No Time to Die star Lashana Lynch was named the EE Rising Star at this year’s Bafta Awards while western The Power of the Dog won Best Film.
The actress, who played MI6 agent Nomi in the latest Bond film, thanked everyone involved in her career as well as her “supportive” parents and grandparents who came to London as part of the Windrush Generation.
The 34-year-old, from Hammersmith, said: “I’m grateful for a working-class foundation that has taught me everything I need to know about failure, about noes and what noes mean and how to celebrate your yeses.”
Speaking backstage, she said she was going to give the prize to her mother because “I don’t know what to do with it”.
Joanna Scanlan was named leading actress of her role in After Love where she plays a widow uncovering family secrets after her husband’s death.
The visibly shocked actress said: “Some stories have surprise endings don’t they?”
Will Smith won the leading actor award for his performance in King Richard playing the father of tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, while best director went to Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog which also won Best Film.
Neither were at the awards, though Benedict Cumberbatch accepted on behalf of his director and read her tribute to the cast and crew.
The Bafta for best supporting actor went to deaf star Troy Kotsur who signed as he accepted his award for Coda.
The award for best supporting actress went to Ariana Debose for West Side Story who made a tearful tribute to the film’s casting director who made her audition for the role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic musical.
Harry Potter star Emma Watson presented the award for outstanding British film to Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast - a tribute to the actor and director’s childhood in Northern Ireland.
Science-fiction epic Dune won the first two awards on the night as the Baftas returned to the Royal Albert Hall.
The film, which starred Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, picked up the Baftas for special visual effects and cinematography.
The Black Cop, a documentary about ex-Met police officer Gamal ‘G’ Turawa, was named best British short film before the awards for editing and sound went to No Time to Die and Dune respectively while Hans Zimmer got the original score award for his work on the sci-fi film.
Host Rebel Wilson, who had promised she would not shy away from risque jokes, told the audience “I was going to do a musical number as host – it was about Prince Andrew.
“It was on roller-skates. It was called Pizza Express but don’t worry, I’m not going to do it, I’m not going to sing.
“I’m saving my voice for the sequel to Cats.”
The ceremony began with a tribute to the Bond films from Dame Shirley Bassey.
The Welsh star performed her hit Diamonds Are Forever from the hit 1971 film to raise the curtain on the show which also featured a montage from the hit 007 films.
Several guests on the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall wore Ukrainian colours and badges expressing support for the beleaguered country while Bafta chair Krishnendu Majumdar delivered a message from the Ukrainian Film Academy during his opening speech as the awards return amid a backdrop of conflict.
Speaking ahead of this year’s 75th British Academy Film Awards – which sees Dune lead the pack with 11 nominations – Majumdar condemned the invasion of Russia, adding the academy would not “shy away from world events”.
