| W |
ith actor David Tennant returning to host the 2025 BAFTAs, Conclave and The Brutalist took home the top honours with each film, winning four awards. Conclave, directed by Edward Berger, took home the Best Film award. This tense thriller explores the machinations of papal elections and the power struggles behind them.
It also won for Outstanding British Film, Editing, and Adapted Screenplay. In his acceptance speech, Berger reflected on the seven years it had taken to make the movie and thanked screenwriter Peter Straughan and Ralph Fiennes for their excellent contributions. “We live in a time of democratic crisis. The institutions that unite us are being used to divide us. Sometimes it’s hard to keep faith, and that’s why we make films,” said Berger while accepting the award for Best British Film.
Despite Fiennes having received high praise for his role as a Cardinal in Conclave, he once again went home empty-handed. We really do hope he wins an award soon, considering his impressive repertoire of films.
The award for Best Actor went to Adrien Brody for The Brutalist, a movie about an immigrant moving to America.
The biggest shock of the evening was Mikey Madison, 25, winning Best Actress for her role in Anora, a darkly comedic take on a sex worker’s tumultuous love life, surpassing front-runner Demi Moore. Madison dedicated her award to “the sex worker community, which deserves dignity and respect”.
At the same time, Emilia Pérez—a surreal musical about a cartel leader undergoing a gender transition—won two awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña. In her emotional acceptance speech, she honoured her transgender nephew, saying, “I was told not to cry by my children, so I’m going to try. This is such a validation and an absolute honour.”
Saldaña, 46, reflected on the artistic challenge of the film, stating, “This was a creative challenge of a lifetime. How do you begin to even approach a film that defies categorisation? You start by taking the lead with Jacques Audiard, so thank you very much. I want to thank my very wonderful cast and the crew who poured their hearts into the film. I want to thank my mum for being such a selfless person,” the actress continued. “Thanks to you, I’m able to do anything I want. My husband, you are God’s favourite, and I hate it—but you are so beautiful!”
The film’s momentum had waned in recent weeks after controversial tweets from lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón surfaced a few weeks prior.
Kieran Culkin (Succession) took home the Best Supporting Actor award for A Real Pain, a story about two cousins who journey to Poland to honour their grandmother. The film also earned Jesse Eisenberg the Best Original Screenplay award.
In the technical categories, The Brutalist excelled in Cinematography and Original Score. The blockbuster Dune: Part Two won only two awards, for Visual Effects and Sound, while Wicked impressed with wins in Costume and Production Design. Wallace & Gromit: Veng-eance Most Fowl entertained audiences, winning both Animated Feature and Children’s and Family Film.
Notably, Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) was the only female nominee for directing.
Prince William and Princess Catherine did not attend the ceremony for the first time in several years. The royal couple was reportedly vacationing on the private island of Mustique, though Prince William did send a pre-recorded video message.
The results highlighted the remarkable nature of the BAFTAs in comparison to the Golden Globes, leaving many stars, such as Timothée Chalamet and Ariana Grande, without any awards. The evening was filled with cheers and surprises, celebrating the ambition of filmmaking and the power of storytelling in reflecting or challenging the world.
The Complete list of Winners
Best Film
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – Winner
Emilia Pérez
Outstanding British Film
Bird
Blitz
Conclave – Winner
Gladiator II
Hard Truths
Kneecap
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
The Outrun
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Hoard
Kneecap – Winner
Monkey Man
Santosh
Sister Midnight
Best Children’s & Family Film
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
The Wild Robot
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Winner
Best Film not in the English language
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Peréz – Winner
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best Documentary
Black Box Diaries
Daughters
No Other Land
Superman: The Christopher Reeve – Winner
Will and Harper
Best Animated Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
The Wild Robot
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Winner
Best Director
Sean Baker, Anora
Edward Berger, Conclave
Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Peréz
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist – Winner
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Best Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – Winner
Emilia Peréz
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Best Original Screenplay
Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain – Winner
Sean Baker, Anora
Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap
Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Best Leading Actor
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Hugh Grant, Heretic
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist – Winner
Best Leading Actress
Mikey Madison, Anora – Winner
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Peréz
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun
Demi Moore, The Substance
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Best Supporting Actor
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain – Winner
Yura Borisov, Anora
Clarance Maclin, Sing Sing
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Best Supporting Actress
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Selena Gomez, Emilia Peréz
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Peréz – Winner
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Best Original Score
Conclave
Emilia Peréz
Nosferatu
The Brutalist – Winner
The Wild Robot
Best Production Design
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Brutalist
Wicked – Winner
Special Visual Effects
Better Man
Dune: Part Two – Winner
Gladiator II
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Make-up and Hair
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Peréz
Nosferatu
The Substance – Winner
Wicked
Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Blitz
Conclave
Nosferatu
Wicked – Winner
Editing
Anora
Conclave – Winner
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Peréz
Kneecap
Casting
Yesi Ramirez, A Complete Unknown
Sean Baker, Samantha Quan, Anora – Winner
Carmen Cuba, Stepanie Gorin, The Apprentice
Nina Gold, Martin Ware, Conclave
Carla Stronge, Kneecap
Cinematography
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Peréz
Nosferatu
The Brutalist – Winner
Best Sound
Blitz
Dune: Part Two – Winner
Gladiator II
The Substance
Wicked
British short animation
Adiós
Mog’s Christmas
Wander to Wonder – Winner
British Short Film
Marion
Milk
Rock, Paper, Scissors – Winner
Stomach Bug
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
EE Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Marisa Abela
Jarel Jerome
David Jonson – Winner
Mickey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan