Maisie Williams wins Rising Star Award as London Evening Standard reveals winners of British Film Awards

Idris Elba wins Best Actor for his performance in Beasts of No Nation

Maggie Smith receives Best Actress for performance in The Lady in the Van - now four times a winner in this category

Emma Thompson wins Award for Comedy for her role in The Legend of Barney Thomson

John Crowley’s Brooklyn wins Best Film

Special Award goes to Alan Bennett for his contribution to film

The London Evening Standard tonight unveiled the winners of its British Film Awards at Television Centre, in White City. The awards ceremony, hosted by comedian and TV presenter Simon Amstell, celebrated an astounding year for British cinema and film talent, attracting high-profile guests to shine a spotlight on the industry’s remarkable creativity. The star-studded event drew in big names from the acting world, including Agyness Dean, Idris Elba, Tuppence Middleton, Stanley Tucci, Matthew Perry, Vanessa Redgrave and Tom Courtenay.

John Crowley’s Brooklyn claimed the top prize in the category for Best Film, presented by Matthew Perry, surpassing other contenders 45 Years, The Lobster and High-Rise. Meanwhile, Idris Elba was awarded Best Actor, presented by Vanessa Redgrave, for his performance in West African civil war drama Beasts of No Nation. In the Best Actress category, Maggie Smith’s tragi-comic portrayal of her character in The Lady in the Van saw her picking up the accolade for Best Actress, presented by David Hare. This is now the fourth time Dame Maggie Smith has been recognised by the Evening Standard in this category; thirty seven years since she first won the award for her performance in California Suite.

The awards were held in partnership with Television Centre, the former home of the BBC in White City, being transformed by Stanhope into a vibrant mixed use development featuring 950 new homes, independent restaurants and cafes, a Soho House members club and hotel and office space for the creative industries. Residents at Television Centre will also enjoy access to a boutique cinema, 24-hour concierge and a rooftop culinary experience.

From established film luminaries to the most exciting rising talent, the full Evening Standard British Film Awards shortlist is below with winners in bold and red:

BEST FILM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TELEVISION CENTRE:
Brooklyn
45 Years
High-Rise
The Lobster

The film’s director, John Crowley, picked up the award, presented by actor Matthew Perry

BEST ACTOR:
Tom Courtenay (45 Years)
Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
Michael Fassbender (Macbeth/ Steve Jobs)

Idris Elba was presented the award by actress Vanessa Redgrave

BEST ACTRESS:
Emily Blunt (Sicario)
Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Maggie Smith (The Lady in the Van)

Maggie Smith was presented the award by English playwright and director David Hare

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
Amy
My Nazi Legacy
Palio

Amy’s childhood friends and first manager picked up the award, presented by actress Tuppence Middleton

BEST SCREENPLAY:
Emma Donoghue (Room)
Nick Hornby (Brooklyn)
Carol Morley (The Falling)

StudioCanal’s Danny Perkins picked up the award on behalf of Emma Donoghue, which was presented by actress Jessica Hynes

RISING STAR:
Tom Browne (director, Radiator)
Jake Davies (X+Y)
Agyness Dean (Sunset Song)
Maisie Williams (The Falling)

Maisie Williams was presented the award by actor Adrian Lester

AWARD FOR COMEDY (Film or performance):
Bill (director Richard Bracewell, writers Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond)
Olivia Colman (The Lobster)
Colin Farrell (The Lobster)
Emma Thompson (The Legend of Barney Thomson)

Emma Thompson was presented the award by actor Stanley Tucci

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT:
Roger Deakins, cinematographer of Sicario
Mark Digby, production designer of Ex-Machina
Michael McDonough, cinematographer of Sunset Song
Mark Tildesley, production designer of High-Rise

Mark Digby was presented the award by actress Ashley Jensen

SPECIAL AWARD (OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION):
Alan Bennett for his contribution to British Film

Alan Bennett was presented the award by actor Alex Jennings

EDITOR’S AWARD:
45 Years

The Editor’s Award is a special award to celebrate an extraordinary achievement or person that has lit up the industry in the last year. This year’s winner is Andrew Haigh’s romantic drama 45 Years, a chilling look at the fault line opening under a long-term marriage. The film stars Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling, and has been nominated for various awards since its release.

Sir Tom Courtenay and the film’s producer Tristan Goligher picked up the award, which was presented by actress Emilia Fox

BLOCKBUSTER OF THE YEAR:
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Fifty Shades of Grey
Furious 7
Inside Out
Jurassic World
Home
Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
Minions
Spectre
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This award is voted for by the readers of the London Evening Standard, who were asked to vote for their favourite from the top ten UK box office grossers of 2015. The winner, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, smashed records for the biggest box office debut weekend globally, with J.J. Abrams’ film also achieving the largest four-day weekend total revenue in British and Irish cinemas.

C-3PO’s Anthony Daniels picked up the award, presented by actress Kelly Macdonald

The advisory judging panel for The Evening Standard British Film Awards 2016 includes judging panel chair Sarah Sands, as well as Fiona Hughes, consultant arts editor at The Evening Standard; David Sexton, chief film critic at The Evening Standard; Charlotte O’Sullivan, film critic at The Evening Standard; Peter Bradshaw, film critic writing for The Guardian; Kate Muir, chief film critic at The Times and Tim Robey, film critic at The Daily Telegraph.

Only British or Irish passport holders were eligible in the performance, technical achievement and screenplay categories. Only British or Irish productions were eligible in the film categories.

All films and performances in those films to have been released in the UK Jan 1-Dec 31 2015 or to have had a British festival screening were eligible.

Award for Comedy can go to a film or performance.

The London Evening Standard British Film Awards also saw the introduction of a new Audience Award for Blockbuster of the Year, where readers voted for their favourite from the top ten UK box office grossers of 2015.

Television Centre is being redeveloped by Stanhope, Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo to become a mix of office and television studio space, 950 new homes, cafes, restaurants, a gym and a new Soho House members’ club. The BBC is retaining a presence at Television Centre with BBC Worldwide’s new headquarters opened in April 2015, and the television and film studios being operated by BBC Studios and Post Production making programmes again from April 2017. 

Stanhope plc are developers with 30 years of experience and more than £20bn of completed projects behind them including Broadgate, Paternoster Square and the Grade 1 listed Royal Opera House. They have led the way in encouraging new and young architectural and artistic talent, championing high quality design and providing new public art and spaces as an integral part of the finished building.