BAFTAs 2025: Mikey Madison and Adrien Brody among the big winners at BAFTAs – as Conclave takes top film prize
Conclave has taken the top prize at this year’s BAFTA film awards, winning best film as well as outstanding British film.
Based on Robert Harris’s 2016 novel of the same name, and centred around the selection of a new pope, the movie also won best adapted screenplay and best editing.
Thanking his ensemble cast as he accepted the award, director Edward Berger said: “What you did to me on set when I watched you was pure magic, it was beyond my grasp or understanding.”
It’s not the first BAFTA success for the filmmaker, who swept the board two years ago with his remake of All Quiet On The Western Front, taking seven prizes.
Adrien Brody . Pic: PA
BAFTA Awards 2025: The full list of winners
Despite being the most nominated movie of the night, Conclave did not take any of the acting prizes, with its star Ralph Fiennes losing out to The Brutalist lead Adrien Brody in best actor.
Brody’s portrayal of Hungarian architect Lazlo Toth making his way in America after World War II saw the 51-year-old actor bag his first BAFTA statuette.
New York-born Brody said the gong was “incredibly meaningful”, adding: “England has felt quite a bit like home lately.”
The three-and-a-half-hour-long epic also took best director, best original score and best cinematography.
Accepting his director award, Brady Corbet, told the audience that despite being “humbled” and “grateful” for his win, there really was “no such thing” as best director.
Conclave and The Brutalist were joint-winners across the night, taking four gongs each.
Ralph Fiennes. Pic: Reuters
Anora, about a Brooklyn sex worker who marries into money, saw its break-out lead star, Mikey Madison take the top prize, after many had forecast a win for Demi Moore.
Accepting her award, the 25-year-old actress took her moment on the stage to honour the sex worker community, who she said had helped her immeasurably in her preparation for the role, telling them: “I see you. You deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally.”
Anora also took the casting prize.
Emilia Perez, which has come under fire in recent weeks following resurfaced tweets from its lead star Karla Sofia Gascon, took best film not in the English language. Gascon was not at the event.
An emotional Zoe Saldaña, took best supporting actress for her outstanding performance in the musical – in which she acts, sings and dances – telling the audience her win was “so validating” and “a true honour”.
Zoe Saldana was named best supporting actress for her performance in Emilia Perez. Pic: PA
As she accepted her prize the 46-year-old star said: “I was told not to cry by my children, so I’m going to try. This is so validating because the very few times I tried to go for roles with a British accent I was told this isn’t going to happen.”
She ended her emotional speech by saying: “Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds and I hope Emilia Perez did something like this, because voices need to be heard, just not my English accent.”
Saldana, who won in the same category at the Golden Globes last month will be hoping to follow up her success with an Oscar in March.
An early front-runner in awards season, mostly Spanish language movie Emilia Perez had already been under fire from parts of the trans community for what some considered to be a retrograde step in representation, as well as those who objected to stereotypical depictions of Mexicans, as well as its handling of the sensitive topic of narcotics crime, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Jesse Eisenberg won the BAFTA for best original screenplay for A Real Pain. Pic: PA
Kieran Culkin, 42, won best supporting actor for his role in comedy A Real Pain, with his co-star and the film’s writer Jesse Eisenberg accepting the gong on his behalf due to a member of Culkin’s family being unwell, meaning he was in New York to be by their side.
The movie, about two cousins revisiting their family history in Poland, also took best original screenplay.
Body horror The Substance took a well-deserved win for best makeup and hair, despite Moore missing out on the best actress win.
Back to host for a second year running, Scottish actor David Tennant opened the show singing The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).
David Tennant arrives for the BAFTAs
With 42 gongs to hand out, from a host of star presenters, the first awards of the night went to Dune: Part Two which took special visual effects.
Elsewhere, Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl bagged best children’s and family film as well a best animated feature.
Accepting his second prize, Aardman director Nick Park joked: “I didn’t actually write a second speech.”
Republican Irish-language band Kneecap lived up to their promise, with the film’s director Rich Peppiatt taking outstanding debut.
The music biopic about Mo Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai (who wore his trademark balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag on the red carpet) had been up for six BAFTAs, despite missing out on making it to the Oscars shortlist last month.
Kneecap on the red carpet. Pic: PA
While it was up for seven awards, BAFTA voters didn’t seem to be feeling too much of the Wicked magic, with the Wizard Of Oz prequel taking two prizes, best production design and best costume design.
Meanwhile, Dune: Dune Part Two performed well in the technical categories, winning best sound and best visual effects.
Despite being up for six awards, A Complete Unknown, went home empty handed.
Lack of gongs aside, the movie’s star Timothée Chalamet still managed to cause plenty of buzz on the night, thanks to the fact he was accompanied to the ceremony with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, who is part of the Kardashian clan.
In a pre-announced win, British star Warwick Davis, best known for fantasy film Willow and the Harry Potter movies, was awarded the prestigious BAFTA film fellowship for both his performing and advocacy work.
Jeff Goldblum impressed with his musical skills on the night. Pic: PA
The In Memoriam section of the night was led by Wicked star Jeff Goldblum playing As Time Goes By on the piano as late stars including Dame Maggie Smith, David Lynch and Dame Joan Plowright were honoured.
Alien Romulus star David Jonsson won the only publicly voted award of the night, the rising star, celebrating up and coming talent.
And in a balloon-filled performance, Take That’s current line up of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen performed their hit Greatest Day, which features heavily in Anora.
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Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.
As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.
Pete Townshend
“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.
“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”
If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.
But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.
Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation.
Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.
“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”
Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.
For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.
Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.
“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”
Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.
“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.
“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”
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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.
“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.
Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.
It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
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