LONDON (AP) 鈥� Papal thriller 鈥� 鈥� won four prizes including best picture on Sunday at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, where genre-bending musical 鈥� 鈥� proved that it鈥檚 still an awards contender despite a that looked to have .
At a ceremony where no film dominated, 鈥淭he Brutalist鈥� equaled the awards tally of 鈥淐onclave," scooping four trophies, including best director for Brady Corbet and best actor for Adrien Brody. Mikey Madison won the best actress prize for Brooklyn tragicomedy 鈥淎nora.鈥�
鈥淐onclave,鈥� which stars Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal corralling conniving clergy as they elect a new pope, beat 鈥淎nora,鈥� 鈥淭he Brutalist,鈥� 鈥淓milia P茅rez鈥� and Bob Dylan biopic 鈥� " to the top prize. "Conclave鈥� was also named outstanding British film and took trophies for editing and adapted screenplay.
Supporting performer prizes went to Kieran Culkin for 鈥淎 Real Pain鈥� and Zoe Salda帽a for 鈥淓milia P茅rez," which also won the award for best film not in the English language.
, who stars as the titular transgender ex-cartel boss in 鈥淓milia P茅rez,鈥� was a best-actress nominee but did not attend the ceremony. Gasc贸n has withdrawn from promoting the film, which has 13 Oscar nominations, amid controversy over her social media posts disparaging Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars.
The film's director, Jacques Audiard, has condemned those comments, but in an acceptance speech thanked Gasc贸n along with her co-stars Salda帽a and Selena Gomez.
鈥淚 am deeply proud of what we have all achieved together," he said.
From the BAFTAs to the Oscars
Stars including Cynthia Erivo, Hugh Grant, Ariana Grande, Lupita Nyong鈥檕, Timoth茅e Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan walked the red carpet at London鈥檚 Royal Festival Hall for the awards, known as BAFTAs. The British prizes often provide clues about on March 2, in an unusually hard-to-call awards season.
They also have a distinctly British accent. The ceremony kicked off with its kilt-wearing host, Scottish actor David Tennant, leading the audience in a rousing singalong of The Proclaimers鈥� anthem 鈥淚鈥檓 Gonna Be (500 Miles).鈥�
Madison won the female acting trophy for her powerhouse performance as an exotic dancer entangled with a Russian oligarch's son in 鈥淎nora.鈥� She beat Gasc贸n, Demi Moore for body-horror film 鈥� ,鈥� Ronan for 鈥淭he Outrun,鈥� Erivo for 鈥湴戮背Π毂鸹邂�� and Marianne Jean-Baptiste for 鈥淗ard Truths.鈥�
In her acceptance speech, Madison sent a message to the sex worker community.
鈥淵ou deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and an ally and I implore others to do the same," she said.
Brody beat competition from Fiennes, Chalamet, who plays the young Dylan in 鈥淎 Complete Unknown,鈥� Grant for the horror film 鈥� ,鈥� Colman Domingo for prison drama 鈥� 鈥� and Sebastian Stan for his portrayal of a young Donald Trump in 鈥� .鈥�
Brody, who plays a Hungarian-Jewish architect in the postwar United States, said 鈥淭he Brutalist鈥� carried a powerful message for our divided times.
鈥淚t speaks to the need for all of us to share in the responsibility of how we want others to be treated and how we want to be treated by others,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here's no place any more for antisemitism. There's no place for racism."
鈥淭he Brutalist鈥� also won prizes for its cinematography and musical score.
Salda帽a won for her role as a lawyer who helps the title character in "Emilia P茅rez" transition to a woman and out of a life of crime. She called the film 鈥渢he creative challenge of a lifetime.鈥�
鈥淎 Real Pain,鈥� about mismatched cousins on a trip to explore their roots, won the BAFTA for best original screenplay, as well as Culkin's acting award.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to share this with my wife, who didn鈥檛 come because she didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 win,鈥� quipped writer-director Jesse Eisenberg, who also co-starred in the film.
Claymation caper 鈥淲allace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl鈥� won awards for best animated feature and best family and children鈥檚 film.
Sci-fi epic won prizes for sound and visual effects, while blockbuster musical " took the costume and production design trophies.
Rising stars and lifetime honors
Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,000 members of the U.K. academy of industry professionals, with one 鈥� the Rising Star Award 鈥�- selected by public vote from a shortlist of nominees. This year's winner was David Jonsson, star of high finance TV drama series 鈥淚ndustry鈥� and London rom-com 鈥淩ye Lane.鈥�
鈥淪tar, I don鈥檛 know,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut rising, I guess.鈥�
The prize for best British debut went to Rich Peppiatt, writer-director of Irish-language hip-hop drama 鈥淜neecap.鈥�
鈥淲illow鈥� and 鈥淩eturn of the Jedi鈥� actor Warwick Davis received the academy鈥檚 top honor, the BAFTA Fellowship, for his screen career and work to create a more inclusive film industry.
The 3-foot, 6-inch (1.1-meter) actor founded a talent agency for actors under 5 feet tall, because, he said, 鈥渟hort actors weren鈥檛 known for their talent, just their height.鈥�
鈥淭his is the best thing that鈥檚 ever happened to me 鈥� and I鈥檝e been in 鈥楽tar Wars,鈥欌�� Davis said as he accepted his award.
This awards season has been clouded by last month鈥檚 , and BAFTA chairwoman Sara Putt sent a message of strength to everyone affected,
The event was without a dash of royal glamour this year. Neither , who is honorary president of the British film academy, nor his wife Kate attended the ceremony, which coincided with school holidays for their three children.
William, 42, sent a video message, recorded during a visit to meet students at the London Screen Academy on Wednesday.
During the visit, the heir to the throne discussed his own viewing habits, saying he鈥檇 watched World War II drama 鈥淒arkest Hour鈥� and had begun postapocalyptic TV drama 鈥淭he Last of Us.鈥� He said he found it 鈥渜uite full on鈥� and didn鈥檛 make it to the end.
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Hilary Fox contributed to this story.
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A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the Academy Awards are on March 2, not March 3.
Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
