Bigelow becomes first woman to win BAFTA director prize

The award was one of six for Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, which also took best film as well as prizes for sound, editing, cinematography and original screenplay. Accepting her award from actor Clive Owen, Bigelow said it was “humbling and deeply moving” and dedicated it to “never abandoning the need to find a resolution to peace”.

She added she hoped that was the “first of many” women to win the prize. Bigelow is also tipped to become the first woman to win the best director Oscar next month.

Carey Mulligan, tipped by Screen as a Star Of Tomorrow in 2008, picked up the leading actress award for her role in Lone Scherfig’s An Education, although it was the film’s only award. Colin Firth took the leading actor prize for A Single Man. Firth said he had almost turned the role down because he was not sure his imagination was “firing enough” but added he had emerged “more worldly, better groomed, more fragrant and more nominated” than before.

Inglourious Basterds’’ Christoph Waltz, and Mo’Nique from Lee Daniels’ Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire took the best supporting actor and actress roles as widely tipped. Waltz, a veteran Austrian actor, described his win as “terrific and beautiful”, while Daniels’ stepped up to pick up the trophy on behalf of Mo’Nique.

Andrea Arnold picked up the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film for her Cannes prize winner, Fish Tank, and Duncan Jones won the award for Outstanding Debut by a British writer, as director or producer for Moon. After accepting his award, an emotional Jones said he hoped to work with his father [music legend David Bowie] because it would be “foolhardy” not to.

The Orange Rising Star Award went to Twilight star Kristen Stewart, who beat Mulligan, Jesse Eisenberg, Nicholas Hoult and Tahar Rahim. Described the win as “awesome”, she added: “I am in a unique position as I have the Twilight following and I do smaller movies too.”

Disney Pixar’s Up took two prizes for best animation and sound; James Cameron’s record breaking 3D epic Avatar took two awards for special visual effects and production design. Jean-Marc Vallee’s lavish British period drama, The Young Victoria, took the awards for costume design and hair and make-up.

Meanwhile, Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet won best film not in English and Jason Reitman’s Up In The Air won best adapted screenplay. The award was received by his co-writer Sheldon Turner.

The final prize of the night, the fellowship, was presented to Vanessa Redgrave by Uma Thurman and Prince William, who will succeed Lord Attenborough as president of BAFTA.

The full list of winners is:

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Duncan Jones, director – Moon

Short Film
I Do Air

Short Animation
Mother Of Many

Music
Up , Michael Giacchino

Sound
The Hurt Locker, Ray Beckett, Paul N. J. Ottosson, Craig Stauffer

Editing
The Hurt Locker, Bob Murawski, Chris Innis

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
Joe Dunton

Cinematography
The Hurt Locker, Barry Ackroyd

Special Visual Effects
Avatar, Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones

Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Costume Design
The Young Victoria, Sandy Powell 

Make up and Hair
The Young Victoria, Jenny Shircore

Supporting Actress
Mo’nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Outstanding British film
Fish Tank

Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal

Production Design
Avatar, Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair

Orange Rising Star
Kristen Stewart

Adapted Screenplay
Up In The Air, Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Animated Film
Up

Film Not In The English Language
A Prophet

Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Leading Actor
Colin Firth, A Single Man

Leading Actress
Carey Mulligan, An Education

Best Film
The Hurt Locker

Fellowship Award
Vanessa Redgrave