Austin Butler choked up as he collected the Best Actor award at the BAFTAs tonight. He thanked a string of people involved in the film including director Baz Luhrmann before going on to thank his own family and the Presley family. The Elvis star teared up as he said he hoped he made all the Presleys proud with his portrayal as he collected the award.
His win comes just a few weeks after the tragic passing of Lisa Marie Presley, who Austin had grown close to alongside the whole family during his time portraying The King in the hit movie.
Speaking at the ceremony, he said: "I want to thank my family. You are my everything and last thing, I want to thank the Presley family. I can't thank you guys enough for the love, thanks for sharing with me who Elvis truly was.
"I hope I made you proud. This means the world to me. Thank you so much".
Austin had previously admitted it had been a rollercoaster lately as he received multiple accolades and nominations for his portrayal, amid Lisa Marie's tragic death. He explained it was "lots of peaks and deep valleys of sorrow."
"It definitely has filled me with a lot of appreciation for every moment that I got to spend with her. And just how lucky I was to get the type of experiences that I had with her - very private moments and that sort of thing - that I’ll just cherish for the rest of my life."
The nominations in the categories 'Cinematography', 'Sound', 'Production Design' and 'Best Film' were lost.
(Bafta / BBC / The Mirror)