It is nearly a month before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents the annual Academy Awards – also known as The Oscars. On February 19, the British Film Academy presented the BAFTA Awards – sometimes thought of as a preview of how the Oscars may go.

The antiwar film “All Quiet on the Western Front”, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, and the musical biopic “Elvis” all took home multiple awards. While it won multiple awards at the Golden Globe Awards, the film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” earned just one award at the BAFTA’s

British actor Richard E. Grant hosted the gala event and took a chance to take a swing at Will Smith and Chris Rock when he said, nobody on my watch gets slapped tonight…except on the back.”

Along with a threatre filled with stars including Colin Farrell, Ana de Armas, Eddie Redmayne, Brian Cox, Florence Pugh, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cynthia Erivo, Julilanne Moore, and Lilly James was the president of the British Film Academy His Royal Highness Prince William and his wife Princess Katherine.

Helen Mirren has portrayed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on more than one occasion and paid tribute to the monarch who died at the age of 97 last September.

In recent years The Oscars has faced a lot of backlash for a lack of diversity in its nominees. Their British counterparts are facing the same issues. In response, this year there were eleven female directors nominated for a BAFTA but only one was in a major category.

Broadway actor Ariana DeBose turned the song “Sisters are Doin’ it for Themselves” into an anthem for women, giving a shoutout to female nominees.

Winners of the 2023 BAFTA Awards:
Best Film: “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Best British Film: “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Best Director: Edward Berger for “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Best Actor: Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in “Elvis”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett for her role in “Tar”
Best Supporting Actor: Barry Keoghan for his role in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Best Supporting Actress: Kerry Condon for her role in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
BAFTA Rising Star: Emma Mackey (a fan voted award)
Outstanding British Deubt: Charlotte Well, writer and director fo “Aftersun”
Best Original Screenplay: Martin McDonagh for “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Best Adopted Screenplay: Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell for “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Best Non-English Language Film: “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Best Musical Score: Volker Bertelmann for “All Quiet on the Wester Front”
Best Cinematography: James Friend for “All Quient on the Western Front”
Best Editing: Paul Rogers for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Production Design: “Babylon”
Best Costume Design: Catherine Martin for “Elvis”
Best in Sound: “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Best Casting: Nikki Bartlett and Denise Chamain for “Elvis”
Best in Visutal Effects: “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Best in Makeup and Hair: “Elvis”
Best Animated Film: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”
Best British Short Film: “An Irish Goodbye”
Best British Short Animation: “The Boy the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”
Best Documentary: “Navalny”
BAFTA Fellowship: Sandy Powell