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The 2018 Rakuten TV Empire Awards took place on Sunday night at Camden’s Roundhouse.
The big winner on the night was Star Wars: The Last Jedi, winning best Best Film and Best Director for Rian Johnson, with Daisy Ridley also picking up Best Actress for her role as Rey.
Hugh Jackman triumphed in the Best Actor category for his leading role in Logan, also having the best acceptance speech of the night by Facetiming his wife in New York City live on stage. Josh O’Connor and Dafne Keen picked up Best Male and Best Female newcomer respectively.
Jordan Peele echoed his Academy Awards success by winning Best Screenplay for Get Out, as well as Best Horror, and Best British Film went to Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country.
The iconic Steven Spielberg was presented with the special Empire Legend of Our Lifetime Award, using his speech to highlight the importance of cinema.
Spielberg remarked: ‘A great passion of mine, and one I think I share with a lot of other film-makers in this room is delivering movies that are meant to be seen on the big screen in cinemas.
“To be sitting together in the dark, in the community of strangers, all watching the same story while laughing together and screaming together and maybe crying together…. that magic doesn’t happen as powerfully in the safety of home as it happens when you go out to the movies, so I hope that moment and these events never, ever fade to black.”
Watch the full speech, courtesy of Rakuten TV Empire Awards 2018, below.
The spotlight was also placed on Edgar Wright, who was honoured with the Empire Visionary Award, a prize specially created for the idiosyncratic director.
Wright later joined Empire Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Terri White, at Advertising Week Europe the next day (Monday 19 March), delving deep into his humble beginnings as an amateur filmmaker and the hilarity of filming Hot Fuzz in his home town.
Watch a replay of the Advertising Week Europe session.
See the full list of winners here.