BAFTA Awards 2023: A fanboy host, royalty, and even a Spice Girl – everything you need to know about the ceremony
It’s time for London to get the Hollywood treatment, with the great and the good of the film world in town for this year’s BAFTAs ceremony.
All Quiet On The Western Front, The Banshees Of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Elvis and Tar are the films everyone is talking about ahead of this year’s ceremony, but of course there’s always more to the show than just the best picture prize.
Here are a few things to look out for ahead of the BAFTAs ceremony.
Celeb spotting
Cate Blanchett, pictured at the Critics’ Choice Awards earlier in 2023, is a favourite for best actress. Pic: AP/Chris Pizzello
Organisers have said this year’s awards are shaping up to be one of the most well-attended on record, which hopefully means it’s a good year for A-list bingo.
Among the nominees confirmed to attend are – drum roll, please – Ana de Armas, Angela Bassett, Austin Butler, Baz Luhrmann, Bill Nighy, Brendan Fraser, Brendan Gleeson, Carey Mulligan, Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell, Eddie Redmayne, Emma Thompson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Mescal, Sam Mendes, Viola Davis, and loads more.
Plus, there are the awards presenters too, with Ana Taylor-Joy, Ariana DeBose, Brian Cox, Catherine-Zeta-Jones, Cynthia Erivo, Eugene Levy, Geri Halliwell Horner, Jamie Dornan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Julianne Moore, Lashana Lynch, Lily James, Martin Freeman, Rami Malek, Rege Jean Page, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Sir Patrick Stewart, Sophie Turner, Taron Egerton and more all set to appear.
There’s also royalty too, thanks to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
And let’s not forget the host, Richard E Grant, who will be assisted by Alison Hammond presenting from the new BAFTA Studio area.
Moving house
Pic: BAFTA/Morley von Sternberg
The BAFTAs ceremony has been held at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the last few years, but this year moves to the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall – the same venue as BAFTA’s TV and Games awards.
“The move will see BAFTA programme its most ambitious and accessible night yet, bolstered by a refreshed production and format,” the organisation said when it announced the move.
Don’t expect a roast from ‘fanboy’ Grant
Pic: BAFTA/Charlie Clift
Speaking of Grant, the 65-year-old actor is taking over hosting duties from Australian star Rebel Wilson, who helmed the ceremony in 2022.
“I’m going to be singing like Billy Crystal, dancing like Fred Astaire, funnier than Bob Hope, more beautiful than Joanna Lumley,” he has said. But he’s just kidding: “I have no idea. It’s very hard to see yourself on the outside.”
Wilson made some risque jokes about the Royal Family, Vladimir Putin, the gender pay gap, her flop film Cats and her own weight loss during her time on stage last year. Known for his roles in Withnail & I, Gosford Park, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and Can You Ever Forgive Me? – for which he was BAFTA and Oscar nominated – Grant has said the humour may be a little different.
His own nominations in 2019 saw the actor becoming one of the stars of awards season that year, thanks to his unashamedly excited videos and posts on social media. “[Organisers] must know that I’m going to be a celebratory person rather than somebody who’s there to roast other actors so hopefully, that will work out, I don’t know yet,” he said ahead of the ceremony.
Grant also said he is “amazed” to be in the company of other previous hosts including Stephen Fry and Graham Norton – and that he is “such a fanboy” of fellow thespians that he found it an “incredible privilege” to meet BAFTA nominees.
Some of the show will be live for the first time ever
Pic: BAFTA/Marc Hoberman
Unlike other awards shows, the BAFTAs ceremony has always previously been recorded a few hours before it is broadcast on air.
This year is sort of different. While most of the ceremony will air on a delay, the final four categories will be televised live for the first time in BAFTAs history.
Let’s hope the celebs are on their best behaviour, eh?
It’s clearly on Grant’s mind, as he’s said that rather than thinking about who will win those final prizes, he’ll be hoping that there are no fisticuffs on live TV.
As if that would ever happen at an A-list film awards show watched by millions…
The bookies’ faves
Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin. Pic: 20th Century Studios
All Quiet On The Western Front leads the nominations with 14, but The Banshees of Inisherin is the favourite to win the big prize, for best film, according to bookies including Betfair and William Hill. Banshees star Farrell is the favourite to take home the best actor gong.
In the best actress category, it looks like the prize will go to either Blanchett for her performance in Tar, or Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All At Once. And Everything Everywhere directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – aka The Daniels – are the ones to beat in the directing category.
How to watch
Everything Everywhere All At Once. Pic: A24
The ceremony will be broadcast from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Sky News will be covering live from the red carpet beforehand and throughout the ceremony before the programme itself begins – follow our live blog here from about 2.30pm.
All the best actor nominees are first-timers
Brendan Fraser in The Whale. Pic: A24
This year has been a big year for acting first-time nominees at all the film awards – the Oscars as well as the BAFTAs – but in the best actor category, every single nominee is up for the first time.
Here’s a reminder of the shortlist:
• Austin Butler – Elvis
• Colin Farrell The Banshees of Inisherin
• Brendan Fraser – The Whale
• Daryl McCormack – Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Paul Mescal – Aftersun
• Bill Nighy – Living
Yes, even veteran Nighy has never been nominated before. And it’s a pretty impressive accomplishment for the likes of Mescal, just three years on from the release of his breakthrough series, Normal People; for McCormack, too, who is also in the running for this year’s BAFTA rising star award.
Fraser has received standing ovations at film festivals for his performance as an obese teacher in The Whale, and Butler’s performance has also received praise – but it looks like Farrell is the one to beat.
Read more:
The full list of nominees
How to watch all the big films
Overall, 14 of the 24 shortlisted in performance categories are first-time nominees, with de Armas, Danielle Deadwyler, Hong Chau, Kerry Condon and Ke Huy Qua among the newbies.
Tribute to the Queen
Helen Mirren won an Oscar for her performance in The Queen. Pic: Granada Screen (2005) Ltd/ Pathe Renn Productions/Sky UK
Who better to lead the BAFTAs tribute to the Queen than Dame Helen Mirren, who has portrayed the monarch on both the big screen and stage throughout her career.
The veteran actress, 77, won both an Oscar and a BAFTA for her depiction of the royal in 2006’s biographical drama The Queen.
The Queen had a close association with the BAFTAs which spanned 50 years, during which she attended many events and also supported the organisation’s initiatives.
In April 2013, the monarch received an honorary BAFTA from Sir Kenneth Branagh at Windsor Castle, for her “tireless support” for the industry.
William and Kate on the guestlist
Pic: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
In other royal news, William and Kate will be among those attending the ceremony – their first appearance at the show in three years.
The Prince of Wales has been the president of BAFTA since 2010.
The royal couple will watch the ceremony before meeting the winners and rising star award nominees.
Blue ribbon tributes
The Swimmers (L to R): Nathalie Issa as Yusra Mardini, Manal Issa as Sara Mardini. Pic: Laura Radford/Netflix
Blanchett, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Yusra Mardini, who are goodwill ambassadors for the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, are set to be among artists wearing a blue ribbon to show support for refugees and those who have been displaced due to war and other events such as the Turkey-Syria earthquake over the past year.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: “The human themes of displacement, separation and loss are present in many of the films nominated this awards season, including The Swimmers (based on the story of UNHCR goodwill ambassador Yusra Mardini and her sister, Sara Mardini); Bad Axe; and Marcel The Shell.
“Through effective storytelling, these films can help to erode prejudice and misunderstandings, offer new perspectives, and help to build compassion…
“The wearing of the blue #WithRefugees ribbon on the red carpet sends a powerful visual message that everyone has the right to seek safety, whoever, wherever, whenever.”
Little Simz due to perform
London-born rapper Little Simz will perform at the show and has said she is “excited and honoured” to take part.
The star’s 2021 album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert saw her win Mobo, Ivor Novello and Brit awards – plus the coveted Mercury Prize.
The musician also has a starring role in BAFTA-winning series Top Boy.
The Charity Commission has found no evidence of bullying or harassment at a charity set up by Prince Harry.
But it has found that an internal dispute at Sentebale “severely impacted the charity’s reputation”.
Earlier this year its chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, accused the Duke of Sussex of “harassment and bullying at scale”.
Her comments followed the departure of the prince and several others from the organisation in March.
They had asked her to step down, alleging it was in the “best interest of the charity”.
Dr Chandauka told Sky News that Harry had “authorised the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world” without informing her or Sentebale directors.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to offer any formal response.
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Why was Prince Harry accused of ‘bullying’?
‘Strong perception of ill-treatment’
The Charity Commission said it was reporting after a “damaging internal dispute emerged” and has “criticised all parties to the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly”.
That “severely impacted the charity’s reputation and risked undermining public trust in charities more generally”, it said.
But it found no evidence of “widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity”.
Nevertheless, it did acknowledge the “strong perception of ill-treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally”.
It also found no evidence of “‘over-reach’ by either the chair or the Duke of Sussex as patron”.
‘Confusion exacerbated tensions’
But it was critical of the charity’s “lack of clarity in delegations to the chair which allowed for misunderstandings to occur”.
And it has “identified a lack of clarity around role descriptions and internal policies as the primary cause for weaknesses in the charity’s management”.
That “confusion exacerbated tensions, which culminated in a dispute and multiple resignations of trustees and both founding patrons”.
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Why was Prince Harry accused of ‘bullying’?
Harry: Report falls troublingly short
A spokesperson for Prince Harry said it was “unsurprising” that the commission had announced “no findings of wrongdoing in relation to Sentebale’s co-founder and former patron, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex”.
They added: “Despite all that, their report falls troublingly short in many regards, primarily the fact that the consequences of the current chair’s actions will not be borne by her, but by the children who rely on Sentebale’s support.”
They said the prince will “now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana”.
Dr Chandauka said: “I appreciate the Charity Commission for its conclusions which confirm the governance concerns I raised privately in February 2025.”
But she added: “The unexpected adverse media campaign that was launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025 has caused incalculable damage and offers a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviours displayed in private.”
All police forces investigating grooming gangs in England and Wales will be given access to new AI tools to help speed up their investigations.
The artificial intelligence tools are already thought to have saved officers in 13 forces more than £20m and 16,000 hours of investigation time.
The apps can translate large amounts of text in foreign languages from mobile phones seized by police, and analyse a mass of digital data to find patterns and relationships between suspects.
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Grooming gang inquiry: ‘Our chance for justice’
‘We must punish perpetrators’
The rollout is part of a £426,000 boost for the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) programme, which supports officers to investigate complex cases involving modern slavery, county lines and child sex abuse.
The increased access to the AI technology follows Baroness Casey’s recommendation for a national operation to review cold grooming gang cases.
That operation will review more than 1,200 closed cases of child sexual exploitation.
“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes, and we must punish perpetrators, provide justice for victims and survivors, and protect today’s children from harm,” said safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
“Baroness Casey flagged the need to upgrade police information systems to improve investigations and safeguard children at risk. Today we are investing in these critical tools.”
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Harry criticises report into charity
Reeves told to find ‘substantial’ tax rises
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Key takeaways from the Casey review
Lack of ethnicity data ‘a major failing’
Police forces have also been instructed by the home secretary to collect ethnicity data, as recommended by Baroness Casey.
Her June report found the lack of data showing sex offenders’ ethnicity and nationality in grooming gangs was “a major failing over the last decade or more”.
She found that officials avoided the issue of ethnicity for fear of being called racist, but there were enough convictions of Asian men “to have warranted closer examination”.
The government has launched a national inquiry into the abuse and further details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Rachel Reeves will need to find more than £40bn of tax rises or spending cuts in the autumn budget to meet her fiscal rules, a leading research institute has warned.
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said the government would miss its rule, which stipulates that day to day spending should be covered by tax receipts, by £41.2bn in the fiscal year 2029-30.
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In its latest UK economic outlook, NIESR said: “This shortfall significantly increases the pressure on the chancellor to introduce substantial tax rises in the upcoming autumn budget if she hopes to remain compliant with her fiscal rules.”
The deteriorating fiscal picture was blamed on poor economic growth, higher than expected borrowing and a reversal in welfare cuts that could have saved the government £6.25bn.
Together they have created an “impossible trilemma”, NIESR said, with the chancellor simultaneously bound to her fiscal rules, spending commitments, and manifesto pledges that oppose tax hikes.
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Could the rich be taxed to fill black hole?
Reeves told to consider replacing council tax
The institute urged the government to build a larger fiscal buffer through moderate but sustained tax rises.
“This will help allay bond market fears about fiscal sustainability, which may in turn reduce borrowing costs,” it said.
“It will also help to reduce policy uncertainty, which can hit both business and consumer confidence.”
It said that money could be raised by reforms to council tax bands or, in a more radical approach, by replacing the whole council tax system with a land value tax.
To reduce spending pressures, NIESR called for a greater focus on reducing economic inactivity, which could bring down welfare spending.
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What’s the deal with wealth taxes?
Growth to remain sluggish
The report was released against the backdrop of poor growth, with the chancellor struggling to ignite the economy after two months of declining GDP.
The institute is forecasting modest economic growth of 1.3% in 2025 and 1.2% in 2026. That means Britain will rank mid-table among the G7 group of advanced economies.
‘Things are not looking good’
However, inflation is likely to remain persistent, with the consumer price index (CPI) likely to hit 3.5% in 2025 and around 3% by mid-2026. NIESR blamed sustained wage growth and higher government spending.
It said the Bank of England would cut interest rates twice this year and again at the beginning of next year, taking the rate from 4.25% to 3.5%.
Persistent inflation is also weighing on living standards: the poorest 10% of UK households saw their living standards fall by 1.3% in 2024-25 compared to the previous year, NIESR said. They are now 10% worse off than they were before the pandemic.
Professor Stephen Millard, deputy director for macroeconomics at NIESR, said the government faced tough choices ahead: “With growth at only 1.3% and inflation above target, things are not looking good for the chancellor, who will need to either raise taxes or reduce spending or both in the October budget.”
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