BAFTA Film Awards 2026: Highlights and Historic Wins
A Night of Triumph at the BAFTA Film Awards
The BAFTA Film Awards showcased a blend of drama and history, with standout films like One Battle After Another, Sinners, and I Swear taking center stage at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday night.
Paul Thomas Anderson's political thriller, One Battle After Another, emerged as the evening's biggest winner, securing six awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Following closely was Ryan Coogler's Sinners, which made history by winning three awards, the highest ever for a film directed by a Black filmmaker at the BAFTAs. Additionally, Kirk Jones' I Swear, a dramedy advocating for Tourette's Syndrome awareness, surprised many by winning three awards, including two voted by industry professionals and one by the public.
Surprising Wins and Notable Achievements
The ceremony featured an unexpected moment when I Swear's Robert Aramayo won both the Rising Star and Best Actor awards, causing audible gasps from the audience. His film also took home the Best Casting award.
Leading up to the event, the competition was fierce, with One Battle After Another leading the nominations with 14, closely followed by Sinners with 13. Hamnet and Marty Supreme were tied with 11 nominations each. By the end of the night, Anderson's film claimed awards for Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn.
Historic Wins for Sinners
Sinners also had a remarkable night, with Wunmi Mosaku winning Best Supporting Actress and Ryan Coogler taking home the award for Best Original Screenplay, marking him as the first Black filmmaker to achieve this honor. The film completed its historic triple win by also securing Best Original Score.
BAFTA 2026 Winners List
Best Film: One Battle After Another
Outstanding British Film: Hamnet
Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer: My Father’s Shadow
Film Not In The English Language: Sentimental Value
Documentary: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Animated Film: Zootropolis 2 (Zootopia 2)
Children’s & Family Film: Boong
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Leading Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Leading Actor: Robert Aramayo (I Swear)
Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
Supporting Actor: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Cinematography: Michael Bauman (One Battle After Another)
Costume Design: Kate Hawley (Frankenstein)
Original Score: Ludwig Göransson (Sinners)
British Short Animation: Two Black Boys In Paradise
British Short Film: This Is Endometriosis
Honoring Donna Langley
The prestigious BAFTA Film Awards also honored Donna Langley, chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment and the first British woman to lead a major Hollywood studio, with the BAFTA Fellowship. Langley received a standing ovation as she emphasized the unifying power of cinema.
She stated, "We are facing moments of change and disruption today, and I hope that those of us who help tell stories for a living continue to find inspiration to make popular art that carries over into people’s everyday lives that helps us understand the world a bit better and to see each other a little more clearly and reminds us that decency is a superpower."
Ryan Coogler's Historic Win
Ryan Coogler made history at the BAFTA Awards by winning the Original Screenplay award for Sinners, becoming the first Black winner in this category. His acceptance was met with enthusiastic applause as he expressed his gratitude and shared his journey.
"I come from a community that loves me. They made me believe that I could do this, that I could be a writer," Coogler remarked, encouraging aspiring writers to draw inspiration from their loved ones.
Ceremony Interruptions
The BAFTA Film Awards experienced a brief interruption when host Alan Cumming addressed disruptions from the audience. The sounds were attributed to John Davidson, a nominee with Tourette's syndrome, whose involuntary tics were picked up by microphones during the ceremony.
Cumming acknowledged the situation and thanked the audience for their understanding, clarifying that the sounds were not intentional. Davidson, who has been an advocate for Tourette's syndrome awareness, was portrayed in the film I Swear by Robert Aramayo.
Marty Supreme's Disappointing Night
Despite high expectations, Timothee Chalamet's Marty Supreme left the BAFTA Awards without any wins, despite receiving 11 nominations. This outcome places it among films like Women in Love (1969) and Finding Neverland (2004) that have gone winless with such a high number of nominations.