The annual European Film Awards (EFAs) took place in Berlin on Saturday, 7 December 2019. The ceremony celebrated the best in European cinema, with Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-winning dark comedy The Favourite emerging as the evening’s biggest winner. The period dramedy captured multiple major awards and led the night with an impressive eight wins overall.
The Favourite’s strong showing reflected recognition across both creative and technical categories. In addition to taking home the top prize for European Film, the title was also named European Comedy and earned accolades for direction, acting, cinematography, costume, hair and make-up, and editing—underscoring the breadth of its achievement and the impact of its production design and performances.
Spanish actor Antonio Banderas received the European Actor award for his performance in Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory), while the ceremony also honored influential figures from across the continent. Filmmaker Werner Herzog was presented with the European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his long and distinctive contribution to international cinema, and actress Juliette Binoche was given the European Achievement in World Cinema award.
The 2019 awards highlighted a range of films and talent from various European countries, with winners spanning narrative features, documentaries, animation and short films. Below is the full list of winners announced at the ceremony, organized by category for clarity.
2019 European Film Awards Winners
- European Film
The Favourite - European Comedy
The Favourite - European Discovery (Prix Fipresci)
Les Misérables - European Documentary
For Sama - European Animated Feature Film
Bunuel en El Laberinto De Las Tortugas (Bunuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles) - European Short Film
Cadoul De Craciun (The Christmas Gift) - European Director
Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) - European Actress
Olivia Colman (The Favourite) - European Actor
Antonio Banderas (Dolor y Gloria / Pain and Glory) - European Screenwriter
Céline Sciamma (Portrait de la Jeune Fille En Feu / Portrait of a Lady on Fire) - European Cinematography
Robbie Ryan (The Favourite) - European Editing
Yorgos Mavropsaridis (The Favourite) - European Production Design
Antxon Gómez (Dolor y Gloria / Pain and Glory) - European Costume Design
Sandy Powell (The Favourite) - European Hair & Make-Up
Nadia Stacey (The Favourite) - European Original Score
John Gürtler (Systemsprenger / System Crasher) - European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award
Werner Herzog - European Achievement in World Cinema
Juliette Binoche - European Achievement in Fiction Series Award
Babylon Berlin - European Co-Production Award (Prix Eurimages)
Ankica Jurić Tilić - People’s Choice Award
Zimna Wojna (Cold War)
The distribution of awards at the EFAs reflected a balance between established names and emerging voices in European filmmaking. The Favourite’s dominance signalled strong industry recognition for a film that blends historical setting, dark humour and rigorous production discipline. At the same time, prizes for films such as Les Misérables and For Sama celebrated socially engaged storytelling and documentary practice, while animated and short film winners highlighted the variety of formats thriving across Europe.
Individual craft awards underscored the collaborative nature of filmmaking: production design, costume, make-up and cinematography all contributed to the visual identity of the winning projects, while editing and original score shaped each film’s rhythm and emotional resonance. The acting awards recognized performances that anchored their films and helped bring complex characters to life.
Special honours for Werner Herzog and Juliette Binoche celebrated long-standing artistic contributions and international influence. These lifetime and achievement awards are intended to acknowledge artists whose work has had a lasting impact on European and global cinema.
Overall, the 2019 European Film Awards offered a snapshot of a vibrant and diverse film culture, recognizing both high-profile feature films and the creative talents behind them. The ceremony in Berlin reaffirmed the EFAs’ role in highlighting excellence across the many disciplines that make European cinema distinctive.
You can find reviews and in-depth commentary on many of the winners in film publications and critique outlets, which explore the artistic choices and cultural impact of these notable films and performances.