‘The Power of the Dog’ wins best picture at UK’s BAFTAs

“Bond is turning 60, and his girlfriends are turning 25,” joked host Wilson, who toned down her usual bawdy material for the ceremony’s early-evening TV broadcast on the BBC.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune,” a space epic set on a desert planet, took five trophies from its 11 nominations: visual effects, production design, sound, Greig Fraser’s cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s score.

“The Power of the Dog,” set in 1920s Montana and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a ranch owner, was nominated in eight categories and won two big ones: best film and best director. Campion is only the third female winner in that category, but the second in two years after Chloe Zhao for “Nomadland” in 2021.

Cumberbatch lost to Smith, who was named best actor for his performance as the father of Serena and Venus Williams in “King Richard.”

Scanlan was a surprise best-actress winner, beating contenders including Lady Gaga to win for “After Love,” a first feature by Aleem Khan about a woman who makes a life-changing discovery after her husband’s death.

“Some stories have surprise endings don’t they?” said a disbelieving Scanlan.

Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical “Belfast,” the story of a childhood overshadowed by Northern Ireland’s violent “Troubles,” was named best British film.