How the BAFTAs Will Affect the 2017 Oscar Race

Several things to keep in mind about Sunday’s BAFTA Awards in London. First, these are British awards, and they favor their own.

For example, the outstanding British Film, Ken Loach’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner “I, Daniel Blake,” wasn’t nominated for any Oscars, nor was BAFTA Best Actress candidate Emily Blunt, who is British. And their love for “Nocturnal Animals” — which earned nine BAFTA nominations — wasn’t shared by Academy voters, who only recognized American Michael Shannon, not Brit Aaron-Taylor Johnson, in the Supporting Actor category.

On Sunday, Britain’s own Dev Patel won Best Supporting Actor for “Lion,” which is unlikely to repeat at the Oscars. But “La La Land” will undoubtedly win its five BAFTA-winning categories on Oscar night, and more: picture, director Damien Chazelle, actress Emma Stone, cinematography Linus Sandgren, and original score Justin Hurwitz.

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We also will see repeats of such acceptance sentiments as Stone’s, who told London’s Royal Albert Hall that creativity “can transcend borders and make people feel less alone.”

In the Best Actor category, “Manchester By the Sea” BAFTA-winner Casey Affleck didn’t compete with “Fences” director-star Denzel Washington, who shockingly wasn’t nominated. (Dubbed #BAFTAsSoWhite this year, they, like the Academy, are trying to diversify their ranks.) So while Affleck gains momentum from this win, the race against Washington for the Oscar is still on. (For his part, Washington gave a rousing acceptance speech at the NAACP Image Awards.) BAFTA-winner Kenneth Lonergan is expected to win again at the Oscars for original screenplay for “Manchester.”

Shut out by BAFTA was Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” which competed against Lonergan (as it does at the Writers Guild), for original screenplay, but is nominated for eight Oscars including adapted screenplay. That category went to Australian writer Luke Davies for “Lion.” The USC Scripter Awards, however, which have accurately predicted Adapted Screenplay for the last six years, gave their adapted award to “Moonlight.” 

Respected thespian Viola Davis continues to sweep all awards for her role in “Fences,” and that won’t stop at the Academy Awards.

Winning Best Documentary was Ava DuVernay’s exploration of race in America, “13th,” which didn’t compete with expected Oscar-winner “O.J.: Made in America.” Laika’s Japanese-flavored stop-motion “Kubo and the Two Strings” beat Oscar-frontrunner “Zootopia” for animated film. Last year’s Oscar-winner, Hungarian holocaust drama, “Son of Saul” won the BAFTA category of Film Not in the English Language.

While many have predicted a “La La Land” sweep among the tech categories, BAFTA chose to spread the love. “Jackie” won costume design, “The Jungle Book” took special visual effects, “Arrival” nabbed sound, and “Hacksaw Ridge” scored editing; made-in-Britain “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” collected production design. British director Stephen Frears’ “Florence Foster Jenkins” grabbed makeup and hair.

The full list of winners below:

Best film
La La Land

Best British film
I, Daniel Blake

Best film not in the English language
Son of Saul

Best documentary
13th

Best animated film
Kubo and the Two Strings

Best director
Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”)

Best original screenplay
Manchester by the Sea

Best adapted screenplay
Lion

Best actor
Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best actress
Emma Stone (La La Land)

Best supporting actor
Dev Patel (Lion)

Best supporting actress
Viola Davis (Fences)

Best original music
La La Land

Best cinematography
La La Land

Best editing
Hacksaw Ridge

Best production design
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Best costume design
Jackie

Best make up & hair
Florence Foster Jenkins

Best sound
Arrival

Best special visual effects
The Jungle Book

EE Rising Star award
Tom Holland