The , or BAFTAs, have given audiences some great moments in recent years. Remember Ariana DeBoseās that awkward performance that had a joyful second life as a joke? Or Ryan Goslingās wink at Emma Stone last year that had internet shippers in a tizzy?
The worst part is that for some parts of the world, including the U.S., theyāre also not the easiest to watch ā or at least a little harder than just turning on ABC (and soon Hulu) to watch the .
The Associated Press is here to help those without a BritBox subscription with a rundown of the best and most memorable moments of the night, where (though Mikey Madison did triumph over best actress front-runner Demi Moore), and proved itās still a contender.
ā(500 Miles)ā singalong with Brian Cox
got the ceremony off to an amusing start with a pre-recorded bit where various actors give him a little pep talk, appearing in his dressing room mirror ā including fellow Scot Brian Cox, who kicked off a rousing rendition of The Proclaimers song āIām Gonna Be (500 Miles).ā Tennant took over and brought the anthem into the room, where Selena Gomez seemed genuinely surprised when he tapped her shoulder and inserted her name into the song. There were the celebrity participants of course, James McAvoy, Camila Cabello and Colman Domingo among them. But even some not āin the showā sang along happily as well, and Jack Lowden included. Others, like Adrien Brody and Demi Moore, did not seem to be part of the chorus.
Selena Gomez narrowly avoids a presenting gaffe
No presenter wants a or, worse, a , and you could see the wheels turning in Gomezās head as she looked at the card for the debut by a British writer, director or producer award. āI donāt know how to say,ā she said quietly from stage, looking at her co-star and co-presenter, before looking further down on the card. āOh, āKneecap,āā she said, quietly adding, āRichā and simply avoiding last name, Peppiatt.
Jesse Eisenbergās sweet, funny tribute to his wife
started off his best screenplay win for with some signature, self-deprecating jokes about how neither he, his wife nor the person who sat him thought he was going to win. The audience laughed loudly when he said thatās why his wife didnāt attend the ceremony. But he quickly turned sincere, offering a touching tribute to his wife, Anna Strout, whom he credited with helping him learn about the world around him. āYouāve put every worthwhile thought into my head over the last 20 years,ā Eisenberg said. āI love you so much.ā
Zoe SaldaƱaās teary, fierce speech
Perhaps SaldaƱa was feeling the pressure of two days . Or maybe she was just really overwhelmed to win the best supporting actress BAFTA. Regardless, she let her emotions show in a teary and intense speech, in which she poked fun at her own inability to do a good British accent, shouted out her makeup artist as her closest confidant and made a case for the film.
āFilms are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds, and I hope, I hope that āEmilia PĆ©rezā did something like this,ā she said. āVoices need to be heard, just not my English accent. Bye, guys.ā
Jeff Goldblum, piano man
In memoriam segments donāt need to be flashy. All you need is a thoughtful reel, Jeff Goldblum and a piano, it turns out. He played āAs Time Goes By.ā
Warwick Davis ākeeps it short,ā and sincere
joked that heād keep his BAFTA Fellowship acceptance speech āshort,ā telling the audience that itās OK, they can laugh. āThis is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, and Iāve been in āStar Wars,āā he said. Davis also got emotional, speaking about his wife who died last year.
āShe was always so supportive of my career, encouraging me to grab every opportunity with both hands,ā he said. āSince then, life has been pretty tough for me. Thanks to the support of our wonderful children, Iāve been able to continue working and engaging in life.ā
Mikey Madison gets her moment
Moore has been sweeping many of the best actress prizes, but got a great, big moment and win. Though she said she didn't expect it, and said she should have ālistened to my publicist and written a speech,ā Madison gave a notably thoughtful speech, paying tribute to her director, producer, co-stars, and the sex worker community.
āI just want to say: I see you. You deserve respect and human decency,ā she said. āI will always be a friend and an ally, and I implore others to do the same.ā
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
