Hollywood stars and U.K. royalty converged on London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday for the British Academy Film Awards, where German-language antiwar drama “All Quiet on the Western Front” led the pack of nominees.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” won seven prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards.
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The visceral depiction of life and death in the World War I trenches was up for 14 awards, including best picture. It received a handful of early awards for best adapted screenplay, cinematography, sound, score and a film not in English, and cemented its favourite status when filmmaker Edward Berger was named best director.
Irish tragicomedy “The Banshees of Inisherin” took four trophies, including best British film, while rock biopic “Elvis” also won four on Sunday night in London.
“Banshees” won the separate award for best British film.
“Best what award?” joked writer-director Martin McDonagh of the film, shot in Ireland with a largely Irish cast and crew. It has British funding, and McDonagh was born in Britain to Irish parents.
“Banshees” also won for McDonagh’s original screenplay, and awards for Kerry Condon as best supporting actress and Barry Keoghan for best supporting actor.
Austin Butler took the best-actor trophy for “Elvis,” and the best actress prize went to Cate Blanchett for orchestral drama “Tár.”
“Elvis” also won trophies for casting, costume design and hair and makeup.
Actor Richard E. Grant hosted the ceremony, walking onstage in a luxurious white cape after a jokey introductory film that saw him taking advice from Steve Martin and pulling up to the concert hall in the Batmobile.
Joking about the infamous altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at last year's Oscars, Grant said, “Nobody on my watch gets slapped tonight. Except on the back.”
“West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose opened the show by performing “Sisters are Doin' it for Themselves,” with an added rap shoutout to some of the nominated women, including Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis and Michelle Yeoh.
Guests and presenters walking the red carpet on the south bank of the River Thames included Colin Farrell, Ana de Armas, Eddie Redmayne, Brian Cox, Florence Pugh, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cynthia Erivo, Julianne Moore and Lily James. Many wore blue ribbons in support of refugees and displaced people.
Heir to the throne Prince William, who is President of Britain’s film and television academy, was in the audience alongside his wife Kate, Princess of Wales.
Helen Mirren paid tribute to William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September. Mirren, who portrayed the late monarch onscreen in “The Queen” and onstage in “The Audience," called Elizabeth "the nation's leading lady.”
The prizes — officially the EE BAFTA Film Awards — are Britain’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Academy Awards and will be watched closely for hints of who may win at the Oscars on March 12.
