"The Artist" was named the year's best film at the Orange British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, February 12 sweeping through the ceremony just as it is expected to do at the Academy Awards in two weeks, The Wrap reported.
The black-and-white silent film was also given awards for director Michel Hazanavicius and leading actor Jean Dujardin, and for its screenplay, music, cinematography and costume design by voters from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta).
Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" won awards for its sound and production design. Scorsese was also honored with BAFTA's Academy Fellowship, an honorary award given for "outstanding and exceptional contribution to film."
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" won an award for its adapted screenplay and was also named Outstanding British Film, an award that usually goes to a film that is nominated for but does not win the Best Film award. ("The King's Speech" was an exception last year, winning both.)
The Margaret Thatcher biopic "The Iron Lady" also won a pair of awards, one for its makeup and one for leading actress Meryl Streep.
The 82-year-old Christopher Plummer won the Supporting Actor award for "Beginners," and in doing so became the oldest person ever to win a BAFTA Award. Octavia Spencer was named Best Supporting Actress for "The Help."
Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin I Live In" won in the Film Not in the English Language category over the Iranian film "A Separation," which has dominated awards season so far.
Another surprise came in the Editing category, where the auto-racing documentary "Senna" beat "The Artist," "Drive," "Hugo" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." "Senna" was also named best documentary, while Gore Verbinski's "Rango" was named the top animated feature.
The Oscar nominee "A Morning Stroll" was honored in the Short Animation category. "Pitch Black Heist," starring Michael Fassbender, won the Short Film award.
The Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award, the only BAFTA Award voted by the public, went to actor/writer-director Adam Deacon over Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chris O'Dowd and Eddie Redmayne.
Actor John Hurt received the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award.
