Will Smith picked up the Leading Actor accolade, which was also his first BAFTA film awards nod for his performance in King Richard.
Nominees and guests attended the in-person BAFTA film awards, aka the 2022 EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate those who had picked up top awards in the world of film. The show aired on BBC One on Sunday night (13 March).
Though absent from the ceremony, Will Smith’s moving portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, garnered his first BAFTA film award, joining his Golden Globe, NAACP and Screen Actors Guild awards for the role.
Why should you go and see the King Richard movie? Read our film review
Lashana Lynch who has starred in two of the most coveted film franchises, Bond and Marvel, was awarded the EE Rising Star Award, the only award voted for by the public, from last year’s winner Bukky Bakray.
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During her speech she paid tribute to her parents and grandparents.
“Everyone involved in my career, my parents… whose parents came from Jamaica during the Windrush generation, I have them to thank for my existence.”
“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. Now I get to celebrate a ‘yes’ that I never expected.”
She continued: “I would like to thank the women of this country who taught me what it is to be in this industry as a dark-skinned woman. I thank you for laying the foundation for people like me.”
Lashana Lynch: “The Black experience needs to be 100 percent authentic”
Star-studded ensemble film, The Harder They Fall, won Outstanding Debut for its director Jeymes Samuel and Ariana DeBose picked up the Supporting Actress award for her turn as Anita in West Side Story.
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A stunning Dame Shirley Bassey was one of two musical showcases during the show, with her performance of ‘Diamonds are Forever’ marking 60 years of Bond.
8 things you really should know about The Harder They Fall (2021) Review
The Black Cop, a documentary about Gamal “G” Turawa, a former police officer which explores his experiences of “homophobia, racial profiling and racial harassment in his early career” won Best Short Film. In his speech, Turawa said: “It took many years of vomiting up the filth I had been taught about myself before I believed I had a right to be here. I have a right to be here. To be heard. Thank you to all those who came before us and who we now claim these rights for. Thank you – this is beyond anything I ever dreamed of in my life.” The documentary was directed by Cherish Oteka.
View the full list of winners of the 2022 EE British Academy Film Awards.
