"Oppenheimer" - the 2023 biopic focusing on the Manhattan Project, the development of the atomic bomb, the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the dawn of the nuclear age - won seven prizes at the 77th British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) on Sunday night (Feb. 18).
Among the awards include Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.).
The film's BAFTA accolades cemented its front-runner status for the Oscars this March, the Associated Press reported.
Films that were runners-up for the most BAFTAs were "Poor Things" with five awards, the Holocaust drama "The Zone of Interest" with three, and "The Holdovers" with two.
Murphy said he was grateful to play Oppenheimer - dubbed the father of the atomic bomb - who he described as a "colossally knotty, complex character."
"Oppenheimer" was Nolan's first BAFTA win. He noted in his acceptance speech that nuclear weapons were "a nihilistic subject," which, he perceived, the film did cinematic justice.
"Thank you for taking on something dark," he told the film's producers.
Full List, Analysis of BAFTA Nominees, Winners
The following is the list of BAFTA 2024 nominees and winners:
Best film
- Oppenheimer (winner)
- Anatomy of a Fall
- The Holdovers
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Poor Things
Outstanding British film
- The Zone of Interest (winner)
- All of Us Strangers
- How To Have Sex
- Napoleon
- The Old Oak
- Poor Things
- Rye Lane
- Saltburn
- Scrapper
- Wonka
Best film not in the English language
- The Zone of Interest (winner)
- 20 Days In Mariupol
- Anatomy of a Fall
- Past Lives
- Society of the Snow
Best Animated Film
- The Boy and the Heron (winner)
- Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
- Elemental
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Documentary
- 20 Days In Mariupol (winner)
- American Symphony
- Beyond Utopia
- Still: A Michael J Fox Movie
- Wham!
Best British Short Animation
- Crab Day (winner)
- Visible Mending
- Wild Summon
Best British Short Film
- Jellyfish and Lobster (winner)
- Festival of Slaps
- Gorka
- Such a Lovely Day
- Yellow
Best Director
- Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan (winner)
- All of Us Strangers - Andrew Haigh
- Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet
- The Holdovers - Alexander Payne
- Maestro - Bradley Cooper
- The Zone of Interest - Jonathan Glazer
Best Leading Actor
- Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer (winner)
- Bradley Cooper - Maestro
- Colman Domingo - Rustin
- Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers
- Barry Keoghan - Saltburn
- Teo Yoo - Past Lives
Best Leading Actress
- Emma Stone - Poor Things (winner)
- Fantasia Barrino - The Color Purple
- Sandra Hüller - Anatomy of a Fall
- Carey Mulligan - Maestro
- Vivian Oparah - Rye Lane
- Margot Robbie - Barbie
Best Supporting Actor
- Robert Downey Jr - Oppenheimer (winner)
- Robert De Niro - Killers of the Flower Moon
- Jacob Elordi - Saltburn
- Ryan Gosling - Barbie
- Paul Mescal - All of Us Strangers
- Dominic Sessa - The Holdovers
Best Supporting Actress
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers (winner)
- Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer
- Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
- Claire Foy - All of Us Strangers
- Sandra Hüller - The Zone of Interest
- Rosamund Pike - Saltburn
Best Original Screenplay
- Anatomy of a Fall (winner)
- Barbie
- The Holdovers
- Maestro
- Past Lives
Best Adapted Screenplay
- American Fiction (winner)
- All of Us Strangers
- Oppenheimer
- Poor Things
- The Zone of Interest
Outstanding Debut by a British writer, director, or producer
- Earth Mama (winner)
- Blue Bag Life
- Bobi Wine: The People's President
- How To Have Sex
- Is There Anybody Out There?
Original Score
- Oppenheimer (winner)
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Poor Things
- Saltburn
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Make-up and Hair
- Poor Things (winner)
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Maestro
- Napoleon
- Oppenheimer
Best Costume Design
- Poor Things (winner)
- Barbie
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Napoleon
- Oppenheimer
Best Production Design
- Poor Things (winner)
- Barbie
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Oppenheimer
- The Zone of Interest
Best Sound
- The Zone of Interest (winner)
- Ferrari
- Maestro
- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
- Oppenheimer
Best Cinematography
- Oppenheimer (winner)
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Maestro
- Poor Things
- The Zone of Interest
Best Editing
- Oppenheimer (winner)
- Anatomy of a Fall
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Poor Things
- The Zone of Interest
Best Casting
- The Holdovers (winner)
- All of Us Strangers
- Anatomy of a Fall
- How To Have Sex
- Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Special Visual Effects
- Poor Things (winner)
- The Creator
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
- Napoleon
BAFTA Fellowship
- Samantha Morton
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
- June Givanni
EE Bafta Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
- Mia McKenna-Bruce (winner)
- Phoebe Dynevor
- Ayo Edebiri
- Jacob Elordi
- Sophie Wilde
In terms of nomination win-loss ratio, "Oppenheimer" had a whopping seven awards out of 13 nominations, which was the most for this year's competition. However, it fell short of the nine trophies won by the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in 1971.
Meanwhile, "Poor Things" won five out of 11 nominations, "The Zone of Interest" with three out of nine, and "The Holdovers" with two out of seven.
Out of the major nominees, "Anatomy of a Fall" won best original screenplay, "American Fiction" won best-adapted screenplay,
Other winners include "The Boy and the Heron" (best-animated film), "20 Days In Mariupol" (best documentary), "Crab Day" (best British short animation), "Jellyfish and Lobster" (best British short film), "Earth Mama" (outstanding debut by a British writer, director, or producer).
However, nominees from the films "Barbie," "Maestro," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Past Lives" - who also have multiple nominations in the upcoming Oscars - were sidelined in this year's BAFTAs.
