Conclave, which had led nominations with 12 nods, won the night's most coveted award, Best Film, as well as Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.

"We live in a time of a crisis of democracy, and institutions that are usually used to bring us together are used to pull us apart," Conclave director Edward Berger said in his acceptance speech on Sunday for the Outstanding British Film Award.

"And sometimes it's hard to keep the faith in that situation, but that's why we make movies, and that's why we made this movie."

The Brutalist, a three-and-a-half-hour tale about a Hungarian immigrant architect trying to rebuild his life in the United States after World War II, had also been considered a frontrunner for best film.

It won Best Director award for Brady Corbet and Best Actor award for its star, Adrien Brody.

"This film is really about this pursuit of leaving something meaningful, and I think that is something we can all relate to," Brody said in his acceptance speech.

The Brutalist also won the original score and cinematography.