Cillian Murphy wins best actor for Oppenheimer at Baftas

Accepting the trophy he said: "Oh boy, holy moly, thank you very, very much Bafta."

He paid tribute to "the most dynamic, kindest producer-director partnership in Hollywood: Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, thank you for seeing something in me that I probably didn't see in myself."

The Cork native said to Nolan: "Thank for always pushing me and demanding excellence because that is what you deliver time and time again."

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He also acknowledged his "fellow nominees and my Oppenhomies", adding: "I know it's a cliche to say, but I'm in awe of you."

He said J Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, was a "colossally knotty character", adding: "We have a space to debate and interrogate and investigate that complexity and it's a privilege to be a part of this community with you all."

Christopher Nolan won the best director Bafta for Oppenheimer, his epic tale of how the nuclear bomb was created.

Before accepting the award from actor Hugh Grant, Nolan hugged his Irish star Murphy.

Nolan joked that his brother "beat him up here" by being in a chorus of a production 40 years ago.

He paid tribute to Murphy and added to those who backed the film: "Thank you for taking on something dark".

The director also acknowledged the efforts of nuclear disarmament organisations to bring peace.

Oppenheimer was also named best film at the ceremony, The award was presented by actor Michael J Fox, who was greeted with a standing ovation as he came on stage in a wheelchair but stood at the podium.

Collecting the prize, producer Emma Thomas said: "This is not at all what I imagined when I was sitting at UCL film society with Chris dreaming about making films for a living."

Paying tribute to her husband, the film's director Christopher Nolan, Thomas said: "He is inspired and inspiring, he is brilliant, often infuriating, he is always right.

"I am incredibly grateful to him for letting me come along for this ride."

She also gave a shout-out to their 16-year-old son Magnus, who she said was "looking at me with daggers in his eyes", adding: "Your dad and I are the luckiest people in the world but our greatest fortune is being parents to you, Flora, Oliver and Rory."

Murphy’s co-star Robert Downey Jr won the best supporting actor prize for his role as Lewis Strauss, head of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Collecting the trophy, the Iron Man star paid tribute to Nolan, saying: “Recently that dude suggested I attempt an understated approach as a last ditch effort to resurrect my dwindling credibility.”

He said he owes the award to Nolan, producer Emma Thomas and star Cillian Murphy, as well as “British influence”.

Oppenheimer also won the Baftas for best cinematography and editing.

Murphy faced competition from fellow Irish man Barry Keoghan, who took on the role of a student at Oxford in high-society thriller Saltburn, and Canadian actor Ryan Gosling for blockbuster success Barbie.

Paul Mescal was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his turn in All of Us Strangers where he starred alongside Andrew Scott.

Emma Stone was named best actress for Poor Things, the steampunk fairytale adaptation of the novel of the same name by Scottish author Alasdair Gray.

She paid tribute to writer Tony McNamara for coming up with the line "I must go punch that baby" in a memorable dinner scene, and also thanked her British dialect coach for "not laughing" when she said water in an American accent.

Poor Things won five prizes in total, including costume design, make up and hair, production design and visual effects.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor was asked on the red carpet by the PA news agency how it would be received if Keoghan recreated his naked dance in Saltburn.

She said him performing again to her hit Murder On The Dancefloor “may be a bit much” for the ceremony but she was looking forward to seeing him again.

She also said she “felt very complimented” by director Emerald Fennell choosing her 2001 song for the film.

Saltburn actor Richard E Grant told PA that “a number of grandmothers” had written to complain about the film which contains explicit and sexual imagery.

He said the women claimed they had been “told to watch it as a family film before Christmas”, and joked that “their false teeth fell out so it was a great response”.

Actress Samantha Morton told PA that she “sobbed” during the interval of a London play when she found out she would receive the Bafta fellowship, the film academy’s highest honour.

She added: “I was going to see My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican, which is incredible, by the way, and it’s enough to cry out anyway.

“My family had got up (for) ice cream at the interval and I was just sobbing and I was like, people probably thought I had really bad news, but no, it was good news.”

Britain’s Prince of Wales, who is president of Bafta, is attending the event – his first high-profile royal engagement since his wife Catherine’s operation.

At the prestigious film event last year, Prince William was accompanied by the Princess of Wales, who will not be attending this time as she continues her recovery.

The Bafta film awards is hosted by Scottish actor David Tennant and will feature performances by Ellis-Bextor and Hannah Waddingham.