The 18th Empire Awards ceremony, presented by the British film magazine Empire, honored the best films of 2012 and took place on 24 March 2013 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, England. During the ceremony, Empire presented Empire Awards in 13 categories as well as four honorary awards. The honorary Outstanding Contribution to British Film Award was renamed Outstanding Contribution. The Art of 3D Award as well as the honorary Empire Legend Award and Outstanding Contribution Award were presented for the last time. The ceremony was televised in the United Kingdom by Sky Movies on March 30. Irish comedian Ed Byrne hosted the show for the first time. The awards were sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey for the fifth consecutive year.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a 2012 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the first installment in The Hobbit trilogy, acting as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.