When are the BAFTA Film Awards 2025? Date, host, shortlists, venue and how to watch on television

The BAFTA Film Awards will be back in February. | Getty Images for BAFTA

The biggest night of the year for the British film industry is just weeks away.

Awards season in now well underway, with The Brutalist and Emilia Perez the big winners at the Golden Globes earlier this month.

All eyes are now on the BAFTA Film Awards in February, before the Oscars are presented on March 3.

Here’s everything you need to know about the most prestigious awards in British film.

When are the BAFTA Film Awards?

The BAFTAs were traditionally held in March or April but in 2001 a decision was made to bring them forward to February. The reasoning behind the move was to have then prior to the Oscars, meaning more publicity as the BAFTAs became an indicator of who might be successful at the Academy Awards. This has continued to this day, with this year's ceremony being held on Sunday, February 16 - three weeks before the Oscars are presented in Los Angeles.

Where is the BAFTA ceremony held?

Previously held at the Odeon Leicester cinema in Leicester Square, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall, in 2023 the ceremony moved to London's Royal Festival Hall. The 78th British Academy Film Awards will return to this venue this year for the third time.

Who is hosting?

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross, Joanna Lumley, Graham Norton, Billy Connolly, David Frost, Terry Wogan and Vivienne Leigh (who hosted the first 22 ceremonies), this year will see Scottish actor David Tennant host the ceremony for the second successive year. Best known for starring in Doctor Who, the Scot has had a hugely successful career in television, theatre and film. On the small screen he's starred in Broadchurch, Jessica Jones, Good Omens and Staged, while his movie career's highlights include 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', 'How To Train Your Dragon', 'Fright Night' and 'Bright Young Things'.#

When are the shortlists announced?

The longlists of potential winners have already been released, and you can see them here. They include 80 films in 25 categories.

We’ll need to wait until Wednesday, January 15, for the shortlists to be announced.

Who is favourite to win?

Following its success at the Golden Globes, epic period drama The Brutalist is the one to beat for Best Film, Best Director (Brady Corbet) and Best Actor (Adrien Brody).

In the Best Actress category it looks like a straight shootout between Demi Moore for The Substance and Mikey Madison for Anora.

Best Supporting Actor looks like going to Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain, but Denzel Washington (Gladiator 2) or Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) could provide an upset.

Finally, the last of the ‘big five’, Zoe Saldana looks unbeatable for her perfomance in Emilia Perez, although some reckon Ariana Grande has a shot due to her eye-catching performance in Wicked.

How can I watch the BAFTAs?

You don't need to be invited to the ceremony to see all the winners' speeches as the ceremony will be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday, February 16, starting at 7pm. Action from the red carpet before the ceremony will be streamed on the BAFTA's YouTube channel. If you miss it, you can catch up on the ceremony on the BBC iPlayer.

It’s worth pointing out though that they will not be live, so if you want to be surprised by the results then stay off the internet for the hour before.

What’s new at this year’s BAFTAs?

Several key updates have been introduced for 2025 to the EE BAFTA Film Awards, including:

A new Children’s & Family Film category will celebrate the very best films appealing to inter-generational audiences, marking the first new EE BAFTA Film Award in five years.
A strengthened points-based eligibility system to provide clearer guidance on how films qualify, and an updated voting process has been introduced to the Outstanding British Film category. .
The minimum number of theatrical screenings has been significantly increased to ensure British cinema audiences have ample access to Best Film contenders on the big screen.
Updates to voting processes to the Director, Acting, Documentary, Animation, and Film Not in the English Language, have been introduced.