The Favourite – already emerging as an Awards Season favourite – has collected a record ten prizes at the British Independent Film Awards, from its thirteen nominations.
The trophy haul for this British, Irish and American co-production included Best British Independent Film, Best Director for The Lobster‘s Yorgos Lanthimos and Best Actress for Olivia Colman, playing Queen Anne.
One of Colman’s fellow nominees in that category, Rachel Weisz, collected the Best Supporting Actress award for The Favourite, while her Disobedience co-star Alessandro Nivola won the male equivalent.
Joe Cole was named the Best Actor for his role as an English boxer in a Thai prison in A Prayer Before Dawn. “It was a lot of prep,” he said of the role. “I had to learn to box…I was getting battered every day. It felt like you earned your money at the end of the day.”
There were two awards for newcomer Richard Billingham’s Ray And Liz, Bart Layton’s American Animals and Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here – the latter two being US co-productions.
With the nominees being limited to low-budget films with significant British involvement, it’s not clear how useful a guide these winners might be for the awards ceremonies still to come, but with The Favourite already having won awards at the Venice Film Festival, and being recognised in the international film category at the upcoming Independent Spirits Awards – even though it’s co-produced by an American company – it’s likely to make a showing on some of the higher profile awards nights.
And here’s the full list of winners:
Beat British Independent Film: The Favourite
Best Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Best Screenplay: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Best Actress: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Best Actor: Joe Cole, A Prayer Before Dawn
Best Supporting Actor: Alessandro Nivola, Disobedience
Most Promising Newcomer: Jessie Buckley, Beast
Best Debut Director: Richard Billingham, Ray And Liz
Debut Screenwriter: Bart Layton, American Animals
Breakthrough producer: Jacqui Davies, Ray And Liz
The Discovery Award: Voyageuse
Vest Documentary: Evelyn
Best British Short: The Big Day
Best International Film: Roma
Best Casting: Dixie Chassay
Best Cinematography: Robbie Ryan, The Favourite
Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell, The Favourite
Best Editing: Nick Fenton, Julia Hart, Chris Gill, American Animals
Best Effects: Howard Jones, Early Man
Best Make Up And Hair: Nadia Stacey, The Favourite
Best Music: Jonny Greenwood, You Were Never Really Here
Best Production Design: Fiona Crombie, The Favourite
Best Sound: Paul Davies, You Were Never Really Here
Richard Harris Award: Judi Dench
The Variety Award: Felicity Jones
Special Jury Prize: Horace Ove