At the 2025 BAFTA Awards, held on February 16 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, “Conclave” was celebrated as the best film, sharing the spotlight with “The Brutalist,” which both films secured four awards each, making them the biggest winners of the night. Doctor Who star David Tennant hosted the event for the second consecutive year.
In addition to winning best film, “Conclave” also took home awards for Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing, showcasing its strong presence in multiple categories. Meanwhile, “The Brutalist” earned accolades for Leading Actor (Adrien Brody), Director (Brady Corbet), Original Score (Daniel Blumberg), and Cinematography (Lol Crawley).
Other notable mentions included “Emilia Pérez,” “A Real Pain,” “Wicked,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Anora,” and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” each securing two awards. However, the highly anticipated Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” failed to win despite receiving six nominations.
Adrien Brody is seen as a strong contender for the upcoming Oscars, having won at numerous other award shows. With uncertainty in various other categories, the wins for “Conclave” inject new excitement into the Oscar race, especially since “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” had claimed victory at the Golden Globes.
Interestingly, while the previous year’s BAFTA and Oscar winners in the major categories were identical, there is historical precedent for a lack of overlap, which keeps the suspense alive for both nominees and audiences alike. Only two of the last ten BAFTA winners for Best Film went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
As the film community looks ahead to the Oscars on March 2, it will be interesting to see if the recognition at the BAFTAs for “Conclave” and other contenders will translate into success at Hollywood’s most prestigious ceremony. This year’s awards have provided a rich field of talent, with a mix of fresh voices and seasoned veterans, promising an exciting year for cinema.