BAFTA 2026 Winners
One Battle After Another won the BAFTA battle, but the awards-season war is still anyone’s to win.
Paul Thomas Anderson is officially back on top at BAFTA. Already an eight-time BATFA-nominee and past winner, the acclaimed writer-director behind Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Licorice Pizza added another major victory to his legacy. His politically-charged caper, led by Leonardo DiCaprio, entered the ceremony as the most-nominated film after edging out Sinners, and emerged as the night’s big winner. Sweeping six awards, One Battle After Another claimed the top honours of Best Film and Best Director, along with Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, and Supporting Actor for Sean Penn.
Sinners, the most-nominated film in Oscars’ history, did still make its mark with three wins. Writer-director Ryan Coogler took home the prize for Original Screenplay and accepted the award for Score on behalf of his composer Ludwig Göransson. Wunmi Mosaku also earned a richly deserved Supporting Actress win.
Major success wasn’t quite to be for Hamnet, though its quiet surge continued with wins for Outstanding British Film and, in the night’s least surprising moment, Leading Actress for Jessie Buckley. Her raw, grief-stricken performance now looks unstoppable as the Oscars approach.
The shock of the night was saved for the Best Actor category. Britain’s own Robert Aramayo – already crowned the EE Rising Star by the voting public – returned to the stage to collect the top acting prize for his powerful portrayal of campaigner John Davidson in I Swear – beating Hollywood heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, and Ethan Hawke.
The biggest upset belonged to Marty Supreme, which walked in with eleven nominations and walked out with nothing.
Typically, one film steamrolls the competition. This year, with awards scattered across the field, the BAFTAs have blown the Oscars race wide open. On the night Kpop Demon Hunters’ HUNTER/X performed their hit overseas for the very first time, there’s now no knowing which film is going to be golden.
