The Royal Albert Hall in London, saw the biggest and most glittering night in British cinema as the 2025 British Film Academy Awards (BAFTA) was held. The award night saw Conclave and The Brutalist emerge as top winners with four awards each.
Mikey Madison surprises with leading actress award for ‘Anora’
Mikey Madison won leading actress for ‘Anora,’ winning a tough category of nominees that included Demi Moore of ‘The Substance’ and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, star of ‘Hard Truths.’ “I really wasn’t expecting this, I probably should have listened to my publicist and written something,” she said as she went on to pay gratitude to the sex worker community, whom she had worked with while preparing for her role. She added, “I just want to say I see you, you deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally, and I implore others to do the same.”
Zoe Saldaña breaks rules as she accepts the BAFTAs’ supporting actress prize
Zoe Saldaña gave passionate acceptance speech for the best supporting actress award for ‘Emilia Perez’ which she began by saying that her children told her not to cry. Well, she did cry twice but also realised that she was being timed out and swore too, which is a big no-no for the BAFTAS. “Films should inspire change, touching hearts and provoking thought, and I truly hope Emilia Perez has done that,” she said. She went on to thank her cast, Karla, Selena, Adriana by concluding, “Voices need to be heard—just maybe not my English accent. Bye, guys.”
Host David Tennant gets the BAFTAs
underway with a sing-along
Returning host David Tennant kept the evening a pleasant for a strong year of cinema. The host began singing the Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),’ eventually transitioning to Tennant live in the theater singing and dancing his way down to the stage. He received great applause as he sang the song with rewritten lyrics, “I would walk 500 miles to host one BAFTAs more.” His monologue was short, with jokes about sequels and the nominated films of the year especially with Timothee Chalamet’s performances.
Adrien Brody wins the Best Actor for ‘The Brutalist’
Adrien Brody competed against the contenders, including Timothee Chalamet for ‘A Complete Unknown’, Sebastian Stan for ‘The Apprentice’, and Ralph Fiennes for ‘Conclave’. Looking forward to the Oscars, Brody has already won the Best Actor award at Golden Globes trophy and Critics Choice Award and now the BAFTAs, for his role of Laszlo Toth in ‘The Brutalist’.