BAFTAs 2023: Elvis star Austin Butler gives emotional speech as he wins Best Actor award

20 February 2023, 10:40

All Quiet On The Western Front dominates Baftas with seven awards

Austin Butler thanks the Presley family after his award-winning performance as Elvis.

Austin Butler has said it's a "bittersweet time" after winning the BAFTA for Best Actor for his lead performance in Elvis.

The actor picked up the award at the 2023 EE British Academy Film Awards last night (February 19) at the Royal Festival Hall in London, just five weeks after the tragic death of Elvis's daughter Lisa Marie Presley.

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Speaking in the winners room after the show, Butler said: "It's been a really unimaginably tragic time, you know, and grief is a long process.

"And so my heart and my love was with [the Presley family] always. I feel honoured to have been welcomed into the family. It's a bittersweet time."

Previously, he had thanked the Presley family from the stage, saying: "I cannot thank you guys enough for your love, and for sharing with me who Elvis truly was.

Austin Butler Wins Leading Actor | EE BAFTAs 2023

"I hope I've made you proud. This means the world to me."

On picking up the gong, Butler said: "Well, this is truly extraordinary Thank you all so much.

"Thank you BAFTA for this tremendous honour... this is amazing, I'm really trying to take everything in and be really present."

The biggest winner on the night was German-language Netflix film All Quiet on the Western Front.

All Quiet on the Western Front trailer

The adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's classic 1928 novel won seven awards, including those for Best Film and Best Director.

Among its five awards, Martin McDonagh's critically-acclaimed The Banshees of Inisherin won the prize for Best British Film, as well as Best Supporting Actor for Barry Keoghan and Best Supporting Actress for Kerry Condon.

The full list of winners at the 2023 BAFTA Film Awards was as follows:

• Best Film – All Quiet On The Western Front
• Outstanding British Film – The Banshees Of Inisherin
• Best Director – Edward Berger – All Quiet On The Western Front
• Best Leading Actress – Cate Blanchett – Tár
• Best Leading Actor – Austin Butler – Elvis
• Best Supporting Actress – Kerry Condon – The Banshees Of Inisherin
• Best Supporting Actor – Barry Keoghan – The Banshees Of Inisherin
• Best Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer – Aftersun
• Best Film Not In The English Language – All Quiet On The Western Front
• Best Documentary – Navalny
• Best Animated Film – Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
• Best Original Screenplay – Martin Mcdonagh – The Banshees Of Inisherin
• Best Adapted Screenplay – Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell – All Quiet On The Western Front
• Best Original Score – All Quiet On The Western Front – Volker Bertelmann
• Best Casting – Elvis – Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamian
• Best Cinematography – All Quiet On The Western Front – James Friend
• Best Editing – Everything Everywhere All At Once – Paul Rogers
• Best Production Design – Babylon – Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino
• Best Costume Design – Elvis – Catherine Martin
• Best Make Up & Hair – Elvis – Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, Louise Coulston, Shane Thomas
• Best Sound – All Quiet On The Western Front – Lars Ginzsel, Frank Kruse, Viktor Prášil, Markus Stemler
• Best Special Visual Effects – Avatar: The Way Of Water – Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon
• British Short Animation – The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse
• British Short Film – An Irish Goodbye
• EE Rising Star Award – Emma Mackey