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Spend on UK film and TV production in the UK soared in 2016, reaching 拢1.6 billion, a 13 per cent increase on 2015, according to figures released by the BFI. Of that, 拢1.35 billion was invested by 48 major inward investment films basing themselves in the UK.

Showing that we鈥檙e more than capable of competing on the world stage, this year鈥檚 top three grossing films at the UK box office were all made on British soil: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Bridget Jones鈥檚 Baby. Overall there was a good turnout at the UK box office too, with cinema ticket sales at a second time high, raking in 拢1.227 billion.

But film wasn鈥檛 the only sector to thrive in 2016. TV too had its moment, with overseas companies flocking to the UK to spend 拢478 million on making high-end TV shows such as The Crown and Game of Thrones.

Foreign markets were also clamouring for our creative content, with figures from PACT鈥檚 UK Television Exports Report showing that UK鈥檚 sales of television exports to international markets have risen by 10 per cent, from 拢1.2 billion in 2014/15 to 拢1.3 billion in 2015/16. There鈥檚 also been a large increase in sales in the Chinese market, which is up 40 per cent on 2014/15, with the UK and China TV co-production treaty signed at the end of last year sure to further boost those numbers.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said:

It鈥檚 no surprise that our creative industries go from strength to strength when we can boast such superb talent and expertise. The UK is an international powerhouse of film, TV and music and this Government will keep backing our creative brilliance. As we prepare to leave the European Union this success story is a great advert for Global Britain 鈥� an outward-looking, globally-minded country that is open for business.

Proving that music is the UK鈥檚 forte, figures released by UK record labels鈥� association the BPI, showed that the continuing surge in audio streaming and accelerating demand for vinyl LPs helped achieve another successful year for British music in 2016. We were listening to even more music last year thanks to an explosive rise in audio streaming, which has increased 500 per cent since 2013.

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive of BPI and the BRIT Awards said:

Propelled by the remarkable talent of its artists, and the investment and digital engagement of its record labels, British music has conquered the world. This success has not just fuelled our music exports - in 2015 accounting for 1 in 6 albums sold around the world - it has enhanced the global appeal of British culture and in the process also made music the UK鈥檚 international calling card.

Our acts dominated the UK charts, with 7 out of the year鈥檚 top 10 best-selling artists coming from the UK. The popularity of Tottenham鈥檚 Adele showed no sign of diminishing, with the songstress again winning 2016鈥檚 best-selling artist album - the 12th year in a row the best-seller has come from UK. Other British acts that fared well include Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, whose duets album Together was the 2016鈥檚 best-selling new release artist album, while The 1975 topped both the UK and US charts. With the BAFTAs and Grammys set to take centre stage this evening, and the BRIT awards and Oscars just around the corner, it looks like there will be even more to celebrate in 2017.

Adele and the late David Bowie lead the charge at this year鈥檚 Grammys, and there鈥檚 a visual feast of TV and film up for nomination at this year鈥檚 BAFTAs including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The Brit awards will be the ultimate British celebration of some of our best talent, and with a slew of British talent vying for Oscars, we will be able to reaffirm to the world that our creative industries are a force to be reckoned with, even though we contain less than one per cent of the world鈥檚 population.

According to the British Film Commission, there are a whole host of UK-made films set to wow us this year as they hit the big screen including Warner Bros.鈥檚 Ready Player One, Disney鈥檚 Beauty and the Beast, Lucasfilm鈥檚 Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Twentieth Century Fox鈥檚 Murder on the Orient Express.

And proving that Britain is still open for business and has the global reputation to attract talent from overseas, expect to see the likes of Mary Poppins Returns and detectives Holmes and Watson being filmed in the UK this year.

Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI said:

British stories and British talent are firing the global imagination. Films and television series such as I, Daniel Blake, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Notes on Blindness and The Crown are generating investment, creating jobs and thrilling audiences 鈥� and fingers crossed winning yet more awards 鈥� at home and internationally. UK Film and TV employ tens of thousands in the UK, help bring international investment to our shores and take British culture to nations around the world. We can all be justifiably proud of the UK鈥檚 success in these most dynamic and exciting art-forms.

As for TV produced in the UK, we can expect to see more of HBO鈥檚 Game of Thrones on our sets, along with Netflix/Left Bank鈥檚 The Crown, Starz鈥�/Company Pictures The White Princess, Crackle鈥檚 Snatch, TNT鈥檚 Will and Sony鈥檚 Outlander.

It looks to be a stellar line-up for music too, with the likes of Stormzy, Gorillaz, Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, Tinie Tempah, Liam Gallagher and Deep Purple all set to put out new music.

Notes to Editors

• The UK-China TV Co-Production Treaty was signed in December 2016. Building upon the Film Co-Production Treaty, this is the second country to have this in place.
• Inward investment for Film is: 拢1.35 billion and for TV is 250 million.
• In 2014, the UK film industry had a turnover of 拢7.7 billion. The industry鈥檚 direct contribution to Gross Domestic Product in 2014 was 拢4.3 billion. The industry exported 拢1.2 billion worth of services in 2014, made up of 拢519 million in royalties and 拢655 million in film production services. Exports in 2014 were 21 per cent higher than in 2005. The UK film trade surplus in 2014 was 拢715 million. (BFI).
• Exports for Music in 2014 stood at 拢644 million.