The Grammys kicked off Award season with a bang! And now, the 2023 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) are coming in hot with red carpet being rolled out this coming Monday, February 19.
For those unaware of what the BAFTAs are, they’re the United Kingdom’s version of the Oscars and the award ceremony is regarded as the most prestigious across the nation. Coming before the Academy Awards, you could say that the BAFTAs are a major pre-cursor to securing the bag as an Oscar frontrunner.
German war film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” is leading the pack with 14 nominations across most categories. The film has tied with “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (directed by Ang Lee in the early 2000s) for the film with the most nominations not in the English language. Interestingly, there is only film to exceed 14 BAFTA nominations; Richard Attenborough’s “Gandhi” which scored 16 nominations and 5 awards.
More often than not, this coveted event is frequented by members of the royal family. This year, Kensington Palace has confirmed the attendance of William and Kate. The Prince and Princess of Wales will join the star-studded guest list in honouring the outstanding talents and achievements in the film industry.
Richard E. Grant, better known to most as the manager of the Spice Girls in the cult classic, “Spice World: The Movie”, will be taking the stage as host of this year’s event. In sad news, “Spice World: The Movie” is not available on streaming platforms in Australia but we’re hoping for a surprise appearance on the evening.
BAFTAs night will also feature a tribute lead by Fellow Dame, Helen Mirren to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
On Sunday, February 19 (early on Monday morning, February 20 for Australians) the BAFTA winners will be announced at a ceremony held in the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
How to Watch the 2023 BAFTAs in Australia
Hate to be the one to tell you but the BAFTAs won’t be streaming live in Australia.
There is a silver lining though. You can tune in after the ceremony on BBC iPlayer. Good news for those with a VPN, you may be lucky enough to catch all the action there.
