“Brutal” and “Conclave”
The 2025 British Academy Film Awards (aka Baftus) is wrapped and offers the final major showcase of the Film Awards before the Oscars.
Edward Berger’s Vatican set drama, Conclave, emerged as a big winner of the night, winning four awards, including Best Film and Outstanding British Film. Previously, Burger, who quietly cleaned up Baftas on the Western Front, used his acceptance speech to highlight the film’s power and themes of faith. “We live in an era of democratic crisis,” he said. “The institutions that united us are torn apart. It’s hard to maintain faith in these situations, but that’s why we make films like this,” quotes Leonard Cohen. He added, “There’s a crack in everything, that’s how light gets in.”
The one tied with most of the victory was Brady Corbett’s The Brutalist. This is an epic post-World War II drama that won four awards, including Adrien Brody’s Best Director and Best Leading Actor. In his acceptance speech, Brody, who recently spent quite a bit of time in the UK, thanked the British people for accepting his creative efforts and said, “England has felt like home recently.” He said.
Among the biggest surprises of the night was Mikey Madison’s victory over Anola’s best-top actress. Visibly shocked, Madison stood on stage and joked. She let out a heartfelt cry of her mother, who supported her acting journey, using her platform to defend sex workers, saying, “I will meet you. You deserve respect and human decency. I am always a friend, an ally and beg others to do the same.”
KneeCap, an Irish hip-hop biopic, has certainly won one victory despite six nominations. Screenwriter Rich Peppiatt accepted the outstanding British debut award. “Kneecap is more than a film, it’s a movement about whether everyone should respect their language, respect their culture, and respect their hometown,” says Peppiatt.
Another big moment was Jesse Eisenberg’s unexpected victory over Best Original script for Real Payne. Eisenberg, who has gathered the best supporting actor awards on behalf of Kieran Culkin, said, “This is what we have a similar life, but he is about 27% better than me.” Just check the theory.”
Emilia Perez of Jack Audido, a musical crime drama, picked up the best films rather than English and welcomed Zoe Saldanya’s best supporting actress. Odide dedicated his award to the film’s cast, including Reed Carla Sophia Gascon, who was present at the ceremony after a controversy over past social media posts.
The ceremony, hosted by David Tennant for the second year in a row, was held with a comedic monologue that entertained candidates, including a totally unknown jab called “Mamma Mia for Middle-aged Fathers.” He also warned the winners, “Continue to make your speech the opposite of your film: wonderful and short.”
When Bakhta is behind us now, attention is directed towards Oscar. The Brutalist and Conclave remained major contenders, with Madison’s victory with the top actress rocking the race. Kieran Culkin’s continued domination of supporting actors ensures that his name will enter the Academy Awards envelope.
For a complete list of BAFTA 2025 winners, scroll with available acceptance speech videos:
The best movie
Con Club – Winner Anora Brutalist Completely unknown Emilia Perez
Great British film
Koncrow – Winner Bird Blitz Gladiator II Hard True Snake Cup Lee Love Bleeding Outrun Wallace and Glomit: Revenge
Top actress
Mikey Madison – Anora – Winner Cynthia Eribo – Evil Cara Sophia Gascon – Emilia Perez Marianne Jean Baptist – Hard Turin
Lead Actor
Adrien Brody – Brutal – Winner Timote Chalametto – The Completely Unknown Colman Domingo – Singing Ralph Ferns – Conclave Hugh Grant – The heretical Sebastian Stan – Apprentice
Supporting actresses
Zoe Saldanya – Emilia Perez – Winner Serena Gomez – Emilia Perez Ariana Grande – Evil Felicity Jones – Brittaist Jamie Lee Curtis – The Last Showgirl Isabella Rossellini –
Supporting Actors
Kieran Culkin – Real Pain – Winner Yura Borisov – Anora Clarence McLin – Singing Edward Norton – The Completely Unknown Man Pierce – The Brutal Jeremy Strong – Apprentice
director
Brady Corbett – Brutal – Winner Sean Baker – Anora Edward Berger – Conclave Dennis Villeneuve – Dunes: Part 2 Jack Audide – Emilia Perez Coraly Farsey – Matter
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
knecap – Winner’s The Monkeyman Santosus Sister Midnight
Movies not in English
Emilia Perez – Winner As all the light we imagine I still kneel the sacred fig seeds here
documentary
Super/Man: Christopher Leave Story – The Winner’s Black Box Diary Girl
Animated movies
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Winner Flow Inside Out 2 The Wild Robot
Children and family movies
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Winner’s Flow Kensuke’s Kingdom the Wild Robot
Original script
Real Pain – Winner’s Anora Brutalist Kneels on Material
The adapted script
Conclave – Winner Completely Unknown Emilia Perez Nickel Boys Singing
BAFTA Rising Star Award
David Johnson – Winner Marisa Abela Jarrell Jerome Mikey Madison Navern Lizwan
Original score
Daniel Brumberg – Brutalist – Winner Volker Bertelmann – Conclave Kamille, Clement Docor – Emilia Perez Robin Carollan – Nosferatu Chris Bauers – Wild Robot
casting
Anora – disciple wins the completely unknown conclave patella
Filming
Brutalist – Winner Conclave Dune: Part 2 Emilia Pereznosfertu
Costume design
Wicked – Winner Blitz is a completely unknown conclave nosferatu
edit
Con Club – Winner’s Anora Dune: Part 2 Emilia Pereznay Cup
Production design
Evil – Winner of the Brutalist Concrave Dune: Part 2 Nosferatu
Makeup and hair
Matter – Winner’s Dune: Part 2 Emilia Pereznosfeld Evil
sound
Dunes: Part 2 – Winner Blitz Gladiator II Matter Evil Things
Special visual effects
Dunes: Part 2 – Winner’s Excellent Man Gladiator II Kingdom of the Ape Kingdom
British short films
Rocks, paper, scissors – Winner’s flowers stand quietly and witness marion milk stomach insects
Britain’s short animation
Wonder to Wonder – Christmas of Winner Adios Mog
