19:27
Next Rising Star introduction now. It’s time for Bukky Bakray from Rocks, who is also nominated for Leading Actress. If nothing else, she has appears to have matched her soft furnishing to the artwork in her room. Clearly we are in the presence of an artistic mastermind here.
19:25
Asim Chaudhry is now presenting Best Editing, live and in person. And SOUND OF METAL WINS. Mikkel EG Nielsen accepts from inside a nice greenhouse that has very poor internet.
19:22
The award for Outstanding British Film has ten nominees, so they’re introducing five now and five later. Between Promising Young Woman and The Dig, they could probably just Fed-Ex the statue to Carey Mulligan now and be done with it, but it’s good to respect the process.
19:20
THE FATHER WINS. Christopher Hampton accepts the award from someone’s attic, which apparently has much better wifi than wherever Anna Kendrik was presenting from.
19:17
Now comes Best Adapted Screenplay, presented by a very glitchy Anna Kendrik (thirsty).
19:16
Oh no, wait, they’re bulking out the runtime by interviewing the EE Rising Star nominees. First up, Kingsley Ben-Adir, sitting on a nice sofa, expresses gratitude for his career.
19:15
SOUL WINS. Dana Murphy accepts the awards from a nice room with a big window and a piano. She thanks everyone and that’s it. That’s the one big plus of virtual awards shows: you don’t have to watch each winner wobble up to the stage and feign surprise when they win. Announce the winner, quick pre-filmed speech, out again. Bang bang bang. This whole thing could be over by half seven if all goes well.
19:13
First up, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas (prediction: thirsty) presents Best Animated Film, from a corridor somewhere.
19:12
And now the first award of the year. Let’s see how the hell this is going to work.
19:10
Dermot and Edith are introducing the awards. And there isn’t an audience? People are clapping, but they are nowhere to be seen. There is probably a decent explanation for this, but I’m choosing to believe that the audience is made up of the ghosts of Victorian-era performers.