The 77th British Academy Film Awards, held in London on Sunday, was marked by memorable speeches, heartfelt gratitude, and well-deserved accolades as Oppenheimer swept the awards with seven wins. Here are the top five memorable acceptance speeches from the event.

Christopher Nolan's plea for peace

Christopher Nolan, honoured with the Best Director award for Oppenheimer, used his acceptance speech to shed light on the fight against nuclear warfare. Acknowledging the dramatic necessity of despair in his film, he emphasised the importance of recognising the individuals and organisations striving to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world. “In accepting this I do just want to acknowledge their efforts and point out they show the necessity and potential of efforts for peace,” the filmmaker said.

The director also became nostalgic after receiving the award. “ (It is an) incredible honour to be back home, to get this from BAFTA, in the festival hall where my mum and dad used to drag me to make me have some culture. Some of it stuck. It suddenly occurs to me my younger brother beat me up here by about 40 years not because he’s ever won a BAFTA but because he was part of the snowflake chorus in the ‘Nutcracker’ here many years ago,” he quipped.

Cillian Murphy's awe-inspiring moment

Cillian Murphy, awarded Best Actor for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer, expressed gratitude to Christopher Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and Universal Pictures chief Donna Langley. In a humble tone, he addressed his fellow nominees and everyone in the room. “I know it’s a cliché to say I’m in awe of you, but I genuinely am in awe.”

Murphy also delved into the grey shades of the character he played on screen, stating, “One man's monster is another man's hero. That's why I love movies because we have a space to celebrate and interrogate and investigate that complexity.”

Emma Stone's hilarious take on accent

Emma Stone, who clinched the Best Actress award for her role in Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things, charmed the audience with her natural wit. She expressed gratitude to her dialect coach, Neil Swain, with a touch of humour: "I was playing a British person in this movie, and (Neil Swain) did not laugh at me when he taught me how to say ‘wart-ter,’ even though as an American I say ‘wahter.' So thank you, England, for accepting me." Stone also took a moment to appreciate her mother, calling her the source of inspiration throughout her life.

Robert Downey Jr.'s becomes nostalgic

Bagging the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. reflected on his illustrious career. “When I was 15, I wanted to be Peter O’Toole. When I was 25, I worked for Richard Attenbourgh and Anthony Hopkins. When I was 35, I finally understood why Dickie thought Tony would be a better role model for me than Peter,” Downey Jr. said.

When I was 42, I did two films for Guy Ritchie and learned how to make big Hollywood movies with a civil British flare. I then played a guy named Tony in the MCU for about 12 years,” the actor said, adding, “And then recently, that dude Chris Nolan suggested I attempt an understated approach as a last-ditch effort to perhaps resurrect my dwindling credibility. So I share this with my fellow nominees, this has been an exceptional year.”

Da'Vine Joy Randolph's emotional speech

The Best Supporting Actress winner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, delivered a tearful acceptance speech for her role in The Holdovers. Reading from a paper, she expressed gratitude for the opportunities she has received and emphasised the responsibility of portraying characters like Mary.

“The Holdovers was a little movie that we made in Boston about three people that came together to form a little family... Mary is so much bigger than me. She showed us all what is possible when we look behind the differences. Telling her story is a responsibility that I cannot take lightly and this award is a beautiful reminder of how her story has rippled through the world. Thank you so much,” the actress said.