The night felt lighter, edgier, and with a buzzy energy that’s been missing from the British awards for some time. Inside the auditorium, guests who’d initially shared reservations about the awards’ new venue of Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank had to admit that the tighter setting – a far cry from the atmospheric but cavernous nature of Royal Albert Hall, the stately home of the film awards in previous years – provided a far more intimate setting for the BAFTAs. Yeoh, Curtis, Bassett and Henwick were among the stars battling it out for an award, with Yeoh and Curtis nominated for their turns in “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Bassett in the running for Best Supporting Actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and Henwick nominated for her short “Bus Girl.”ĭeBose won last year for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “West Side Story” while Redmayne won a Best Actor gong in 2014 for “The Theory of Everything.” The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the BAFTA Film Awards 2023 Other attendees included Angela Bassett, Jessica Henwick, Patrick Stewart, Emma Thompson and fashion designer Vera Wang. The prince is president of BAFTA, an honorary role.Īlso in the audience were nominees, presenters and guests including Michelle Yeoh, Eddie Redmayne, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana DeBose and Mccormack (pictured above, left to right). Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson Prince William and his wife the Princess of Wales were in the audience at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday evening. Later in the ceremony, Helen Mirren – who played the monarch in “The Queen” – also delivered a two-minute tribute. BAFTA Chair Krishnendu Majumdar opened the ceremony by paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died last September. Other than the unfortunate Best Supporting Actress mix-up, the ceremony ran without a hitch, featuring performances from last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner Ariana DeBose and singer-songwriter Dylan. He also joked - in reference to last year’s now infamous Oscars slap - “Nobody on my watch gets slapped tonight, except on the back.” As he took to the stage, pretending to run late, he quipped: “What could be more British than a delayed train?” Grant who arrived in a Batmobile wearing a floor-length white cape with a train. The ceremony, at the Royal Festival Hall in London, was hosted by “Loki” actor Richard E. Costume designer Catherine Martin was unable to attend so her husband and “Elvis” director Baz Luhrmann accepted on her behalf. In addition to Butler’s win the film won in three craft categories: Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Casting and Best Costume.

But it was a disappointing night for “Tár,” with writer and director Todd Field losing out in the Best Original Screenplay and Best Director categories. The top acting awards of the night went to Cate Blanchett and Austin Butler for their respective turns in “Tár” and “Elvis.” Blanchett joined a number of stars, including Michelle Yeoh, Colin Farrell and Dolly DeLeon, in sporting a blue UNHCR blue ribbon in solidarity with refugees. Combined with Tom Berkeley and Ross White’s “An Irish Goodbye” winning Best Short it proved a celebratory night for Ireland’s film industry, with “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” actor Daryl McCormack, who was nominated for both Best Actor and Rising Star, joking it was the “Irish BAFTAs” on the red carpet ahead of the ceremony.

Breaking the quiet