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