The stars descended upon London’s Royal Festival Hall tonight for the 79th British Academy Film Awards, and the evening lived up to its reputation as the most prestigious stop on the road to the Oscars. Hosted by the incomparable Alan Cumming, the ceremony was a masterclass in British wit and cinematic celebration, featuring high-energy performances from K-pop Demon Hunters and a moving “In Memoriam” tribute by Jessie Ware. While the red carpet brought the glamour, the stage brought the drama as the Academy rewarded both veteran legends and a new generation of breakthrough talent.
The night’s narrative was dominated by Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling epic, One Battle After Another, which secured a staggering six wins from its 14 nominations. However, the biggest shock of the evening belonged to Robert Aramayo, who made BAFTA history by winning both the EE Rising Star Award and Leading Actor for his visceral performance in I Swear—the first time a performer has ever swept both categories in a single night. From the emotional win for Jessie Buckley in Hamnet to the historical success of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, the 2026 BAFTAs proved that the current state of cinema is as bold and diverse as ever.
Best Film
- “Hamnet” — Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes
- “Marty Supreme” — Timothée Chalamet, Anthony Katagas, Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
- “One Battle After Another” — Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson (WINNER)
- “Sentimental Value” — Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
- “Sinners” — Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler
Best Director
- Yorgos Lanthimos, “Bugonia”
- Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet”
- Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
- Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” (WINNER)
- Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”
- Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
Leading Actress
- Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (WINNER)
- Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
- Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue”
- Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another”
- Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value”
- Emma Stone, “Bugonia”
Leading Actor
- Robert Aramayo, “I Swear” (WINNER)
- Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
- Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
- Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
- Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
- Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia”
Supporting Actress
- Odessa A’zion, “Marty Supreme”
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”
- Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners” (WINNER)
- Carey Mulligan, “The Ballad of Wallis Island”
- Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”
- Emily Watson, “Hamnet”
Supporting Actor
- Benicio del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
- Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
- Paul Mescal, “Hamnet”
- Peter Mullan, “I Swear”
- Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (WINNER)
- Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value”
Outstanding British Film
- “28 Years Later”
- “The Ballad of Wallis Island”
- “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
- “Die My Love”
- “H Is for Hawk”
- “Hamnet” — Chloé Zhao, Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Speilberg, Sam Mendes, Maggie O’Farrell (WINNER)
- “I Swear”
- “Mr. Burton”
- “Pillion”
- “Steve”
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
- “The Ceremony” — Jack King (Director, Writer), Hollie Bryan (Producer), Lucy Meer (Producer)
- “My Father’s Shadow” — Akinola Davies Jr. (Director), Wale Davies (Writer) (WINNER)
- “Pillion” — Harry Lighton (Director, Writer)
- “A Want in Her” — Myrid Carten (Director)
- “Wasteman” — Cal McMau (Director), Hunter Andrews (Writer), Eoin Doran (Writer)
Adapted Screenplay
- “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” Tom Basden and Tim Key
- “Bugonia,” Will Tracy
- “Hamnet,” Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell
- “One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson (WINNER)
- “Pillion,” Harry Lighton
Original Screenplay
- “I Swear,” Kirk Jones
- “Marty Supreme,” Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
- “The Secret Agent,” Kleber Mendonça Filho
- “Sentimental Value,” Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
- “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler (WINNER)
Children’s & Family Film
- “Arco”
- “Boong” — Lakshmipriya Devi, Ritesh Sidhwani (WINNER)
- “Lilo & Stitch”
- “Zootropolis 2”
Film Not in the English Language
- “It Was Just an Accident”
- “The Secret Agent”
- “Sentimental Value” — Joachim Trier, Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (WINNER)
- “Sirât”
- “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
Costume Design
- “Frankenstein,” Kate Hawley (WINNER)
- “Hamnet,” Malgosia Turzanska
- “Marty Supreme,” Miyako Bellizzi
- “Sinners,” Ruth E. Carter
- “Wicked: For Good,” Paul Tazewell
Special Visual Effects
- “Avatar: Fire and Ash” — Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Eric Saindon (WINNER)
- “F1” — Ryan Tudhope, Keith Alfred Dawson, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington
- “Frankenstein” — Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell
- “How to Train Your Dragon” — Christian Mänz, Francois Lambert, Glen McIntosh, Terry Palmer
- “The Lost Bus” — Charlie Noble, Brandon K. McLaughlin, David Zaretti
Documentary
- “2,000 Meters to Andriivka”
- “Apocalypse in the Tropics”
- “Cover-Up”
- “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” — David Borenstein, Helle Faber, Radovan Síbrt, Alžběta Karásková (WINNER)
- “The Perfect Neighbor”
Animated Film
- “Elio”
- “Little Amélie”
- “Zootropolis 2” — Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino (WINNER)
Casting
- “I Swear,” Lauren Evans (WINNER)
- “Marty Supreme,” Jennifer Venditti
- “One Battle After Another,” Cassandra Kulukundis
- “Sentimental Value,” Yngvill Kolset Haga and Avy Kaufman
- “Sinners,” Francine Maisler
Cinematography
- “Frankenstein,” Dan Laustsen
- “Marty Supreme,” Darius Khondji
- “One Battle After Another,” Michael Bauman (WINNER)
- “Sinners,” Autumn Durald Arkapaw
- “Train Dreams,” Adolpho Veloso
Editing
- “F1,” Stephen Mirrione
- “A House of Dynamite,” Kirk Baxter
- “Marty Supreme,” Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
- “One Battle After Another,” Andy Jurgensen (WINNER)
- “Sinners,” Michael P. Shawver
Make-Up & Hair
- “Frankenstein” — Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Mike Hill, Megan Many (WINNER)
- “Hamnet” — Nicole Stafford
- “Marty Supreme” — Kyra Panchenko, Kay Georgiou, Mike Fontaine
- “Sinners” — Siân Richards, Shunika Terry, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine
- “Wicked: For Good” — Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, Mark Coulier, Sarah Nuth
Original Score
- “Bugonia,” Jerskin Fendrix
- “Frankenstein,” Alexandre Desplat
- “Hamnet,” Max Richter
- “One Battle After Another,” Jonny Greenwood
- “Sinners,” Ludwig Göransson (WINNER)
Production Design
- “Frankenstein,” Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau (WINNER)
- “Hamnet,” Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
- “Marty Supreme,” Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
- “One Battle After Another,” Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
- “Sinners,” Hannah Beachler and Monique Champagne
Sound
- “F1” — Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta (WINNER)
- “Frankenstein” — Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitallie, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoem
- “One Battle After Another” — Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor
- “Sinners” — Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco
- “Warfare” — Mitch Low, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner, Glenn Freemantle
British Short Animation
- “Cardboard”
- “Solstice”
- “Two Black Boys in Paradise” — Baz Sells, Dean Atta, Ben Jackson (WINNER)
British Short Film
- “Magid/Zafar”
- “Nostalgie”
- “Terence”
- “This Is Endometriosis” — Georgie Wileman, Matt Houghton, Harriette Wright (WINNER)
- “Welcome Home Freckles”
EE Rising Star Award
- Robert Aramayo (WINNER)
- Miles Caton
- Chase Infiniti
- Archie Madekwe
- Posy Sterling
As the curtain closes on the 79th BAFTAs, the focus shifts across the Atlantic to the upcoming Oscars. With Paul Thomas Anderson finally receiving the flowers many feel were long overdue and Robert Aramayo becoming the industry’s newest “It” boy overnight, the momentum from this London night will likely define the rest of awards season. Whether tonight’s winners can repeat their success in Hollywood remains to be seen, but for now, the British Academy has made its voice heard loud and clear: 2026 is a year of bold risks and even bigger rewards.
