-op Respect; Ymddiried – Media Grants Cymru, Bad Wolf; S4C; Gorilla Group; Pinewood Studios; Attitude Magazine; Diva Magazine; Movie Marker; The Ministry Venues, British Council Wales, and Transport for Wales. The festival also works in partnership BAFTA Cymru, Pride Cymru, and Visit Cardiff.