Leonardo DiCaprio
Best director Alejandro Inarritu (L) and best leading actor Leonardo DiCaprio hold their awards as they stand with presenter Tom Cruise at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards at the Royal Opera House in London, February 14, 2016. Reuters/Toby Melville

“The Revenant” star Leonardo DiCaprio cemented his Oscar-favourite status on Sunday as the UK film industry showered Valentine’s Day love on the Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed film. BAFTAs 2016 awarded the movie five prizes that included best picture.

DiCaprio took away the best actor award for his bear-battling saga set in a cruel wild American West. Iñárritu was named the best director. DiCaprio, who has been nominated thrice before, never had a BAFTA win. He said he was “absolutely humbled” for beating fellow actors Michael Fassbender, Matt Damon, Bryan Cranston and Eddie Redmayne.

DiCaprio dedicated the award to his mother, who had her birthday on Sunday. The “Titanic” star talked about the influence on his work of British actors including Peter O’Toole, Tom Courtney and his “The Revenant” co-star Tom Hardy.

DiCaprio fans believe that this year’s Academy Awards is the actor’s best chance of winning an Oscar, scheduled to be held on Feb. 28. “The Revenant” has already earned DiCaprio six Oscar nominations and BAFTA wins are considered a sign of Oscar success.

Brie Larson took away the best actress trophy for playing a mother shielding her son from a terrible reality in “Room.” She beat fellow actors Cate Blanchett, Saoirse Ronan, Alicia Vikander and Maggie Smith.

Kate Winslet dedicated her supporting performer prize she won for playing an Apple executive in “Steve Jobs” to “all those young women who doubt themselves.” Winslet said that she was once told to go for “the fat-girl parts.”

Mark Rylance also won a supporting performer prize for playing a soft-spoken Soviet agent in “Bridge of Spies.”

Then there was George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” It took four BAFTAs for production design, editing, hair and makeup and costume design.

"The Revenant" beat several top contenders, which included Todd Haynes’ lesbian romance “Carol.” and Steven Spielberg's Cold War thriller “Bridge of Spies.” Each won nine BAFTA nominations, though “Bridge of Spies” was the only one to win because of Rylance's performance. “Carol” didn’t win anything.

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