Here's Who Won At Last Night's BAFTAs – The Most Inclusive Ceremony Since The Awards Began

    Chloé Zhao, Daniel Kaluuya, and Ang Lee all walked away with awards!

    Sam Cleal
    by Sam Cleal

    BuzzFeed Staff

    The 74th British Academy Film Awards concluded last night after a two day ceremony held at the Royal Albert Hall in which nominees and winners appeared virtually.

    BBC One / Via BBC iPlayer

    The ceremony was split over two nights for the first time ever, and was presented by Clara Amfo and Rhianna Dhillon on Saturday night, and Dermot O'Leary and Edith Bowman on Sunday evening. Celebrities who appeared in person to present awards include Tom Hiddleston, Cynthia Erivo, Phoebe Dynevor, James McAvoy, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Hugh Grant.

    The ceremony was delayed by two months due to the pandemic, and comes just two weeks before the Oscars effectively rounds off the awards season on 26th April.

    One notable thing about the 2021 awards was its inclusivity, with many nominees of colour and an unprecedented four women up for the Best Director award!

    BBC One / Via BBC iPlayer

    Following an outcry that last year's BAFTA's nominees were predominantly white, this year's shortlisting process has been subject to a number of changes, including a new longlist round of voting, and an increase in the number of nominations in several categories including Outstanding British Film, Best Director, and all four of the main acting fields.

    As a result, this year's ceremony has been the most diverse in BAFTA history, with 16 out of the 24 acting contenders being people of colour, and four of the nominees for best director being women – Shannon Murphy (Babyteeth), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), Jasmila Žbanić (Quo Vadis, Aida?), and Sarah Gavron (Rocks).

    This year's BAFTAs saw a record-breaking amount of Black and minority ethnic winners, and it's second ever female Best Director winner! Here are some of the highlights from the night:

    Chloé Zhao won Best Director for Nomadland, which also won Best Film and earned Frances McDormand a Leading Actress win.

    BBC One / Via BBC iPlayer

    The Chinese-born filmmaker becomes the second woman to ever win a BAFTA award for Best Director (after Kathryn Bigelow in 2009) for her feature Nomadland. This tees up Chloé for a potential win at the Oscars later this month!

    Daniel Kaluuya won Best Supporting Actor for his work on Judas and the Black Messiah, and Yuh-Jung Youn won Best Supporting Actress for Minari.

    BBC One / Via BBC iPlayer

    The Get Out actor won for his performance as Fred Hampton in searing biographical drama, Judas and the Black Messiah. Among others, he thanked his mother and childhood friends for their guidance.

    South-Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung was up for a BAFTA for her iconic performance as a no-nonsense grandmother in Minari. Yuh-jung said she was glad to win approval from the British in her speech, who she hilariously described as "snobbish".

    Fresh off the success of her starring role in indie movie, Rocks, Bukky Bakray was voted winner of the EE Rising Star Award by the public.

    Writer-Director Remi Weekes won the Outstanding Debut award by a British writer, director, or producer for his film His House.

    BBC One / Via BBC iPlayer

    For his stunning and critically-acclaimed 2020 horror movie, His House, Remi won BAFTA's Outstanding Debut award.

    Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman won both Outstanding British Film and Best Original Screenplay.

    BBC One / Via BBC iPlayer

    The Crown alumna made off with two massive accolades for her unique and uncompromising feature directorial debut Promising Young Woman.

    Pixar's latest feature film Soul won two awards for Best Animated Film and Best Original Score.

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    For Pixar's first ever movie centring Black stories and characters, the famous studio won Best Animated Film, as well as Best Original Score for musicians Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross.

    The award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema went to Kidulthood and Bulletproof creator, Noel Clarke, while the Bafta Fellowship went to prolific director Ang Lee, known for such movies as Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and Sense and Sensibility.

    BBC One / Via BBC iPlayer

    Noel dedicated his award to "my young Black boys and girls out there that never believed it could happen to them".

    A full list of the winners from the night can be found here. Here's hoping that this can become the new standard in movie industry award ceremonies!