With awards season basically over, it's very easy to look back and feel for those whom we felt were snubbed, but there was at least one gong-athon that allowed the public to vote for their favorites. Each year the Jameson Empire Awards exists to celebrate those movies that weren't otherwise recognized, including categories for genres like Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller and Horror. This Sunday evening, the stars set foot on the red carpet in London for the 21st annual ceremony by 'the world's biggest movie magazine' - to find out what the ordinary fans thought were the best motion pictures of the last year.
Having been nominated at the Oscars in solely production categories, Star Wars: The Force Awakens dominated these public awards, winning five out of its nine nominations. Apart from the film beating Mad Max: Fury Road in the Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy section, the movies' stars John Boyega and Daisy Ridley walked away with Best Male and Female newcomers - not to mention Best Director for JJ Abrams. Also of note, Mad Max: Fury Road went away with four prizes in production, whilst Spectre won both Best Thriller and Best British Film.
While The Revenant rode off with Best Film, the biggest surprise of the night was probably not seeing Leonardo DiCaprio win Best Actor. Instead the cinema-going public gave it to Matt Damon for his performance in The Martian. This arguably adds to the argument that DiCaprio won his much yearned for Oscar this year not specifically for his performance in The Revenant, but more because the Academy wanted to reward him for his impressive career in film. The glitzy evening also included an emotional tribute to the late, great Alan Rickman - as he was awarded this year's Empire Legend award posthumously.
The full list of winners and nominees is below:
BEST MALE NEWCOMERWinner: John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)Abraham Attah (Beasts Of No Nation)Thomas Mann (Me And Earl And The Dying Girl)Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton)Jacob Tremblay (Room)
BEST FEMALE NEWCOMERWinner: Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)Olivia Cooke (Me And Earl And The Dying Girl)Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation)Maika Monroe (It Follows)Bel Powley (The Diary Of A Teenage Girl)
BEST SCI-FI/FANTASYWinner: Star Wars: The Force AwakensThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2Jurassic WorldMad Max: Fury RoadThe Martian
BEST COMEDY presented by Absolute RadioWinner: SpyAnt-ManMe And Earl And The Dying GirlTrainwreckInside Out
BEST HORRORWinner: The HallowCrimson PeakInsidious: Chapter 3It FollowsKrampus
BEST THRILLER presented by Corinthia Hotel LondonWinner: SpectreBridge Of SpiesThe GiftMission: Impossible — Rogue NationSicario
BEST BRITISH FILM presented by The Hollywood ReporterWinner: Spectre45 YearsLegendMacbethSuffragette
JAMESON BEST ACTORWinner: Matt Damon (The Martian)Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)Michael Fassbender (Macbeth/Steve Jobs)Tom Hardy (Legend/Mad Max: Fury Road)Michael B. Jordan (Creed)
BEST ACTRESSWinner: Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)Emily Blunt (Sicario)Brie Larson (Room)Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2)Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road)
BEST DIRECTORWinner: J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)Ryan Coogler (Creed)Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Revenant)George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)Ridley Scott (The Martian)
BEST FILM presented by Sky MoviesWinner: The RevenantThe Hateful EightMad Max: Fury RoadThe MartianStar Wars: The Force Awakens
BEST TV SERIESWinner: This Is England ’90Marvel’s DaredevilFargoGame Of ThronesMarvel’s Jessica Jones
BEST SCREENPLAYWinner: The Big Short — Adam McKay, Charles RandolphThe Hateful Eight – Quentin TarantinoSpotlight — Tom McCarthy, Josh SingerSteve Jobs – Aaron SorkinTrainwreck — Amy Schumer
BEST ANIMATED FILMWinner: Inside OutMinionsShaun The Sheep The MovieSong Of The SeaThe Tale Of The Princess Kaguya
BEST DOCUMENTARYWinner: AmyGoing Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of BeliefHe Named Me MalalaThe Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert DurstMaking A Murderer
BEST SOUNDTRACKWinner: Mad Max: Fury RoadThe Hateful EightThe MartianSicarioStraight Outta Compton
BEST COSTUME DESIGNWinner: Mad Max: Fury RoadCarolCinderellaCrimson PeakStar Wars: The Force Awakens
BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIRSTYLINGWinner: Mad Max: Fury Road Crimson PeakThe Danish GirlThe RevenantStar Wars: The Force Awakens
BEST VISUAL EFFECTSWinner: Star Wars: The Force AwakensAnt-ManJurassic WorldMad Max: Fury RoadThe Revenant
BEST SHORT FILM presented by Jameson Irish WhiskeyWinner: World Of TomorrowKung FuryLavaSanjay’s Super TeamStutterer
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNWinner: Mad Max: Fury RoadCrimson PeakThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2The MartianStar Wars: The Force Awakens
BEST GAMEWinner: Batman: Arkham KnightBloodborneFallout 4Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
EMPIRE INSPIRATIONPaddy Considine
EMPIRE LEGENDAlan Rickman
EMPIRE HEROStanley Tucci
Source: Empire
