Film awards: Everyone wants to be like Mike-y
Last Sunday was not just a night of Prada, smiles, and good vibes for Mikey Madison, it was one topped off with a surprise BAFTA win for Best Leading Actress in the incredible Anora.
Madison thwarted the likely candidate Demi Moore, whose awards path has been littered with wins as a result of her scene-stealing turn in The Substance.
Film News Blitz’s Aidan Leo celebrates Madison’s award win and whether she and the Anora crew could make a run for top honours at this year’s Oscars.
When and where was the BAFTAs event held?
The 2025 BAFTAs was held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England on Sunday, February 16.
The evening’s festivities were hosted by Britain’s own David Tennant for the second year running.
Can Madison and Anora continue their run at this year’s Oscars?
Moore’s role in The Substance, which seemingly was set to sweep the Best Leading Actress awards across the season, fans and viewers were pleasantly surprised to experience Madison’s against-the-odds victory over the weekend.
Furthermore, awards night for The Substance saw the feature rack up just one award across the entire evening for Makeup and Styling.
Anora on the other hand, in addition to the prestigious award for Best Leading Actress, was handed the award for Casting.
Madison’s ‘Star is Born’ moment
I am sure Madison’s fans, and fans of Anora, who, including myself, were delighted with her win see her performance as one of a worthy winner, and one to rival her competitors going into the Oscars.
The complexity, emotional depth, and loving and humorous depiction of a pole dancer intertwined amongst Russian mafia-related affairs, is one to celebrate and one which urged the need for her to be back on our screens in the moments that she was not.
Her off-the-cuff charm was illustrated in her award-winning speech, in which her warm, welcoming, and friendly disposition came through well, paying tribute to the sex worker industry.
“I see you, you deserve respect and human decency,” she said. “I will always be a friend and an ally and I implore others to do the same.”
Vogue called this BAFTA win and the humility with which it was received as Madison’s “Star is Born” moment.
This somewhat adds a spanner-in-the-works as it relates to swaying Oscar voters in her direction.
The more likeable, sweet, and charming she has proved herself to be, the further on par Anora is for further acknowledgement.
Madison being the face of Anora has cemented the position of Sean Baker’s comedic drama to the voters, the fans, and the film’s fellow Oscars contemporaries.
Noteworthy BAFTA award winners
Similar to the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTAs offered a wide array of winners across the board.
Talks now seem to be heating up in the Oscars’ film voting circles as it relates to Baker’s Anora, Edward Berger’s Conclave and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, as either one could be set for a double or possibly triple up in the Best Acting, Best Director, and Best Picture categories.
READ MORE: Film awards: Conclave and The Brutalist share the spoils at the 2025 BAFTAs
The Substance, along with Emilia Perez, are seemingly, as the recent award trends would indicate, set solely for the acting-related categories.
As far as cinematography, score, sound, editing, or any of the other more ‘secondary’ categories are concerned, those could present a variety of film selections as has been demonstrated thus far in awards season.
Although variety can be good, there is an underlying feeling in the waters that we may be in for an Oscars shock come two week’s time.
READ NEXT: TV awards: The Penguin’s Cristin Milioti triumphs at last
