Australia’s Cate Blanchett has brought home another huge win overnight with a best actress BAFTA for her jaw-dropping performance in Todd Field’s critically acclaimed best picture nominee, TÁR. The two-time Academy Award winner’s latest recognition adds to her impressive Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice award wins and secures her frontrunner status leading into the Oscars.
In the lead actor category Austin Butler has rocked his way to the top, beating out tough competition in Colin Farrell and Brendan Fraser for his turn as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s kaleidoscopic biopic. Elvis also won best make-up and hair, casting and costumes.
Best film was awarded to Edward Berger’s German-language All Quiet On The Western Front, in a shock win over major awards season favourites, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis and TÁR. The film received a BAFTA record seven wins for a non-english film including best director for Berger.
While British-Irish filmmaker Martin McDonagh’s black comedy The Banshees of Inisherin lost out on best picture, the film still won big with best British film. McDonagh jokingly defended the ‘British’ label given to the film which was filmed in Ireland and stars an all-Irish main cast: “Thanks to Rosie, our stand-in donkey, who was British”.
The Palace favourite also won best supporting actress for Kerry Condon (after a mix-up with the announcement almost saw Carey Mulligan stepping up to receive the award), best supporting actor for Barry Keoghan and best original screenplay.
In a surprising snub, A24’s mind-bending best picture favorite, Everything Everywhere All At Once, only won a single BAFTA for best editing from 10 nominations.
In a much more predictable victory, Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells won Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for her critically acclaimed and intimate drama Aftersun, which also earnt rising star Paul Mescal his first Oscar nomination.
