The Oscars may reign supreme when it comes to Hollywood, but across the Atlantic Ocean, the BAFTAs are award season's hottest ticket. It's the only award show that combines Hollywood royalty with actual royalty, and the British Academy's star-studded night often predicts future Oscar winners. In 2001, the ceremony moved from May to February, and now many BAFTA winners end up picking up Academy Awards a few weeks later. Since 1949, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has celebrated the best British and international contributions to film, and over the years there have been some very memorable moments. Alan Rickman joked, "This will be a reminder to me that subtlety isn't everything," as he accepted his award for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1995. In 2002, an unexpected downpour (we say unexpected, it was February in London . . .) caused detergents in the red carpet to foam up, turning the walk to the venue into a bubbly assault course. A year earlier, a 14-year-old Jamie Bell beat Russell Crowe, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, and Geoffrey Rush to the best actor award, joking, "Russell Crowe said that I have to thank him." And who can forget Leonardo DiCaprio giving Dame Maggie Smith a kiss in 2016?
As we prepare for the next star-studded BAFTA ceremony on Feb. 10, take a look back at some of the most gorgeous photos from the past.