The 79th BAFTA Film Awards delivered exactly what a proper awards night should: dominant sweeps, emotional speeches, historic milestones — and at least one jaw-dropping surprise that had the room blinking.
Held in London and hosted by The Traitors favorite Alan Cumming, the ceremony struck a balance between prestige and playful chaos. Cumming kept the energy loose throughout the night, handing out British snacks to Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner and even lightly roasting Paul Mescal for scrolling on his phone mid-show. It was cheeky, very British, and a welcome counterpoint to the intensity of awards season.
But once the envelopes started opening, it was clear this was the night of “One Battle After Another.”
The Paul Thomas Anderson film dominated, taking home six awards including Best Film and Best Director. With 14 nominations going into the night — just shy of the record set by Gandhi — the momentum was undeniable.
Sean Penn added to the film’s haul with a win for Supporting Actor, while Wunmi Mosaku triumphed in Supporting Actress for Sinners. Meanwhile, Frankenstein quietly ruled the craft categories, collecting wins for Production Design, Make-Up and Hair, and Costume Design — a reminder that technical excellence often tells its own story.
Then came the twist.
After winning the EE Rising Star Award, Robert Aramayo shocked the room by also taking Best Actor — beating out heavyweights including Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Aramayo stars in I Swear, an indie biopic about real-life Tourette Syndrome campaigner John Davidson, who attended the ceremony. Because Davidson’s tics can include involuntary offensive language, Cumming addressed the audience directly.
“You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience,” Cumming told the audience, which included the Prince and Princess of Wales. “Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”
The moment grounded the ceremony in something bigger than trophies.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners also made history, collecting three wins and becoming the most-decorated film from a Black director in BAFTA history. Coogler became the first Black winner in the Original Screenplay category and used his speech to turn the spotlight outward.
“For all the writers out there, when y’all look at that blank page, think of who you love, think of anybody who you’ve seen in pain that you identify with and wish they felt better and let that love motivate you,” he said. “I’ll be forever grateful for this, thank you all.”
Over in the acting categories, Jessie Buckley charmed the crowd after winning Best Actress for Hamnet, which also secured Outstanding British Film. Her speech was endearing and unfiltered in the best way.
“You’re all just radical and you’re doing it for the naughty girls and I’m in awe of all your incredible performances,” Buckley continued, before admitting: “Oh God, I should have brought my thing up here.”
Elsewhere, Sentimental Value became the first Norwegian film to win a BAFTA (Film Not in the English Language), while My Father’s Shadow won Outstanding British Debut. Performances from EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami marked their first live appearance in the U.K., and Jessie Ware’s rendition of “The Way We Were” added emotional weight to the In Memoriam segment.
One major storyline? Marty Supreme, despite 11 nominations, walked away empty-handed — tying the record for most BAFTA losses in history.
It was a night of validation, firsts, and one very loud reminder: awards season is never predictable.
See all the 2026 BAFTA Film Award winners:
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” — Danny Boyle, Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, Bernard Bellew, Alex Garland
“The Ballad of Wallis Island” — James Griffiths, Rupert Majendie, Tom Basden, Tim Key
“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” — Michael Morris, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jo Wallett, Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, Abi Morgan
“Die My Love” — Lynne Ramsay, Martin Scorsese, Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi, Andrea Calderwood, Enda Walsh, Alice Birch
“H Is for Hawk” — Philippa Lowthorpe, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Emma Donoghue
“Hamnet” — Chloé Zhao, Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes, Maggie O’Farrell (WINNER)
“I Swear” — Kirk Jones, Georgia Bayliff, Piers Tempest
“Mr. Burton” — Marc Evans, Ed Talfan, Josh Hyams, Hannah Thomas, Trevor Matthews, Tom Bullough
“Pillion” — Harry Lighton, Emma Norton, Lee Groombridge, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe
“Steve” — Tim Mielants, Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy, Max Porter
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” — Ugo Bienvenu, Félix De Givry, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman
“Boong” — Lakshmipriya Devi, Ritesh Sidhwani (WINNER)
“Lilo & Stitch” — Dean Fleischer Camp, Jonathan Eirich
“Zootropolis 2” — Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino
Film Not in the English Language
“It Was Just an Accident” — Jafar Panahi, Philippe Martin
“The Secret Agent” — Kleber Mendonça Filho, Emilie Lesclaux
“Sentimental Value” — Joachim Trier, Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (WINNER)
“Sirât” — Oliver Laxe, Domingo Corral
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” — Kaouther Ben Hania, Nadim Cheikhrouha
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” — Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath
“Apocalypse in the Tropics” — Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino
“Cover-Up” — Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, Olivia Streisand, Yoni Golijev
“Mr. Nobody Against Putin” — David Borenstein, Helle Faber, Radovan Síbrt, Alžběta Karásková (WINNER)
“The Perfect Neighbor” — Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu, Sam Bisbee
Animated Film
“Elio” — Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, Mary Alice Drumm
“Little Amélie” — Mailys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, Nidia Santiago, Edwina Liard, Claire Le Combe, Henri Magalon
“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” — J.P. Vine, Michaela Manas Malina
“Solstice” — Luke Angus
“Two Black Boys in Paradise” — Baz Sells, Dean Atta, Ben Jackson (WINNER)
British Short Film
“Magid/Zafar” — Luis Hindman, Sufiyaan Salam, Aidan Robert Brooks
“Nostalgie” — Kathryn Ferguson, Stacey Gregg, Marc Robinson, Kath Mattock
“Terence” — Edem Kelman, Noah Reich
“This Is Endometriosis” — Georgie Wileman, Matt Houghton, Harriette Wright (WINNER)
“Welcome Home Freckles” — Huiju Park, Nathan Hendren
EE Rising Star Award (voted on by the public)
Robert Aramayo (WINNER)
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Archie Madekwe
Posy Sterling
