The Brutalist and Conclave among winners at this year’s Bafta film awards
Best Film winners Conclave including Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini and director Edward Berger in the press room during the 78th British Academy Film Awards, at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London. Picture date: Sunday February 16, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire.
US stars Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison were among the big winners at the Bafta film awards as they triumphed in the acting categories.
Brody, 51, won the best actor award for his role in The Brutalist as a Hungarian-Jewish architect, while Madison, 25, won for her role in Anora, about a sex worker who falls for a Russian oligarch.
This year’s ceremony saw The Brutalist and papal drama Conclave tie with four wins each, including wins for outstanding British film, best film and editing for Conclave, while The Brutalist took home the directing gong with a win for Brady Corbet.
Accepting Conclave’s best film award, German director Edward Berger recalled the journey to make the film took seven years, paying tribute to British screenplay writer Peter Straughan’s “wonderful script”, and the cast including British actor Ralph Fiennes and Hollywood star Isabella Rossellini, who both missed out on gongs.
“What you did (for) me on set was magic,” he added. “I’m so grateful I was able to witness.” Hosted by Doctor Who star David Tennant for the second consecutive year, and held at the Royal Festival Hall at London’s Southbank Centre, the ceremony also saw wins for Succession star Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana, who were victorious in the supporting actor categories.
Culkin, 42, won for his role in Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy drama A Real Pain, about two cousins who explore their Jewish grandmother’s roots in Poland, while Saldana won for her role in Netflix film Emilia Perez.
Succession star Culkin did not attend the ceremony on Sunday, and his co-star and the film’s director Eisenberg accepted on his behalf, joking that it was “like the fifth” one he has done for the actor.
Saldana, 46, thanked her mother for “being such a selfless person”, before breaking down in tears, and added: “Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds and I hope Emilia Perez did something like this, because voices need to be heard, just not my English accent.” US actress Saldana beat fellow Emilia Perez co-star Selena Gomez, as well as Wicked star Ariana Grande, to win the category.
During the ceremony, Bafta fellowship honouree Warwick Davis, 55, was presented his award by his Harry Potter co-star, Tom Felton.
A film was shown of Davis’s collaborators including Star Wars’ Mark Hamill and director George Lucas, and Willow director Ron Howard, along with his two children.
An emotional Davis paid tribute to his wife Samantha, who died last year, and thanked his children for their support.
Netflix musical Emilia Perez, which had 11 nominations, had the Film Not In The English Language gong among its two wins.
Elsewhere, animated film Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was named the winner of the children’s and family film award, as well as taking home the animated film gong.
Another winner was Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, which won the first award of the night when it scored the prize for special visual effects.
Stars of Netflix film Emilia Perez, Selena Gomez and Saldana, presented the outstanding debut by a British writer, director, and producer award to Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt.
Popular musical Wicked, which had seven nominations, among them a best actress nod for Cynthia Erivo and a supporting actress nod for Ariana Grande, only won in two categories, namely costume design and production design.
- Special visual effects: Dune: Part Two
- Children’s and family film: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- Outstanding debut by a British writer, director, and producer: Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt
- Production design: Wicked
- Film not in the English language: Emilia Perez
- Sound: Dune: Part Two
- Original score: The Brutalist
- Original screenplay: A Real Pain writer Jesse Eisenberg
- Adapted screenplay: Conclave writer Peter Straughan
- Animated film: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- Supporting actor: Kieran Culkin
- Supporting actress: Zoe Saldana
- Casting: Sean Baker and Samantha Quan for Anora
- Editing: Conclave
- Cinematography: The Brutalist
- Short film: Rock, Paper, Scissors
- Outstanding British contribution to cinema: MediCinema
- Documentary: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
- Short animation: Wander To Wonder
- Best costume design: Wicked
- Make up and hair: The Substance
- Outstanding British film: Conclave
- EE rising star: David Jonsson
- Director: Brady Corbet for The Brutalist
- Bafta fellowship: Warwick Davis
- Actor: Adrien Brody
- Actress: Mikey Madison
- Film: Conclave
