The biggest night in British film had all the drama, glamour and heartfelt moments you would expect. The stars gathered in London on February 22 for the 2026 BAFTAs. Officially known as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, the ceremony took place at the Southbank Centre, with Alan Cumming hosting the evening. By the end of the night, One Battle After Another had clearly taken the spotlight. The film won six awards, including Best Film, making it the biggest winner of the ceremony.
Nominees like Timothée Chalamet, Teyana Taylor, Michael B. Jordan and Emma Stone brought plenty of style to the evening. There was also a royal moment. Kate Middleton returned to the awards after three years away. She arrived with her husband, Prince William.
BAFTA 2026: The films that led the race
Before the envelopes were opened, One Battle After Another already was the talk of the night. It led with 14 nominations. Sinners followed closely with 13 nods. Hamnet and Marty Supreme were tied with 11 each. Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, made history as the most-nominated BAFTA film ever directed by a Black filmmaker. Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, set a record of its own, earning the most nominations ever for a film directed by a woman in BAFTA history.
It was an especially meaningful night for the acting winners: Sean Penn, Wunmi Mosaku, Robert Aramayo and Jessie Buckley. Jessie won Leading Actress for her role in Hamnet. “I dreamed a little bit to be a little bit like Judi Dench,” she said. “This really does belong to the women past, present and future that have taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently.”
The audience was treated to live performances during the ceremony. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami performed “Golden,” the song tied to the fictional girl group HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters. Later in the night, Jessie Ware delivered a performance during the In Memoriam segment, honouring members of the film industry who passed away.
Bafta film awards 2026: the full list of winners
Best Special Visual Effects
Winner: Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
How to Train Your Dragon
The Lost Bus
Best Supporting Actress
Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Winner: Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Carey Mulligan – The Ballad of Wallis Island
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Emily Watson – Hamnet
Best Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Peter Mullan – I Swear
Winner: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Best Children’s and Family Film
Arco
Winner: Boong
Lilo & Stitch
Zootropolis 2
Best Production Design
Winner: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best Make Up & Hair
Winner: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Best Documentary
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Apocalypse in the Tropics
Cover-Up
Winner: Mr Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
Best British Short Film
Magid/Zafar
Nostalgie
Terence
Winner: This Is Endometriosis
Welcome Home Freckles
Best British Short Animation
Cardboard
Solstice
Winner: Two Black Boys in Paradise
Best Original Screenplay
I Swear – Kirk Jones
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho
Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Winner: Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
The Ceremony – Jack King (director, writer), Hollie Bryan (producer), Lucy Meer (producer)
Winner: My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr (director), Wale Davies (writer)
Pillion – Harry Lighton (director, writer)
A Want in Her – Myrid Carten (director)
Wasteman – Cal McMau (director), Hunter Andrews (writer), Eoin Doran (writer)
Best Casting
Winner: I Swear
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best Editing
F1
A House of Dynamite
Marty Supreme
Winner: One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best Animated Film
Elio
Little Amélie
Winner: Zootropolis 2
Best Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
Winner: One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best Sound
Winner: F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Warfare
Best Original Score
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Winner: Sinners
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Ballad of Wallis Island – Tom Basden, Tim Key
Bugonia – Will Tracy
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell
Winner: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Pillion – Harry Lighton
Best Costume Design
Winner: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Best Film Not in the English Language
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
Winner: Sentimental Value
Sirāt
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Outstanding British Film
28 Years Later
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Die My Love
H Is for Hawk
Winner: Hamnet
I Swear
Mr Burton
Pillion
Steve
EE Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Winner: Robert Aramayo
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Archie Madekwe
Posy Sterling
Best Director
Bugonia – Yorgos Lanthimos
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
Marty Supreme – Josh Safdie
Winner: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Best Leading Actor
Winner: Robert Aramayo – I Swear
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B Jordan – Sinners
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
Best Leading Actress
Winner: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
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
Best Film
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Winner: One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award
Winner: Clare Binns
BAFTA Fellowship
Winner: Donna Langley