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74th British Academy Film Awards

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74th British Academy Film Awards
Date10–11 April 2021
SiteRoyal Albert Hall, London
Hosted byClara Amfo (Opening Night)
Edith Bowman and Dermot O'Leary (Main ceremony)
Highlights
Best FilmNomadland
Best British FilmPromising Young Woman
Best ActorAnthony Hopkins
The Father
Best ActressFrances McDormand
Nomadland
Most awardsNomadland (4)
Most nominationsNomadland and Rocks (7)

The 74th British Academy Film Awards, also known as the BAFTAs, were held on 10 and 11 April 2021 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2020 and early 2021. Presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, accolades were handed out for the best feature-length film and documentaries of any nationality that were screened at British cinemas in 2020 and early 2021.[1][2]

The nominees were announced on 9 March 2021.[3] The American drama Nomadland and British coming-of-age drama Rocks received the most nominations with seven each; the former ultimately won four, including Best Film.[4]

Winners and nominees

Chloé Zhao, Best Director winner and Best Film co-winner
Anthony Hopkins, Best Actor winner
Frances McDormand, Best Actress winner and Best Film co-winner
Daniel Kaluuya, Best Supporting Actor winner
Youn Yuh-jung, Best Supporting Actress winner
Emerald Fennell, Best Original Screenplay winner and Outstanding British Film co-winner
Christopher Hampton, Best Adapted Screenplay co-winner
Florian Zeller, Best Adapted Screenplay co-winner
Thomas Vinterberg, Best Film Not in the English Language co-winner
Jon Batiste, Best Original Music co-winner
Trent Reznor (left) and Atticus Ross (right), Best Original Music co-winners

The nominees were announced on 9 March 2021.[3] The winners were announced on 10 and 11 April 2021.[5]

BAFTA Fellowship

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema

Awards

Winners are listed first, and highlighted in boldface.

  • The Owl and the Pussycat – Mole Hill and Laura Duncalf
    • The Fire Next Time – Renaldho Pelle, Yanling Wang and Kerry Jade Kolbe
    • The Song of a Lost Boy – Daniel Quirke, Jamie MacDonald and Brid Arnstein
  • The PresentFarah Nabulsi
    • Eyelash – Jesse Lewis Reece and Ike Newman
    • Lizard – Akinola Davies, Rachel Dargavel and Wale Davies
    • Lucky Break – John Addis and Rami Sarras Pantoja
    • Miss Curvy – Ghada Eldemellawy
  • His House – Remi Weekes (Writer/Director)
    • Limbo – Ben Sharrock (Writer/Director) and Irune Gurtubai (Producer)
    • Moffie – Jack Sidey (Writer/Producer)
    • RocksTheresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson (Writer)
    • Saint Maud – Rose Glass (Writer/Director) and Oliver Kassman (Producer)

Ceremony information

Both ceremonies were delayed two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, taking place largely virtually, still lining up with the 93rd Academy Awards set to take place on 25 April 2021, two weeks following both British Academy of Film and Television Arts' (BAFTA) ceremonies.[1][9] Despite its minimal live elements, the ceremonies still featured a red carpet in London and a step and repeat in Los Angeles.[10]

The nominees were significantly more diverse than at any previous BAFTA Awards ceremony. Sixteen of the twenty-four nominees in the acting categories were from ethnic minority backgrounds. Four nominees for Best Director were women and three of the directors of films nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language were also women.[11][12] The ceremony also introduced a new voting system for nominations after criticism over lack of diversity at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. In the first round, voters compile a longlist in all categories (with a gender quota in the directing category). It is now compulsory for all voters to watch all long-listed films before the second round. In the second round, the nominees in the directing category and all four acting categories were decided by a small jury.[13][14]

BBC radio and television presenter Clara Amfo hosted the Opening Night ceremony from the Royal Albert Hall, which aired on 10 April 2021 on BBC Two and BBC Two HD,[15] and was joined by actress and screenwriter Joanna Scanlan, and film critic Rhianna Dhillon.[16] The first ceremony awarded casting, craft, and short film categories, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role nominee Leslie Odom Jr. performed the song "Speak Now" from the film One Night in Miami....[17] Edith Bowman and Dermot O'Leary hosted the second night of the ceremony, which aired on 11 April 2021 on BBC One and BBC One HD. The co-hosts, who for several years have hosted BAFTA's live red carpet show, were joined by a small group of awards presenters at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as additional presenters via the internet from Los Angeles.[15]

At the 11 April ceremony, the Royal Albert Hall was drenched in red light. Bowman and O'Leary led presentations to the all-virtual nominees, alongside a handful of actors as in-person presenters.[15] The first musical performance of the night was a virtual duet, with two holograms of Liam Payne singing together. Catherine Shoard of The Guardian described the live virtual audience, present to laugh and applaud on cue, as "eerie".[9][18] Shaord also opined that while the nominees were atypically diverse,[18] including twenty-one first-time acting nominees,[9] the eventual winners were traditional. She also asserted that Nomadland's four wins indicated it as the frontrunner for the upcoming Academy Awards.[18]

Announced on 8 April 2021, both ceremonies had been intended to feature Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, the president of BAFTA. At the opening ceremony, he planned to speak virtually with filmmakers about the hardships of film production during the COVID-19 pandemic and would have presented a video speech about the resilience of the film industry during the 11 April ceremony.[19] However, he pulled out from public engagements due to the death of his grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on 9 April 2021.[20]

Chloé Zhao became only the second female winner for Best Director (following Kathryn Bigelow in 2010), and the first woman of colour to take the prize; she also shared Best Film with four other producers.[9] Neither Best Actor in a Leading Role winner Anthony Hopkins (for The Father) nor Best Actress in a Leading Role winner Frances McDormand (for Nomadland), who also co-won Best Film, attended the ceremony and were able to be on camera when their wins were announced.[9][21] At age 83, Hopkins become the oldest Best Actor winner, beating out expected posthumous nominee Chadwick Boseman (for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom); though he was not present when his win was announced, Hopkins did deliver an acceptance speech at the press interviews following the event.[22] Hopkins' last competitive BAFTA win was twenty-seven years earlier (for The Remains of the Day).[9][18] Another unexpected win was first-time screenwriter and director Emerald Fennell for Best Original Screenplay (for Promising Young Woman). Fennell accepted her award while eating a chocolate BAFTA mask.[18] Other films with high expectations, including The Trial of the Chicago 7, News of the World and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, won zero awards, while Mank only won one (Best Production Design).[18]

Death was a theme among other acceptance speeches; in accepting her Rising Star Award, actress Bukky Bakray paid tribute to rapper DMX, who also died on 9 April 2021, as well as recently-deceased members of her own friends and family, while Thomas Vinterberg, who co-won for Best Film Not in the English Language with Another Round, spoke of his daughter who died during production. South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung, who won for Best Supporting Actress (for Minari), opened her speech with an address to the British people watching, offering condolences following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. Youn then lightened the mood by noting that she was surprised and more grateful to win due to the perception of British people as "snobbish".[23] The acceptance speeches of Daniel Kaluuya and Remi Weekes thanked minority voices.[18]

Statistics

Films that received multiple awards
Awards Film
4 Nomadland
2 The Father
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Promising Young Woman
Soul
Sound of Metal

In Memoriam

The In Memoriam recognised people who died since the previous ceremony and who had an impact on the British film industry, as well as those related to nominated films:[24]

As well as appearing first in the montage, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, royal consort and first president of BAFTA, who died the day before the opening ceremony, was paid tribute in the opening monologues on both nights of the awards.[25][26] Dame Diana Rigg was omitted from the montage, which sparked complaints and controversy; in response, BAFTA explained that it considered her most prominent in television, and so she would be featured at the next British Academy Television Awards ceremony.[27]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ On 29 April 2021, BAFTA revoked Clarke's award and membership of the organisation, following multiple allegations of professional and sexual misconduct. Many of the allegations came out as a response to the announcement that Clarke would be honoured.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Ravindran, Manori (15 January 2021). "BAFTA Moves 2021 Film Awards to April 11, Two Weeks Before the Oscars". Variety. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  2. ^ Grater, Tom (12 January 2021). "BAFTA Voting Opens: Top Brass Discuss Diversity Tweaks & Pandemic Impact". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b "2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: Nominations and winners". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  4. ^ Lawless, Jill (11 April 2021). "'Nomadland' wins 4 BAFTAs including best picture, director". Associated Press. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Bafta Film Awards 2021: The winners and nominees in full". BBC News. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Ground-breaking contemporary filmmaker Ang Lee to be honoured with BAFTA Fellowship". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Noel Clarke to be honoured at the 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  8. ^ Kale, Sirin; Osborne, Lucy (29 April 2021). "'Sexual predator': actor Noel Clarke accused of groping, harassment and bullying by 20 women". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Bafta Film Awards 2021: Nomadland and Promising Young Woman win big". BBC News. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Baftas 2021: the winners, the dresses, the PPE – in pictures". The Guardian. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Bafta Film Awards 2021: Hugely diverse nominations list unveiled". BBC News. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  12. ^ Shoard, Catherine (9 March 2021). "Four women up for best director in strikingly diverse Bafta nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  13. ^ Thompson, Anne (24 September 2020). "BAFTA Reveals New Inclusion Guidelines for Awards Voting". IndieWire. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  14. ^ Ritman, Alex (8 April 2021). "How New Voting Procedures Created a BAFTAs Diversity Surge in One Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  15. ^ a b c "Hosts announced for EE British Academy Film Awards Weekend". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  16. ^ Thorne, Will (10 April 2021). "BAFTA Film Awards 2021: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' Picks Up Two Awards on Opening Night". Variety. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  17. ^ Edmonds, Lizzie (10 April 2021). "Bafta Film Awards 2021: First night host Clara Amfo hails Philip for guiding academy through 'difficult times'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Shoard, Catherine (11 April 2021). "Baftas 2021: Nomadland wins big as Anthony Hopkins and Promising Young Woman surprise". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  19. ^ Grater, Tom (8 April 2021). "Prince William To Make Virtual BAFTA Speech, Musical Acts & Awards Presenters Confirmed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  20. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (10 April 2021). "Prince William Will Not Appear at BAFTAs After Death of Prince Philip". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  21. ^ Smith, Neil (11 April 2021). "Bafta Film Awards 2021: Snobbery, pianos and other takeaways". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  22. ^ Sarkisian, Jacob (12 April 2021). "Anthony Hopkins beat Chadwick Boseman to win best actor, but skipped the BAFTAs to paint instead". Insider. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  23. ^ Chilton, Louis (11 April 2021). "Bafta Film Awards 2021: Viewers delight as Minari star Yuh-Jung Youn calls British people 'snobbish'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  24. ^ Barr, Sabrina (11 April 2021). "Baftas 2021: Prince Philip and Dame Barbara Windsor honoured as 'In Memoriam' pays tribute to stars lost in past year". Metro. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  25. ^ Petter, Olivia (11 April 2011). "BAFTAS 2021: Dermot O'Leary and Edith Bowman Pay Tribute to Prince Philip". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  26. ^ Frost, Lucy (9 April 2021). "BAFTA pays tribute to HRH Prince Philip". South West Londoner. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  27. ^ Barr, Sabrina (11 April 2021). "Baftas 2021: Award show explains why James Bond star Dame Diana Rigg was missing from 'In Memoriam' tribute". Metro. Retrieved 12 April 2021.