The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has announced 11-year-old Maidah from Liverpool as the winner of its Create the Card Competition in partnership with Universal Pictures for Wicked: For Good. The film is the electrifying finale to last year’s worldwide sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation in history and earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

Maidah’s design will be seen by cinema audiences nationwide, appearing as the official BBFC Black Card before every UK screening of Wicked: For Good, when the film lands in cinemas on November 21st.

Maidah’s artwork proved the most popular among 700 entrants, with Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu revealing her design as the winning creation in a specially recorded video message. Chu commented: “You can tell how much dedication and creativity has gone into this artwork. And I can’t wait to see Maidah’s breathtaking artwork on the big screen”.

In another dedicated video, members of the film’s cast—Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible)—react to seeing Maidah’s creation for the first time, congratulating her and saying that she would make a “fine student” at Shiz, the most prestigious university in Oz, where the witches of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda, first met in the first Wicked movie.

Crafting the Winning Card

Using a combination of water-based paint, acrylic pens, and colouring pencils, Maidah’s winning artwork captures the heart of Wicked: For Good, celebrating the power of friendship, defying expectations and discovering the magic of doing good together.

The finished piece, which took Maidah over a week to complete, depicts Glinda and Elphaba standing hand-in-hand before the glittering Emerald City, bathed in soft pinks, golden ambers, and shimmering green hues. Two hot-air balloons—one pink, one green—drift through a starlit sky, symbolising unity and hope and dreams taking flight.

The artwork began as part of her class teacher, Miss Miller’s ‘Wicked Art Club’ project, but Maidah’s passion led her to continue refining it at home and during lunchtime Art Club until it was complete.

Explaining her inspiration, Maidah, who has loved Wicked “forever” said, “I wanted to show that Elphaba and Glinda are both good—they just have their own kinds of magic”.

Her signature will now appear on the official BBFC Black Card, alongside those of Natasha Kaplinsky, BBFC President and BBFC CEO, David Austin.

As part of her prize, Maidah and her family enjoyed a magical winner’s day experience in London. Their adventure began with an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the BBFC, where Maidah learned how films are classified from a BBFC Compliance Officer.

The day concluded in spectacular style at the European premiere of Wicked: For Good in London, where Maidah walked the yellow brick carpet alongside the film’s stars—Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), and director Jon M. Chu—, and Maidah’s artwork appeared on the big screen for the very first time. Maidah’s creation was celebrated by all in attendance—a moment truly for the Ozian history books.

Natasha Kaplinsky OBE, President of the BBFC, commented: “Each year, our Create the Card Competition reminds us how imaginative and thoughtful young people can be. Maidah’s artwork captures everything we hoped to celebrate with this competition — creativity, imagination and the courage to tell your own story. Her design, brimming with creativity and wickedly wonderful and perfectly reflects the spirit of Wicked: For Good. We can’t wait for audiences across the UK to see it light up the big screen before the film. The Create the Card Competition is not just about inspiring creativity — it’s about helping young people understand the importance of age ratings and media literacy, empowering them to make confident and informed viewing choices.”

Erika Lewington, Marketing Director UK & Eire, Universal Pictures International, added: “Wicked: For Good celebrates the power of friendship and finding your own voice, and Maidah’s artwork brings that message to life in such a creative, joyful way. We’re delighted to partner with the BBFC on this initiative, which gives young people a platform to share their talent with millions of cinemagoers.”

Other posts by :

1. Major banks support AST SpaceMobile
2. Fitch downgrades DirecTV debt
3. BBC: You’ll miss me when I’m gone
4. Some new US Starlink subs face $1,000 start-up fee
5. Project Kuiper beating OneWeb
6. OQ Tech gets Luxembourg 5G-by-Sat concession
7. Roskosmos: Heads roll, launch project scrapped
8. MDA under pressure over satellite order
9. SES backs C-band action from FCC

Categories: Press Releases

Tags: BBFC, Wicked