The BAFTA Film Awards in London kicked off in style earlier this evening, with Prince William giving film fans a wave as he arrived solo earlier this afternoon ahead of the ceremony.
David Tennant cracked some cheeky jokes as he began his hosting duties at the Royal Festival Hall, taking over from Alison Hammond and Richard E. Grant. Pop icon Sophie Ellis-Bextor performed her legendary hit Murder on the Dance Floor while Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham sang an emotional rendition of Time After Time during the In Memoriam segment.
Oppenheimer cleaned up throughout the night, with the film scooping major awards like Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and the Best Director honour going to Christopher Nolan - with the picture scoring seven awards in total at the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The film's Barbenheimer counterpart Barbie was snubbed when it come to the awards, with Saltburn and Killers of the Flower Moon also going home empty handed.
Things got emotional towards the end of the night, as Back to the Future actor Michael J.Fox made a rare public appearance and received a stand ovation from the star-studded crowd, while former footballer David Beckham angered BBC viewers watching at home thanks to his controversial choice of words when presenting one award.
After Oppenheimer was awarded the Best Film gong, with Emma Thomas giving a sweet speech that mentioned her son, the 2024 awards ceremony came to an end.
Emily Atack and Frankie Bridge lead glamour in daring frocks at pre-BAFTAs party
Luckily, the stars were able to further celebrate their wins by mingling and drinking at the after-party.
The Bafta rising star award has been won by Mia Mckenna-Bruce following a public vote. You can see the full list of winners now.
The star of coming-of-age film How To Have Sex appeared emotional on stage as she thanked her family and her “beautiful baby boy”. The 26-year-old joked that she hopes her little sisters, who do not think “I’m cool”, will change their mind after her win.
Hannah Waddingham performed an emotional performance of Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time as the ceremony remembered those who had died in a special In Memoriam segment. As he introduced the segment, host David Tennant paid tribute to those who had lost their lives, as their names flashed up on a screen whilst Hannah sung.
However, some BBC viewers have spotted a few famous names missing from the moving tributes.
Bafta Fellowship winner Samantha Morton said “money is wasted” in the children’s care system. The actress and director, who grew up in foster care, said after her win in London on Sunday night: “It costs the taxpayer a huge amount of money to keep a child in care, to take care of them.
“And that money is wasted and spent ridiculously. I used to say when I was a kid of many children’s homes, I used to say, ‘It’d be great, why don’t I just go to some fancy boarding school? At least then I get an education’. But that wasn’t on the cards.” She added: “To those kids in care, don’t allow the system to drag you down because it can and it will.”
Last year’s Bafta host Alison Hammond has taken to social media to share a throwback snap after being ‘snubbed’ from this year’s ceremony. The This Morning presenter co-hosted the 2023 Bafta’s with Saltburn actor Richard E. Grant last year, but is nowhere to be seen in the London venue 12 months on.
Taking to her Instagram Stories this evening, Alison reposted a snap taken with a fan from last year’s Bafta’s. The original poster captioned the shot: “Good luck to everyone working on Bafta tonight. Here’s a little throwback of me and the legend that is Alison Hammond living our best lives last year.”
The leading actress Bafta has been won by Emma Stone for Poor Things.
BAFTA hopeful Colin Farrell says animals had 'connection' with him on movie set
American actress Stone said she was “in awe” of all of the team behind the surreal comedy, where she plays Bella Baxter – a woman who is reanimated and implanted with the brain of a baby. She paid tribute to the writers for coming up with the line “I must go punch that baby” in a memorable dinner scene, and also hailed director Yorgos Lanthimos for “our friendship and the gift of Bella”.
Also thanking her mother, Stone said: “She kind of made me believe this crazy idea that I can do something like this.” Stone also thanked her British dialect coach for “not laughing” when she said water in an American accent. Poor Things is based on a 1992 novel by Scottish artist and writer Alasdair Gray.
Cillian Murphy has won the leading actor Bafta for the biopic Oppenheimer. Accepting the trophy he said: “Oh boy, holy moly, thank you very, very much Bafta.”
He paid tribute to “the most dynamic, kindest producer-director partnership in Hollywood: Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, thank you for seeing something in me that I probably didn’t see in myself.”
The Irish actor said to Nolan: “Thank for always pushing me and demanding excellence because that is what you deliver time and time again.” He also acknowledged his “fellow nominees and my Oppenhomies”, adding: “I know it’s a cliche to say, but I’m in awe of you.”
He said J Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, was a “colossally knotty character”, adding: “We have a space to debate and interrogate and investigate that complexity and it’s a privilege to be a part of this community with you all.”
Christopher Nolan has won the best director Bafta for Oppenheimer, his epic tale of how the nuclear bomb was created.
Before accepting the award from actor Hugh Grant, Nolan hugged his Irish star Cillian Murphy who played physicist J Robert Oppenheimer. Nolan joked that his brother “beat him up here” by being in a chorus of a production 40 years ago.
He paid tribute to Murphy and added to those who backed the film: “Thank you for taking on something dark”. The director also acknowledged the efforts of nuclear disarmament organisations to bring peace.
Poor Things has won two more Baftas: for best costume design, and make-up and hair. Elsehwere, he British short animation Bafta was presented to Ross Stringer, Bartosz Stanislawek and Aleksandra Sykulak for Crab Day, about a father and son in a fishing community.
Stringer thanked his parents in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and said the film was about “standing up for yourself, no matter what the world thinks of you”.
(Getty Images for BAFTA)Coverage of the Baftas has now now began on BBC One, with David Tennant kicking off the show in style with a hilarious skit with his dog and pal Michael Sheen.
If you’re waiting until 7pm and planning to watch the Bafta Awards then, look away now…
Comedy drama American Fiction has won best adapted screenplay at the Bafta film awards ceremony. American writer and former Gawker journalist Cord Jefferson said winning a Bafta was “surreal”, and that he had his speech written for him because he did not think he would need it.
Jefferson said in a “risk-averse industry”, he is thankful for his film – about a novelist who spoofs the “black genre” of books, which becomes a ruse he has to maintain – was made.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph has won the supporting actress Bafta for her role in The Holdovers. The American, who plays Mary Lamb, the head of the kitchen at a private school whose son has died during the Vietnam War, paid tribute to her co-star Paul Giamatti. Randolph said she “cries every time” she says his name, as she became emotional. “I’m proud to call you a friend and thank you for never wavering,” she added.
She also hailed her character Mary, who would “never would have got a chance to wear a beautiful gown”, before adding it was a “responsibility I don’t take lightly”.
Robert Downey Jr and Da’Vine Joy Randolph have continued their march to Oscar glory as they were named early winners at the Bafta film awards.
Downey Jr won the best supporting actor prize for his role as Lewis Strauss, head of the Atomic Energy Commission, in Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic about J Robert Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer. The actor has set a new record for the longest gap between wins by any performer.
His award for best supporting actor, for the film Oppenheimer, comes 31 years after his previous Bafta, for the 1993 film Chaplin. The previous record was 27 years, set by Sir Anthony Hopkins in 2021 when he won the award for best actor for The Father, nearly three decades after his 1994 win for Shadowlands.
The Crown actress Meg Bellamy is at the Bafta Awards this evening, as the woman she played in the Netflix series remains out of the spotlight following stomach surgery.
The Kate Middleton actress looked stunning as she posed on the red carpet in a dazzling one-sleeved black gown with a bejewelled neckline.
The casting Bafta has been given to Susan Shopmaker for private school-set The Holdovers, while the editing award has gone to Jennifer Lame for Second World War biopic Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer has won the cinematography Bafta. VFX supervisor Simon Hughes said receiving the special visual effects Bafta for the surreal black comedy Poor Things was a career highlight. “It’s the peak of my career, absolutely for me,” he said. “And to have it happen on such a unique film like this is just a real eye-opener, it’s been such a surreal and such a rewarding experience.”
If you’re waiting until 7pm and planning to watch the Bafta Awards then, look away now…
Surreal black comedy Poor Things has won the Bafta for special visual effects, while The Boy And The Heron has won the best animated film Bafta. Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is not at the ceremony so the award was collected by presenters Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.
Drama film Earth Mama has been honoured with the Bafta for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer. Director Savanah Leaf was sobbing as she took to the stage to be presented with the award for her tale of a pregnant single mother. Leaf said “this is crazy”, adding: “Our lead had never acted before and she poured her heart into this and she was so fearless.” The director was given the award alongside Irish producers Shirley O’Connor and Medb Riordan.
The Zone Of Interest has won the Bafta for a film not in the English language. Director Jonathan Glazer said it was “an out of body experience” to win the award as he paid tribute to his collaborators. Producer James Wilson thanked Glazer for his “virtuosity and his friendship”. He continued: “Walls aren’t new from before or since the Holocaust and it seems stark right now that we should care about innocent people being killed in Gaza or Yemen or Mariupol or Israel.” He added: “Thank your for recognising a film that asks us to think in those spaces.”
David Tennant promised the Bafta film awards “is going to go smoother than Ken’s chest” as he opened the ceremony with a Barbie reference.
Looking out at the star-studded audience, he said: “Look at your in your tuxedos and fancy dresses, like the opening scenes of Saltburn. Let’s hope it doesn’t end up like the closing scenes of Saltburn.” He continued: “Judging these awards is like picking a favourite child – difficult, not impossible, but difficult.”
Bafta host David Tennant joked about the 2024 US presidential election, where Donald Trump and Joe Biden are expected to go head-to-head again, in his opening monologue. Referencing Bafta-nominated surreal comedy Poor Things, the Scottish actor said the film is about how a woman is reanimated and has a child’s brain put into her head, joking: “one of them may even be elected president”.
Saltburn's Richard E Grant joked he would be stripping off for Sophie Ellis-Bextor's performance of Murder on the Dancefloor at the 2024 Bafta Awards tonight.
The iconic 2001 hit flew back into the charts after it appeared at the end of Saltburn. Fans will remember the iconic scene where Barry's character, Oliver, confidently dances naked through the lavish Saltburn estate while Murder on the Dancefloor plays in the background.
Speaking to The Mirror on the red carpet this evening, Richard joked: "We were in the nude most of the time. Tonight when Sophie Ellis-Bextor performs, all the cast will be taking their clothes off in the stalls."
The first category of the evening is original screenplay, with the award going to Anatomy of a Fall. The nominees were Barbie, The Holdovers, Maestro and Past Lives.
British actress Claire Foy said she has been “overwhelmed” at the response to All Of Us Strangers, the film for which she earned her Bafta best supporting actress nomination.
Speaking to the PA news agency on the red carpet, Foy said: “I think I’ve been so overwhelmed with the response the film’s had, just (going) out and about every day, and it’s amazing to have been part of something that has had that impact. I’m just so thrilled… something I never thought I would get from my job, which is really amazing.”
Bafta chairwoman Sara Putt has sent the Princess of Wales “our best wishes” in a pre-ceremony address at the annual film awards following Prince William arriving on his own amid his wife's health issues.
She also referred to 2023 as “a year of immense challenge for our industry”, but added: “The creative force of the British film industry is proudly on display tonight.”
Florence Pugh was delighted to arrive on the red carpet earlier, running over to a pal and enjoying a char before heading inside the Royal Festival Hall in London.
The Dune 2 star, 28, turned heads in her gown for the evening, with the Don’t Worry Darling actress stunning in a corset-esque dress complete with a chic shawl in her hands as she posed for pics.
Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor was a proud mum earlier today as she arrived in London to support her daughter, Phoebe, at the 2024 BAFTAs.
The 60-year-old soap legend is mum to 28-year-old Phoebe who is one of the 2024 EE Rising Star Award nominees. She has been nominated for her role in gritty Netflix film Fair Play which won her critical praise. Sally - who has played Sally Metcalfe in the long-running ITV soap since 1986 - looked elegant in a black gown as she stepped out to support her daughter. Phoebe, meanwhile, looked dazzling in a white silk dress with a plunging neckline.
Bafta president Prince William has arrived on his own ahead of the ceremony kicking off shortly, as his wife Kate Middleton continues to recover from recent abdominal surgery.
His attendance at the event will be his first official public appearance since his wife’s operation last month. William, who is president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, was originally scheduled to skip the star-studded ceremony due to Kate’s health issues but has seemingly had a last-minute change of heart.
Margot Robbie is ready to discover if she will be heading home with a Bafta to add to her bugling trophy cabinet later this evening. The Australian actress is nominated for best actress in a leading role for her titular role in summer blockbuster Barbie, which the talented star also produced.
Barbie is up for five awards overall this evening, including best actor in a supporting role for Ryan Gosling and best original screenplay for Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach.
Barry Keoghan recreating his naked dance to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder On The Dancefloor in Saltburn “maybe a bit much” for the Bafta ceremony, the singer said.
Irish star Keoghan is nominated for best actor for playing a student at Oxford who becomes enthralled by a wealthier classmate. When asked about Keoghan re-doing it, Ellis-Bextor told the PA news agency on the Bafta red carpet: “It might be a bit much for him first thing but we have had a moment together already… I was lucky enough to meet all the Saltburn cast back in November in LA at the premiere, so it’d be nice to see them again because I think what they’ve achieved with the film is wonderful so I just want to toast that.”
She also said that she “felt very complimented” by director Emerald Fennell choosing her 2001 song for the film. Read all about Keoghan's rise to fame ahead of the Bafta Awards kicking off in a couple of hours.
Back To Black actress Marisa Abela has said that Amy Winehouse’s life was not just “soaked in tragedy” and added that the upcoming biopic she stars in will remind people why they fell in love with the singer.
Speaking to the PA news agency on the Baftas red carpet, she said: “I don’t know that her (Winehouse’s) whole life was soaked in tragedy, I think that’s what we wanted to bring back is, remember why you fell in love with this woman – the hooks, the energy, the lust for life, the hunger to sort of suck every drop out of life.”
She added: “Part of the reason we fell in love with her was because she was honest and brutal and iconic and amazing, fearless. So we just wanted to bring that back, you know?”
The celebs are upping the style stakes tonight - and there are so many incredible looks on the red carpet. Click below to see all the best looks from the red carpet including Margot Robbie, Michelle Keegan and more.
Ayo Edebri is up for the Rising Star Award, and she looked incredible on the red carpet.
The Rising Star Award has been voted for by the public, with Phoebe Dynevor, Jacob Elordi, Mia Mckenna-Bruce and Sophie Wilde also nominated.
Previous winners of the award include Kristen Stewart, Tom Hardy, John Boyega, Tom Holland, Daniel Kaluuya and Letitia Wright. In 2023, Emma Mackey took home the prize.
Ayo EdebriPhoebe Dynevor arrived at the BAFTAs tonight alongside her mum Sally Dynevor.
Sally will be best known to British fans for her role in Coronation Street, where she plays Sally Metcalfe. She was seen on the red carpet signing autographs for fans alongside her daughter Phoebe, who is best known for her role in Bridgerton.
Phoebe Dynevor arrives with her mum Sally (Getty Images for BAFTA)David Beckham has opened up about the importance of his documentary, which he described as a "labour of love". Chatting on the red carpet, he thanked the fans for their reaction to his documentary.
"I was very fortunate to play that role with my documentary," he said of being executive producer, as he also discussed how lucky him and the team were to work on Ronnie O'Sullivan's documentary too.
Emily Blunt, Emma Stone and Margot Robbie arrived on the red carpet tonight looking incredible. The Hollywood icons posed together as they marked the occasion.
Margot is nominated for Best Actress for her role in Barbie whilst Emma Stone is nominated for Best Actress in Poor Things. Emily Blunt is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Oppenheimer.
