The Bafta Film Awards 2021 have been announced, celebrating the best of the behind-the-scenes talent in film. Hosted by Clara Amfo, nine awards were given out on the night, with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom dominating with two wins.
Clara kicked off the opening night of the Baftas, which are being held virtually due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and began by praising Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh following his death aged 99 on Friday. She opened the show in an empty Royal Albert Hall by telling viewers: ‘Before we start tonight we want to say that on behalf of Bafta we are extremely saddened by the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on Friday.
‘The duke was Bafta’s very first president over 60 years ago and was the first of a line of royal patronage all the way through to Bafta’s current president, his grandson, the Duke of Cambridge.
‘It was Prince Philip and Her Majesty the Queen’s support throughout these years that in many ways allowed Bafta, a leading charity in the arts, to continue in difficult times and to be here today in 2021 celebrating another outstanding year of achievement in film.’
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, had been due to feature in a pre-recorded conversation with costume designer Jenny Beavan and make-up and hair designer Sharon Martin, but withdrew following the death of his grandfather.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was the big winner of the night and the outstanding British contribution to cinema award went to Noel Clarke, who dedicated it to ‘my young black boys and girls out there that never believed it could happen to them.’
The full list of Bafta Film Award winners 2021 are:
Casting – Rocks
Costume design – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Make-up and hair – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Production design – Mank
British short film – The Present
British short animation – The Owl and the Pussycat
Special visual effects – Tenet
Sound – The Sound Of Metal Outstanding British contribution to cinema – Noel Clarke (Metro)
