2009 BAFTA winners / Orange BAFTA Awards winners 2009

Looking for the winners of the 2009 Orange BAFTA Awards / 2009 BAFTA winners? The British Film Academy of Film and Television Arts, popularly known as the BAFTA is due to give out its annual recognitions today and entertainment connoisseurs are eagerly awaiting the results. For one, most of the nominees in the film categories are almost the same as in the upcoming 2009 Oscar Awards and the BAFTAs may Be a gauge of of a film or actor's Oscar chances. For another, the results of the BAFTAs may, in one way or the other, influence Oscar voting.

It's still a few hours before the 2009 BAFTA winners / 2009 BAFTA Awards winners are revealed (as of this writing) but rest assured that the results will be posted on this page at the soonest possible time. From the list of 2009 BAFTA nominations posted below, the names of the winners will be highlighted to signify that they have won. Please check back for it. For the menatime, here is a short backgrounder on the BAFTA courtesy of Wikipedia:

BAFTA was founded in 1947 as The British Film Academy, by David Lean, Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, Charles Laughton, Roger Manvell and others. In 1958, the Academy merged with The Guild of Television Producers and Directors to form The Society of Film and Television, which eventually became The British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1976.

BAFTA's stated charitable remit is to "support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public". In addition to high profile awards ceremonies BAFTA runs a year-round programme of educational events including film screenings and tribute evenings. BAFTA is supported by a membership of around 6000 people from the film, television and video game industries. BAFTA's main office is on Piccadilly in London, but it also has branches in Scotland (BAFTA Scotland), Wales (BAFTA Cymru), New York City (BAFTA East Coast) and Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA).

The Academy's awards are in the form of a theatrical mask designed by American sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe, which was commissioned by the Guild of Television Producers in 1955. Since 1989, the Los Angeles branch, BAFTA/LA, holds its own awards ceremony each year, called the Britannia Awards.

This year's BAFTA Awards nominations are dominated by Slumdog Millionaire and it's safe to assume that the film will dominate the event this year, more so because it is a British film. It's a no-brainer that Slumdog Millionaire will win the Best Film award. Other films with multiple nominations is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight. However, except for the supporting actor nomination for Heath Ledger, most of the Batman film's nods are in the technical categories. I'm still crossing my fingers that Heath will win again on his way to an Oscar win in two weeks.

2009 BAFTA winners / 2009 BAFTA Awards winners list

(From this list of BAFTA nominations, the winners' names will be highlighted when they are announced. Please check back for it.)

Best Film:

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
* "Frost/Nixon"
* "Milk"
* "The Reader"
* "Slumdog Millionaire"

Outstanding British Film:

* "Hunger"
* "In Bruges"
* "Mamma Mia!"
* "Man on Wire"
* "Slumdog Millionaire"

Leading Actor:

* Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
* Dev Patel, "Slumdog Millionaire"
* Sean Penn, "Milk"
* Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
* Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"

Leading Actress:

* Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
* Kristin Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You So Long"
* Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
* Kate Winslet, "The Reader"
* Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road"

Supporting Actor:

* Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
* Brendan Gleeson, "In Bruges"
* Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
* Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
* Brad Pitt, "Burn After Reading"

Supporting Actress:

* Amy Adams, "Doubt"
* Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
* Freida Pinto, "Slumdog Millionaire"
* Tilda Swinton, "Burn After Reading"
* Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film:

* Producer Simon Chinn, "Man on Wire"
* Producer Judy Craymer, "Mamma Mia!"
* Writer Garth Jennings, "Son of Rambow"
* Director/Writer Steve McQueen, "Hunger"
* Producers Solon Papadopoulos/Roy Boulter, "Of Time and the City"

Director:

* Clint Eastwood, "Changeling"
* David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
* Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
* Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
* Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"

Original Screeplay:

* Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, "Burn After Reading"
* J. Michael Straczynski, "Changeling"
* Philippe Claudel, "I've Loved You So Long"
* Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
* Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"

Adapted Screeplay:

* Eric Roth, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
* Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
* David Hare, "The Reader"
* Justin Haythe, "Revolutionary Road"
* Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"

Animated Film:

* "Persepolis"
* "Wall-E"
* "Waltz With Bashir"