The big moments at this year's BAFTAs

Last night, the BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), which is the British version of the Oscars, had its big glittery night, and although most of it was done via Zoom (like almost every award show over the past year), that doesn’t mean the wins or the surprises were scaled back. There was epic red-carpet fashion, huge surprise wins garnering massive reactions, and some moving and emotional speeches.

First of all, let’s talk fashion, because even whilst physically distanced, stars like Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor, Tom Hiddleston, Felicity Jones, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas looked fine AF. There were Louis Vuitton gowns, Ronald Van Der Kemp couture, Bvlgari jewelry, and everyone was serving up some hot lewks. 

The big winners of the night were Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, and Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman. Nomadland, a movie about a woman who embarks on a journey through America in her van as a modern-day nomad, won Best Film, and director Zhao was also named Best Director, only the second woman to win the award (Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to win it in 2010 for The Hurt Locker). American actress Frances McDormand who stars in the flick won Best Actress.

Zhao gave an emotional acceptance speech highlighting the need to elderly care and aging with dignity. “How we treat our elders says a lot about who we are as a society, and we need to do better,” she said via video-chat.  

Her win, and others, highlighted the change the BAFTAs made this year after last year’s #BAFTASsowhite controversy. The nominees were the most diverse ever in the show’s history, and there were four non-white nominees in each of the acting categories, and four women nominated for Best Director.

That much-needed change led to some incredible surprise wins, garnering huge reactions, like actress Bukky Bakray who won the EE Rising Star award for her role in the movie Rocks. Even Jameela Jamil was delighted by Bukky’s overwhelming reaction. Heck, we all were! Her entire family couldn’t contain themselves and their screams were audible in the background. 

Then Noel Clarke dedicated his Outstanding Contribution award to “the underrepresented” and “young Black boys and girls” in a powerful speech where he mentioned a previous BAFTA "faux-pas" in his youth (popping his collar upon winning a Rising Star award), and the realization that he has nothing to apologize for.

Plus Sir Anthony Hopkins decided to forgo the ceremony entirely in favour of painting as the show went down – even when he won Best Actor for The Father. That’s Big Sir Energy right there.

It turns out, Sir Anthony didn’t think he would win, so he didn’t even tune in to the broadcast while holed up in a hotel room in his native Wales.

His rep told The Telegraph, “He arrived yesterday and was very jet lagged and didn’t think he would win. Once he did, we were able to get hold of him.” 

“I was so astounded. I was sitting here painting, in fact. This room in my hotel. I’m covered in paint.  I heard this cheer next door,” Sir Anthony said, “I thought, ‘What’s happening? Are they watching a football match?’”

Director and screenwriter Emerald Fennell won Best Original Screenplay and Outstanding British Film for Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan. Daniel Kaluuya was named Best Supporting Actor for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah, (except this time the awards show didn’t mute his acceptance speech), and  Yuh-Jung Youn won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Minari.

The BAFTAs are often seen as a hint of things to come at the Oscars, which are going down on Sunday, April 25^th, so if you’re a betting woman, let these wins guide your Bingo card!

BEFORE YOU GO: 'Glee' cast reunite to honour Naya Rivera at the GLAAD Media Awards

[video_embed id='2178221']BEFORE YOU GO: 'Glee' cast reunite to honour Naya Rivera at the GLAAD Media Awards[/video_embed]