Ainslie Henderson

Ainslie Henderson
Born (1979-01-28) 28 January 1979 (age 45)
OriginEdinburgh, Scotland
GenresAcoustic, alternative, indie rock
Years active2001–present
LabelsMercury Records (2003), Amphibian Husbandry
Formerly ofSuburbia

Ainslie Thomas Henderson (born 28 January 1979) is a Scottish animator and singer-songwriter. He gained fame via his participation in the BBC's television programme, Fame Academy, in 2002.[1] He signed a recording contract with Mercury Records[2] after leaving the show, having been placed fourth. His subsequent single, "Keep Me a Secret", written alongside fellow contestants in Fame Academy, reached the fifth position on the UK Singles Chart.[3]

In 2006, Henderson independently released his debut album, Growing Flowers by Candlelight, which consisted of indie rock and acoustic songs. In promotion of the album, he embarked on a series of live music shows in the UK throughout 2007 and 2008.[4] In the same year, Henderson starred in short film Mono directed by British screenwriter Richard Smith.[5]

In 2009, Henderson took a break from music[6] and attended the Edinburgh College of Art,[7] where he met future collaborator Will Anderson. In 2011,[8] the two collaborated on documentary animated film The Making of Longbird, for which Henderson co-wrote and animated. The film went on to win a BAFTA for Short Animation in 2013.[9]

Since then, Henderson has worked on both solo and collaborative projects. His graduation film, I Am Tom Moody (2012),[8] received a BAFTA Award nomination in 2014.[10] In 2014, Henderson collaborated with Anderson on animation short film Monkey Love Experiments, which went on to win a BAFTA Scotland Award in 2014[11] and receive a BAFTA Award nomination in 2015.[12] Henderson also animated a music video for the single "Moving On" by the band James.[13]

In 2015, Henderson collaborated with Anderson on short film Stems as a director, together with British composer Poppy Ackroyd, which earned a BAFTA Scotland Award.[14] In 2019, Henderson directed stop motion short film Archie.[8] In 2022, Henderson co-wrote and directed documentary film A Cat Called Dom with Anderson. Henderson's 2023 film, again in collaboration with Anderson and Ackroyd, was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award.[15]

Henderson mostly works with the stop-motion medium, with materials such as plasticine.[7]

  1. ^ English, Paul (15 July 2006). "The Big Intervgiew: Go Fourth from Academy". The Daily Record. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  2. ^ The Newsroom (23 March 2007). "Ainslie takes a second shot at fame". The Scotsman. p. 1. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 250. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ^ "Ainslie Henderson tours, tickets, shows". Last.fm. 20 January 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  5. ^ "British Council Film: Mono". Film-directory.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Director Interview: Ainslie Henderson". Fantasticmusicvideos.com. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson - Interview - The Skinny". Theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Ainslie Hederson - bio". Ainsliehenderson.com. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  9. ^ "2013 Film Short Animation | BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  10. ^ "2014 Film British Short Animation | BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  11. ^ "2014 Scotland Animation | BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  12. ^ "2015 Film British Short Animation | BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  13. ^ "James unveil new video for 'Moving On' by BAFTA winner Ainslie Henderson – Never Enough Notes". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  14. ^ "BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Scotland in 2023 | BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 25 January 2024.