The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international film contributions. The ceremony was first held at the flagship Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in London, then the Royal Opera House from 2007 to 2016. The event was held at the Royal Albert Hall from 2017 to 2022, before moving to the Royal Festival Hall for 2023. The statue awarded to recipients depicts a theatrical mask. The BAFTA Awards are recognised internationally as the highest honour in British cinema, equivalent to the BAFTA TV Awards for television, Laurence Olivier Awards for theatre, and the BRIT Awards for music. The BAFTA Film Awards are considered equivalent to the Academy Awards.
| British Academy Film Awards | |
|---|---|
| Current: 78th British Academy Film Awards | |
| Awarded for | The best in film |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| First award | 29 May 1949 |
| Website | bafta.org |
The first BAFTA Awards ceremony was held in 1949, and the ceremony was first broadcast on the BBC in 1956 with Vivien Leigh as the host. The ceremony was initially held in April or May; since 2001, it typically takes place in February.
History
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) was founded in 1947 as The British Film Academy, by David Lean, Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, Charles Laughton, Roger Manvell, Laurence Olivier, Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell, Michael Balcon, and other major figures of the British film industry. In 1958, the Academy merged with The Guild of Television Producers and Directors to form The Society of Film and Television, which eventually became The British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1976.
The stated charitable purpose of BAFTA is to "support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners, and benefiting the public". In addition to high-profile awards ceremonies, BAFTA runs a year-round programme of educational events, including film screenings and tribute evenings. BAFTA is supported by a membership of about 6,000 people from the film, television, and video game industries.
The Academy's awards are in the form of a theatrical mask designed by American sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe, in response to a commission from the Guild of Television Producers in 1955.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was the host of the ceremony as the first president of BAFTA in 1960,1963, and 1965.
Princess Anne presented the first Fellowship Award to Alfred Hitchcock in 1971, and subsequently attended the ceremony several times as President of BAFTA between 1973 and 2001.
Annual ceremony
The ceremony previously took place in April or May, but since 2001 it has been held in February in order to precede the Academy Awards. Most of the awards are open to all nationalities, though there are awards for Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Producer or Director. Only UK films are eligible for the categories of The British Short Film and British Short Animation awards.
During each annual ceremony, BAFTA pauses in memoriam to pay tribute to those in the industry who have died over the past 12 months, showcasing a montage of images accompanied by music.
William, Prince of Wales attended the ceremony for the first time in 2010 after being named president of BAFTA, and has attended frequently since, including together with Catherine, Princess of Wales. He presented the BAFTA Fellowship award to Mel Brooks in 2017 and Kathleen Kennedy in 2020.
Broadcast
Historically, the Awards ceremony was broadcast on British television on a same-day delay, and later distributed internationally. The first broadcast was on the BBC in 1956, with Vivien Leigh (who would present an award to her ex husband Sir Laurence Olivier) as the host. It has been broadcast in colour since 1970. In the US the show was previously broadcast with a delay on BBC America until 2021, after which it has broadcast on streaming service BritBox. In 2023, the BAFTA Film Awards included a live telecast for its major award categories during the culmination of the ceremony.
Location
The award ceremony is held in London. From 2000 to 2007, the ceremonies took place at the flagship Odeon cinema in Leicester Square. Between 2008 and 2016, the ceremonies took place at the Royal Opera House. The 70th Awards in 2017, and subsequent ceremonies up to the 75th Awards in 2022, were held at the Royal Albert Hall.
For the 76th British Academy Film Awards in 2023, it was announced that the ceremony would be moved to the Royal Festival Hall as part of a new multi-year deal between BAFTA and the Southbank Centre, bringing the Film Awards in-line with the British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Games Awards, which were already held there.
Sponsorship
Until 2012, the mobile telephone network Orange sponsored the awards. Orange's parent company, EE, took over the sponsorship of the event from 2013.
Award categories
- BAFTA Award for Best Film: since 1948
- BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film: 1948–1968, 1992–present
- BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language: since 1983
- BAFTA Award for Best Documentary: 1948–1989, 2012–present
- BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film: since 2006
- BAFTA Award for Best Children's and Family Film: since 2025
- BAFTA Award for Best Short Film: since 1980
- BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation: since 1990
- BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: since 1998
- BAFTA Award for Best Direction: since 1968
- BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay: since 1984
- BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay: since 1984
- BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role: since 1968
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role: since 1968
- BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: since 1969
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: since 1969
- BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography: since 1969
- BAFTA Award for Best Editing: since 1968
- BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design: since 1969
- BAFTA Award for Best Production Design: since 1969
- BAFTA Award for Best Makeup and Hair: since 1983
- BAFTA Award for Best Original Music: since 1969
- BAFTA Award for Best Sound: since 1969
- BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects: since 1983
- BAFTA Award for Best Casting: since 2020
- BAFTA Rising Star Award: since 2006
Retired awards
- BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (awarded 1952–1984)
- BAFTA Award for Best British Screenplay (awarded 1955–1968)
- BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay (awarded 1969–1983)
- BAFTA Award for Best British Actor (awarded 1952–1967)
- BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor (awarded 1952–1967)
- BAFTA Award for Best British Actress (awarded 1952–1967)
- BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress (awarded 1952–1967)
- BAFTA Award for Best Original Song (awarded 1983–1985)
- BAFTA Award for Best Factual Film
- BAFTA Award for Best Fictional Film
- BAFTA Award for Best Short Factual Film
- BAFTA Award for Best Specialised Film
- BAFTA Award for Best Animation (awarded 1955–1982)
- BAFTA John Grierson Award
- BAFTA United Nations Award (awarded 1949–1976)
Special awards
- BAFTA Fellowship (since 1971)
- Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award (known as the Michael Balcon Award from 1979 to 2006)
- Britannia Awards (1989–2019)
Superlatives
Acting
| Superlative | Male Actor | # | Female Actor | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Nominations | Albert Finney | 9 | Judi Dench Meryl Streep | 15 |
| Most Wins | Peter Finch | 5 | Judi Dench | 6 |
Note: Dench and Finney's tally of wins and nominations includes those received in the Most Promising Newcomer category.
Actors nominated twice in the same category in the same year
Nine actors have received dual nominations in the same category in a single year at the BAFTA Film Awards.
| Year (Ceremony) | Actor/Actress | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 (37th) | Michael Caine | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Educating Rita | Won |
| The Honorary Consul | Nominated | |||
| 1992 (46th) | Miranda Richardson | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Damage | Won |
| The Crying Game | Nominated | |||
| 1993 (47th) | Anthony Hopkins | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Remains of the Day | Won |
| Shadowlands | Nominated | |||
| 1998 (52nd) | Geoffrey Rush | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Shakespeare in Love | Won |
| Elizabeth | Nominated | |||
| 2003 (57th) | Scarlett Johansson | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Lost in Translation | Won |
| Girl with a Pearl Earring | Nominated | |||
| Sean Penn | Best Actor in a Leading Role | 21 Grams | Nominated | |
| Mystic River | Nominated | |||
| 2004 (58th) | Kate Winslet | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Nominated |
| Finding Neverland | Nominated | |||
| 2005 (59th) | George Clooney | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Good Night, and Good Luck | Nominated |
| Syriana | Nominated | |||
| 2008 (62nd) | Kate Winslet | Best Actress in a Leading Role | The Reader | Won |
| Revolutionary Road | Nominated | |||
| 2019 (73rd) | Margot Robbie | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Bombshell | Nominated |
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Nominated |
- Notes
- Michael Caine was the first actor to receive dual nominations in the same category in a single year.
- The only ceremony with multiple actors double nominated in the same category was the 57th, with Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson. Penn became the first actor to win neither nomination, while Johansson became the first (and remains the only) to have neither performance nominated for the corresponding Oscar.
- Kate Winslet is the only actor to receive dual nominations twice.
Actors nominated in two different categories for the same performance in the same year
Nine actors have received two nominations for the same performance in a single year at the BAFTA Film Awards.
| Year (Ceremony) | Actor/Actress | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 (14th) | Albert Finney | Best British Actor | Saturday Night and Sunday Morning | Nominated |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | |||
| 1975 (29th) | Valerie Perrine | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Lenny | Nominated |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | |||
| 1976 (30th) | Jodie Foster | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Bugsy Malone / Taxi Driver | Won |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | |||
| 1978 (32nd) | Brad Davis | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Midnight Express | Nominated |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Nominated | |||
| 1980 (34th) | Judy Davis | Best Actress in a Leading Role | My Brilliant Career | Won |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | |||
| 1982 (36th) | Ben Kingsley | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Gandhi | Won |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | |||
| 1983 (37th) | Phyllis Logan | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Another Time, Another Place | Nominated |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | |||
| Julie Walters | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Educating Rita | Won | |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Nominated | |||
| 1984 (38th) | Haing S. Ngor | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Killing Fields | Won |
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won |
- Notes
- Albert Finney was the first actor to receive two nominations for one performance.
- Jodie Foster was the first actor to win both nominations.
- Brad Davis is the only actor to win neither nomination.
- The only ceremony with multiple actors to receive two nominations for one performance was the 37th, with Phyllis Logan and Julie Walters. Logan and Walters were nominated twice against each other, and both won, effectively splitting categories.
Directing
| Superlative | Director | |
|---|---|---|
| Most Nominations | Martin Scorsese | 10 |
| Most Wins | Woody Allen | 2 |
| Joel Coen | ||
| Alfonso Cuarón | ||
| Ang Lee | ||
| Louis Malle | ||
| Alan Parker | ||
| Roman Polanski | ||
| John Schlesinger | ||
| Peter Weir | ||
Directors nominated for multiple films in the same year
The only director to receive dual nominations in the same year at the BAFTA Film Awards was Steven Soderbergh for Erin Brockovich and Traffic in 2000. Additionally, Sidney Lumet received one joint nomination for Murder on the Orient Express and Serpico in 1974.
Other
- Most awards won by a single film
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), with 9 wins.
- Most nominations received by a single film
- Gandhi (1982), with 16 nominations.
- Most awards won by a non English-language film
- All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), with 7 wins.
- Most nominations received by a non English-language film
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), with 14 nominations each.
- Most nominations received by an animated film
- Shrek (2001), with 6 nominations.
- First non-English language film to win Best Film
- Bicycle Thieves in 1949.
- First non-English language films to be nominated for Best Film
- Four Steps in the Clouds, Monsieur Vincent and Paisan in 1948.
- First animated film to be nominated for Best Film
- Shrek (2001)
- First animated film to win any screenplay categories
- Shrek (2001), with Best Adapted Screenplay
- Largest sweep (winning awards in every nominated category)
- A Man for All Seasons (1966), with 7 wins.
- Most nominations without winning an award
- Women in Love (1969) and Finding Neverland (2004), with 11 nominations each.
- Most total nominations and awards for a person
- Woody Allen received 24 nominations and won 10 awards.
- Most nominations and awards for a person in a single year
- Alfonso Cuarón received six nominations and won four awards in 2018.
- Most nominations for a woman in a single year
- Chloé Zhao received four nominations in 2020.
- Most total awards for a woman
- Judi Dench and Catherine Martin won six awards each.
- Most total nominations for a woman
- Sandy Powell received 16 nominations.
- Highest "perfect score"
- Composer Ennio Morricone has six nominations and six wins.
- Only person to receive every nomination in a category
- Jocelyn Rickards received both nominations for Best British Costume Design – Black and White in 1967, winning for Mademoiselle.
- Only actor to win a BAFTA for portraying a real BAFTA winner
- Cate Blanchett won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for portraying Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004).
- NOTE: Robert Downey Jr. won Best Actor in a Leading Role for portraying Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin (1992). Chaplin received the BAFTA Fellowship, an honorary award, but was never nominated for a competitive BAFTA.
- Cate Blanchett won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for portraying Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004).
- Only actor to be nominated for a voice-only performance
- Eddie Murphy nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for voicing Donkey in Shrek (2001).
- Oldest person to win an award
- James Ivory, age 89 (Best Adapted Screenplay, Call Me by Your Name, 2017).
- Youngest person to win an award
- Jodie Foster, age 13 (Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles, Bugsy Malone / Taxi Driver, 1976).
Ceremonies
| Event | Date(s) | Host(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 29 May 1949 | — | |
| 2nd | 29 May 1949 | ||
| 3rd | 29 May 1950 | ||
| 4th | 22 February 1951 | ||
| 5th | 8 May 1952 | ||
| 6th | 5 March 1953 | ||
| 7th | 25 March 1954 | ||
| 8th | 10 March 1955 | Jack Buchanan Leslie Mitchell Anthony Havelock-Allan | |
| 9th | 1 March 1956 | Vivien Leigh | 1st LIVE |
| 10th | 11 July 1957 | — | |
| 11th | 6 March 1958 | Ian Dalrymple | |
| Leslie Mitchell | (2) | ||
| 12th | 18 March 1959 | — | |
| 13th | 22 March 1960 | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | |
| 14th | 6 April 1961 | — | |
| 15th | 5 April 1962 | ||
| 16th | 7 May 1963 | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | (2) |
| 17th | 3 April 1964 | Anthony Havelock-Allan | (2) |
| 18th | 30 March 1965 | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | (3) |
| 19th | 23 March 1966 | Leslie Caron | |
| 20th | 1967 | — | |
| 21st | 28 March 1968 | ||
| 22nd | 26 March 1969 | Lord Mountbatten | |
| 23rd | 8 March 1970 | David Frost | |
| 24th | 4 March 1971 | Richard Attenborough | (2) |
| 25th | 23 February 1972 | ||
| 26th | 28 February 1973 | Michael Parkinson John Mills | |
| 27th | 6 March 1974 | Eamonn Andrews Petula Clark | |
| 28th | 26 February 1975 | David Niven | |
| 29th | 17 March 1976 | Diana Rigg | |
| Eamonn Andrews | (2) | ||
| 30th | 24 March 1977 | Esther Rantzen Roger Moore | |
| 31st | 16 March 1978 | Andrew Gardner Susannah York | |
| 32nd | 22 March 1979 | Sue Lawley Michael York | |
| 33rd | 20 March 1980 | Anna Ford Edward Fox | |
| 34th | 22 March 1981 | David Frost | (2) |
| 35th | 18 March 1982 | Denis Norden | |
| 36th | 20 March 1983 | Frank Bough Selina Scott | |
| 37th | 25 March 1984 | Michael Aspel | |
| 38th | 5 March 1985 | Terry Wogan | |
| 39th | 16 March 1986 | Michael Aspel | (2) |
| 40th | 22 March 1987 | Ronnie Corbett Ronnie Barker | |
| 41st | 20 March 1988 | Michael Aspel | (3) |
| 42nd | 19 March 1989 | David Dimbleby | |
| Anna Ford | (2) | ||
| 43rd | 11 March 1990 | Magnus Magnusson Sally Magnusson | |
| 44th | 17 March 1991 | Noel Edmonds | |
| 45th | 22 March 1992 | Michael Aspel | (4) |
| 46th | 21 March 1993 | Griff Rhys Jones | |
| 47th | 15 April 1994 | Sheena McDonald | |
| 48th | 9 April 1995 | Billy Connolly | |
| 49th | 23 April 1996 | Angus Deayton | |
| 50th | 29 April 1997 | Lenny Henry | |
| 51st | 18 April 1998 | Rory Bremner | |
| 52nd | 11 April 1999 | Jonathan Ross | |
| 53rd | 9 April 2000 | Jack Docherty | |
| 54th | 25 February 2001 | Stephen Fry Mariella Frostrup | |
| 55th | 24 February 2002 | Stephen Fry | (6) |
| 56th | 23 February 2003 | ||
| 57th | 15 February 2004 | ||
| 58th | 12 February 2005 | ||
| 59th | 19 February 2006 | ||
| 60th | 11 February 2007 | Jonathan Ross | (6) |
| 61st | 10 February 2008 | ||
| 62nd | 8 February 2009 | ||
| 63rd | 21 February 2010 | ||
| 64th | 13 February 2011 | ||
| 65th | 12 February 2012 | Stephen Fry | (12) |
| 66th | 10 February 2013 | ||
| 67th | 16 February 2014 | ||
| 68th | 8 February 2015 | ||
| 69th | 14 February 2016 | ||
| 70th | 12 February 2017 | ||
| 71st | 18 February 2018 | Joanna Lumley | (2) |
| 72nd | 10 February 2019 | ||
| 73rd | 2 February 2020 | Graham Norton | |
| 74th | 10–11 April 2021 | Clara Amfo Dermot O'Leary Edith Bowman | |
| 75th | 13 March 2022 | Rebel Wilson | |
| 76th | 19 February 2023 | Richard E. Grant Alison Hammond | |
| 77th | 18 February 2024 | David Tennant | (2) |
| 78th | 16 February 2025 |
See also
- Academy Awards — the American equivalent of the BAFTAs
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts
- British Academy Television Awards — the highest honour in British television
- BRIT Awards — the highest honour in British music
- Laurence Olivier Awards — the highest honour in the professional London theatre and British theatre
Notes
- As of 2025, Shrek remains the only animated film to be nominated in that category.
- As of 2025, Shrek remains the only film to win in any screenplay categories.
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