The British Academy of Film and Television Arts finished handing out their accolades on Saturday night and took us one step closer to the Oscars. Even though the Academy is making us wait until Feb. 26, here's what the BAFTAs told us about what will go down on Oscar Sunday.
As far as Best Picture, La La Land seems to be pulling away from the pack. Having already taken home every major award thus far, the Los Angeles based love story added another taking home Best Film on Saturday, along with Best Director for Damien Chazelle.
While Prince William and Kate Middleton were in attendance, there was clearly another princess in the room as Emma Stone picked up another Best Actress win after dancing her way into our hearts in La La Land. While the beginning of awards season was a bit blurry as Natalie Portman seemed ready to challenge the red-headed beauty, the BAFTAs have all but confirmed that Stone will be holding the gold statue come Oscar Sunday.
In one of the closer races of the night, Casey Affleck was crowned Best Actor for his role in Manchester by the Sea. Affleck, once considered a lock at the Oscars, was unexpectedly beaten out at the SAGs by Oscar winner and Academy favorite, Denzel Washington. While the SAGs are generally the best predictor of Oscar glory, Affleck's wins at all of the other awards shows may prove to be enough in the long run. However, considering Washington was snubbed by the British Academy and left off the ballot altogether, anticipation for the Oscars only grows stronger.
No surprise here as three-time Oscar nominee, Viola Davis, took the top spot as Best Supporting Actress, as she's sure to do the same in a couple of weeks. However, in a turn of events, Dev Patel overtook Mahershala Ali in the Best Supporting Actor category, proving that Ali is not the frontrunner many thought he was.
The Academy Awards air Sunday, February 26 on CBS.