London: The BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday saw the papal selection thriller Conclave and period drama The Brutalist emerge as the biggest winners, each securing four awards.
Leading the nominations with 12 nods, Conclave claimed the prestigious Best Film award, along with Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.
“We live in a time of a crisis of democracy, and institutions that are usually used to bring us together are used to pull us apart,” said Conclave director Edward Berger while accepting the Outstanding British Film award.
“And sometimes it’s hard to keep the faith in that situation, but that’s why we make movies and that’s why we made this movie.”
Meanwhile, The Brutalist, a three-and-a-half-hour epic following a Hungarian immigrant architect rebuilding his life in post-World War II America, also had a strong showing. Though considered a frontrunner for Best Film, it ultimately won Best Director for Brady Corbet and Best Actor for Adrien Brody.
“This film is really about this pursuit of leaving something meaningful, and I think that is something we can all relate to,” Brody said in his acceptance speech.
The Brutalist also secured wins for Best Original Score and Best Cinematography, reinforcing its artistic acclaim.
Mikey Madison Stuns with Best Actress Win
In one of the night’s biggest surprises, Mikey Madison clinched the Leading Actress award for her performance in Anora, where she portrays an exotic dancer entangled with a Russian oligarch’s son.
Many had expected the award to go to either Demi Moore for her role in the body horror film The Substance or Marianne Jean-Baptiste for her powerful depiction of a woman battling depression in Hard Truths.
“I really wasn’t expecting this,” Madison admitted.
“I want to take a moment to recognize the sex worker community … you deserve respect and human decency. I will always be your friend.”
Anora has been a strong contender this awards season, securing victories at the Critics Choice Awards and the Producers and Directors Guild of America Awards. It was also in the running for Best Film alongside the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
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Emilia Perez and Supporting Role Wins
Best Film nominee Emilia Perez, a genre-blending musical crime drama, won Best Film Not in the English Language.
“This is too nice, you shouldn’t have done that,” said director Jacques Audiard while accepting the award. “This award is not just for me but for everyone who worked tirelessly on this film.”
He also acknowledged the film’s cast, including Karla Sofia Gascon, who had been nominated for Leading Actress but was absent from the ceremony.
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Zoe Saldana won Best Supporting Actress for her role as a lawyer aiding a Mexican cartel leader—played by Gascon—in faking his death and transitioning from a man to a woman.
Despite early awards buzz, Emilia Perez lost momentum following controversy surrounding Gascon, who faced backlash over past social media posts deemed offensive to various communities. Gascon later apologized and announced she would step back from the public eye to prevent harming the film’s Oscar campaign.
In the Supporting Actor category, Kieran Culkin triumphed for his role in the dramedy A Real Pain, which also earned Best Original Screenplay for writer-director Jesse Eisenberg.
