BAFTA Awards 2025: ‘Conclave’ reigns, Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison steal the spotlight

The 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), one of the most prestigious events in the world of cinema, were held at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Actor David Tennant returned as the host for the second consecutive year. Unlike previous editions, where a single feature film typically dominated the wins, this year, two films—Conclave and The Brutalist—tied with four BAFTAs each. Conclave, with 12 nominations, took home the Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing titles, while Brady Corbet and Adrien Brody won the Best Director and Best Leading Actor awards, respectively, for their work in the period drama The Brutalist.

Other notable winners of the night included Anora, with Mikey Madison winning Best Leading Actress and the film also receiving Best Editing. Emilia Peréz was awarded Best Film Not in the English Language, while Zoë Saldaña took home Best Supporting Actress.

Here’s everything that transpired at the BAFTA Awards 2025.

Adrien Brody is hungry for food and success

Adrien Brody's excitement over winning the Best Actor award may have been slightly overshadowed by his hunger. "I haven't eaten anything yet, so I'm not sure how I'm feeling, but I'm so happy to be here," he was heard saying backstage. During his winning speech, an emotional Brody said, “The beauty of being an actor is that any life experience, and there have been many since (The Pianist), anything you've experienced is so valuable in shaping a sense of understanding," he added.

"I'm just so grateful to have had this meaningful opportunity come my way, I've been yearning for this for a long time. I've been working very hard. It's not for a lack of hard work, but there are so many magical things that have to happen for a film to achieve greatness and I'm so happy that all of those things conspired on The Brutalist."

Zoe Saldaña Dedicates Her BAFTA To trans relative, escorted after expletive rant 

Zoe Saldaña, who won the Best Supporting Actress title, captivated the audience with an emotional speech before dedicating her award to her transgender nephew. Saldaña earned the honour for her role in Emilia Pérez, where she portrays the role of a lawyer who helps a cartel leader disappear and transition into a woman.

During the winners' press conference, Saldaña dedicated the award to her transgender nephew, Eli Saldaña, stating: "He is the reason—they are the reason—I signed up to do this film in the first place. As a proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my trans community."

On stage, she reflected on her win with moving words: "I was told not to cry by my children, so I’ll try. This is so validating and a true honour, because the very few times that I went for a part with a British accent or dialect coach, was like, 'This is not going to happen to you.' Even though I have a lot of British friends, I find myself repeating all their phrases like 'gather' and 'of course,' and I know that I’m a pain in the a**."

She thanked her mother, husband, and children before adding: "Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds, and I hope I did something like this. Voices need to be heard, just not my English accent."

When Warwick Davis thought he was being scammed

Warwick Davis shared a humorous anecdote about the moment he learned he was this year's recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship, the British Academy’s highest honour. "I was on the toilet when I found out!" he laughed. "BAFTA notified me by email, and I do most of my admin work there. I might call it ‘paperwork,’ but that could be misleading!" Initially skeptical, he even wondered if it was a scam. "Then I checked the sender, and it really was BAFTA. I finished up—probably more detail than you needed—and went to celebrate with the kids."

Here's the full winners list of BAFTA Awards 2025

Best Film: Conclave
British Film: Conclave
Best Director: Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Best Actor: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Best Actress: Mikey Madison, Anora
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Best Rising Star (voted for by the public): David Jonsson
Best Outstanding British Debut: Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt
Best Original Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Best Adapted Screenplay: Peter Straughan, Conclave
Best Film Not in the English Language: Emilia Pérez
Best Musical Score: Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
Best Cinematography: Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
Best Editing: Conclave
Best Production Design: Wicked
Best Costume Design: Wicked
Best Sound: Dune: Part Two
Best Casting: Anora
Best Visual Effects: Dune: Part Two
Best Makeup and Hair: The Substance
Best Animated Film: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Best British Short Film: Rock, Paper, Scissors
Best British Short Animation: Wander to Wonder
Best Children’s and Family Film: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Best Documentary: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Outstanding British contribution to cinema: MediCinema
BAFTA Fellowship: Warwick Davis

All images: Getty Images

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