I don't spend a lot of time watching award shows, but the ones I can stomach are the Oscars, and the Baftas. Both shows have bits I enjoy and bits that bug me, The Oscars; I like the hosts (except this year, Ellen Degeneres, euch..), I like Joan Rivers despite her weird face, I like the atmosphere of the whole thing (well.. as much atmosphere as you can gather from tv), but The Oscars is WAY too long and drawn out, especially seen as we get it at 2am in the morning here in the UK. The Baftas; I like the short speeches, again the hosts (despite the swapping Stephen Fry for Jonathan Ross this year, I dig Ross), the off-the-cuff nature of it all, but it lacks atmosphere, there's no band and you can tell most people want to hear the results and hit the bar.

Anyway here's the rundown of last nights Bafta nominees and winners, and some of my thoughts thrown in for good measure.

Best film
Winner: The Queen
Babel
The Last King of Scotland
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine

Odd. Best British film goes to 'Last king..' but the most british film 'The Queen' wins best film overall. It feels like they're trying to even it out a little, and if anything it should be the other way around as 'The Last King of Scotland' was a much better film.

Best British film
Winner: The Last King of Scotland
The Queen
Casino Royale
Notes on a Scandal
United 93

It's nice to see 'Casino Royale' get a nod, but 'Last King…' deserved to win.

Best actor in a leading role
Winner: Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
Daniel Craig - Casino Royale
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Richard Griffiths - The History Boys

Ghostdog takes it, he was a shoe-in for it anyway. An absolute powerhouse performance, and Whitaker seems very humble accepting it.

Best actress in a leading role
Winner: Dame Helen Mirren - The Queen
Dame Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Kate Winslet - Little Children
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada

Hmmm, I think if there was anything 'The Queen' really did deserve to win, it's this. I thought Cruz was amazing in Volver, but now every time I picture the actual queen, all I can see is Hellen Mirren.

Best actor in a supporting role
Winner: Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
James McAvoy - The Last King of Scotland
Jack Nicholson - The Departed
Leslie Phillips - Venus
Michael Sheen - The Queen

Personally I would have given it to McAvoy, but i'm sure he has plenty of others in his future. Alan Arkin was great in 'Little Miss Sunshine' and should get it just for the "I can say what I want - I still got Nazi bullets in my ass." line.

Best actress in a supporting role
Winner: Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Emily Blunt - The Devil Wears Prada
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Toni Colette - Little Miss Sunshine
Frances De La Tour - The History Boys

I haven't seen 'Dreamgirls' so it's difficult to judge, but this category was weak.

Original screenplay
Winner: Michael Arndt - Little Miss Sunshine
Guillermo Arriaga - Babel
Guillermo del Toro - Pan's Labyrinth
Peter Morgan - The Queen
Paul Greengrass - United 93

I don't like it when it feels like they're spreading the awards out so nobody gets upset, There were parts of 'Little miss sunshine' I enjoyed, but I thought the last half-hour was weak. 'Pan's Labyrinth' should have cleaned up.

Adapted screenplay
Winner: Peter Morgan/Jeremy Brock - The Last King Of Scotland
Neal Purvis/Robert Wade/Paul Haggis - Casino Royale
William Monahan - The Departed
Aline Brosh McKenna - The Devil Wears Prada
Patrick Marber - Notes On A Scandal
 

The David Lean Award for achievement in direction
Winner: Paul Greengrass - United 93
Martin Scorsese - The Departed
Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris - Little Miss Sunshine
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - Babel
Stephen Frears - The Queen

Greengrass is humble and quick with his speech, certainly the best way to go, This seems like a difficult film to give awards to, like people want to but the subject matter stops them.

Animated feature film
Winner: Happy Feet
Cars
Flushed Away

I liked 'Cars' but it was no 'Toy Story', and I haven't seen either of the other two. Ricky Gervais presents the award, mocks Jonathan Ross, laughter ensues.

The Carl Foreman Award for special achievement by a British director/producer or writer in their first feature film
Winner: Andrea Arnold - director (for Red Road)
Julian Gilbey - director (for Rollin' with the Nines)
Christine Langan - producer (for Pierrepoint)
Gary Tarn - director (for Black Sun)
Paul Andrew Williams - director (for London to Brighton)

Feels like they're scraping with this category; 'Rollin with the Nines' … really? but a tough call between 'Red Road' and 'London to Brighton' both excellent films.

Best film not in the English language
Winner: Pan's Labyrinth
Apocalypto
Black Book
Paint it Yellow
Volver

Awesome, deserves it, Guillermo makes fat jokes, the audience laugh nervously.
 

The Anthony Asquith Award for achievement in film music
Winner: Gustavo Santaolalla - Babel
David Arnold - Casino Royale
Henry Krieger - Dreamgirls
John Powell - Happy Feet
Alexandre Desplat - The Queen

Definitely the only award Babel should win (Oscars, take note), a really fantastic score.

Cinematography
Winner: Children of Men
Babel
Casino Royale
Pan's Labyrinth
United 93

Sometimes I have dreams, and they're just like the long continuous steadycam shot from the end of 'Children of Men'. Absolutley just and deserving, but 'Children of Men' should generally have been nominated more.

Editing
Winner: United 93
Babel
Casino Royale
The Departed
The Queen

A difficult category to call, but the feeling of extreme tension all the way through 'United 93' was due largely to the editing.

Production design
Winner: Children of Men
Casino Royale
Marie Antoinette
Pan's Labyrinth
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Again a good call, 'Pan's Labyrinth' was close behind for me, but 'Children of Men' turned a British seaside town into a containment camp. Without a hint of irony either.
 

Costume design
Winner: Pan's Labyrinth
The Devil Wears Prada
Marie Antoinette
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Queen

Sound
Winner: Casino Royale
Babel
Pan's Labyrinth
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
United 93

Achievement in special visual effects
Winner: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Casino Royale
Children of Men
Pan's Labyrinth
Superman Returns

It pains me that this won anything, despite how good the CGI was.