The 2018 British Independent Film Awards took place at Old Billingsgate in London on Sunday, 2 December 2018. The ceremony celebrated the best British independent films of the year—specifically those made for under £10 million, intended for theatrical release and at least co-produced by a British company. Yorgos Lanthimos’ period drama The Favourite dominated the evening, collecting ten awards in total, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and major craft prizes. Olivia Colman won Best Actress for her role in The Favourite, while Rachel Weisz took Best Supporting Actress, beating her co-star Emma Stone. The event also honoured Judi Dench with the Richard Harris Award for lifetime achievement and acknowledged international awards-season frontrunner Roma. The ceremony was hosted by actor Russell Tovey.
This report lists the winners and nominees across the categories presented at the show. The awards recognise outstanding achievement in independent filmmaking, from acting and directing to technical and production crafts. Below is the full list of winners and the shortlisted nominees.
Best British Independent Film – The Favourite
Winner: The Favourite
Nominees:
American Animals
Beast
Disobedience
You Were Never Really Here
Best Screenplay (Supported by BBC Films) – Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara (The Favourite)
Winner: Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Bart Layton (American Animals)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Sebastián Lelio & Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Disobedience)
Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Director (Sponsored by Broadsword Event House) – Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)
Winner: Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Bart Layton (American Animals)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Andrew Haigh (Lean on Pete)
Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here)
Best British Short (Supported by BFI Network) – The Big Day
Winner: The Big Day
Nominees:
Bitter Sea
The Field
Pommel
To Know Him
Best Actor – Joe Cole (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Winner: Joe Cole (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Nominees:
Rupert Everett (The Happy Prince)
Charlie Plummer (Lean on Pete)
Steve Coogan (Stan & Ollie)
Joaquin Phoenix (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Actress (Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics) – Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Winner: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Jessie Buckley (Beast)
Rachel Weisz (Disobedience)
Gemma Arterton (The Escape)
Maxine Peake (Funny Cow)
Best Supporting Actor – Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience)
Winner: Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience)
Nominees:
Evan Peters (American Animals)
Barry Keoghan (American Animals)
Dominic West (Colette)
Steve Buscemi (Lean on Pete)
Best Supporting Actress – Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)
Winner: Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Molly Wright (Apostasy)
Rachel McAdams (Disobedience)
Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Nina Arianda (Stan & Ollie)
Most Promising Newcomer – Jessie Buckley (Beast)
Winner: Jessie Buckley (Beast)
Nominees:
Molly Wright (Apostasy)
Michaela Coel (Been So Long)
Liv Hill (Jellyfish)
Marcus Rutherford (Obey)
The Discovery Award (Sponsored by Raindance) – Voyageuse
Winner: Voyageuse
Nominees:
The Dig
Irene’s Ghost
A Moment in the Reeds
Super November
The Douglas Hickox Award: Debut Director (Sponsored by Kodak & Pinewood) – Richard Billingham (Ray & Liz)
Winner: Richard Billingham (Ray & Liz)
Nominees:
Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Matt Palmer (Calibre)
Leanne Welham (Pili)
Debut Screenwriter – Bart Layton (American Animals)
Winner: Bart Layton (American Animals)
Nominees:
Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy)
Michael Pearce (Beast)
Matt Palmer (Calibre)
Karen Gillan (The Party’s Just Beginning)
Best Documentary – Evelyn
Winner: Evelyn
Nominees:
Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story
Island
Nae Pasaran
Under the Wire
Breakthrough Producer (Sponsored by Creativity Media) – Jacqui Davies (Ray & Liz)
Winner: Jacqui Davies (Ray & Liz)
Nominees:
Marcie MacLellan (Apostasy)
Kristian Brodie (Beast)
Anna Griffin (Calibre)
Faye Ward (Stan & Ollie)
Best International Independent Film (Sponsored by Champagne Taittinger) – Roma
Winner: Roma
Nominees:
Capernaum
Cold War
The Rider
Shoplifters
Best Casting (Sponsored by Casting Society of America & Spotlight) – Dixie Chassay (The Favourite)
Winner: Dixie Chassay (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Avy Kaufman (American Animals)
Michelle Smith (Apostasy)
Julie Harkin (Beast)
Andy Pryor (Stan & Ollie)
Best Cinematography (Supported by Blackmagic Design) – Robbie Ryan (The Favourite)
Winner: Robbie Ryan (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Ollie Bratt Birkeland (American Animals)
Magnus Nordenhof Jønck (Lean on Pete)
David Ungaro (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Tom Townend (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Costume Design – Sandy Powell (The Favourite)
Winner: Sandy Powell (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Andrea Flesch (Colette)
Alyssa Tull (An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn)
Jacqueline Durran (Peterloo)
Guy Speranza (Stan & Ollie)
Best Editing (Sponsored by Intermission Film) – Nick Fenton, Julian Hart & Chris Gill (American Animals)
Winner: Nick Fenton, Julian Hart & Chris Gill (American Animals)
Nominees:
Yorgos Mavropsaridis (The Favourite)
Ben Wheatley (Happy New Year, Colin Burstead)
Marc Boucrot (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Joe Bini (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Make-Up & Hair Design – Nadia Stacey (The Favourite)
Winner: Nadia Stacey (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Ivana Primorac (Colette)
Christine Blundell (Peterloo)
Stacey Louise Holman (A Prayer Before Dawn)
Mark Coulier & Jeremy Woodhead (Stan & Ollie)
Best Music (Sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group) – Johnny Greenwood (You Were Never Really Here)
Winner: Johnny Greenwood (You Were Never Really Here)
Nominees:
Anne Nikitin (American Animals)
Jim Williams (Beast)
Richard Hawley (Funny Cow)
Aaron Cupples (Island of the Hungry Ghosts)
Best Production Design – Fiona Crombie (The Favourite)
Winner: Fiona Crombie (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Michael Carlin (Colette)
Suzie Davies (Peterloo)
Beck Rainford (Ray & Liz)
John Paul Kelly (Stan & Ollie)
Best Sound (Supported by Silk Factory) – Johnnie Burn (The Favourite)
Winner: Johnnie Burn (The Favourite)
Nominees:
Andrew Stirk (American Animals)
Séverin Favriau (A Prayer Before Dawn)
CJ Mirra (Time Trial)
Paul Davies (You Were Never Really Here)
Best Effects – Howard Jones (Early Man)
Winner: Howard Jones (Early Man)
Nominees:
Matthew Strange & Mark Wellband (Dead in a Week (or Your Money Back))
George Zwier & Paul Driver (Peterloo)
The Richard Harris Award (Lifetime Achievement) – Judi Dench
Recipient: Judi Dench
The 2018 British Independent Film Awards highlighted the vitality and range of independent filmmaking in the UK. The Favourite’s sweep across major categories reflected strong recognition for its direction, performances and production values, while a diverse selection of smaller films and individual talents received attention across acting, debut, craft and technical awards. The ceremony underscored the importance of supporting low-budget, creatively ambitious projects that contribute to the cultural and artistic landscape of British cinema.