One Battle After Another sweeps BAFTAs

BAFTA Film Awards delivered drama, history, and a few gasp-worthy moments, with One Battle After Another, Sinners, and I Swear emerging as some of the biggest winners of the event at London's Royal Festival Hall as the curtains came down on Sunday night.

Paul Thomas Anderson's political thriller One Battle After Another dominated the evening as it walked away with six awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Close on its heels was Ryan Coogler's Sinners, which made BAFTA history by winning three awards, the most ever for a film by a Black filmmaker at the British Academy. Meanwhile, Kirk Jones' I Swear, a Tourette's Syndrome advocacy dramedy, stunned the audience with three wins, including two industry-voted honours and one decided by the public.

The biggest surprise came when I Swear star Robert Aramayo picked up not one, but two trophies, Rising Star and Best Actor, in a fiercely competitive category. His Best Actor win was met with audible gasps inside the hall. The film also secured the Best Casting award.

Going into the ceremony, the race had been tight. One Battle After Another led the nominations with 14 nods, followed closely by Sinners with 13, while Hamnet and Marty Supreme were tied at 11 each. By the end of the night, Anderson's film claimed Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn.

Sinners also had a landmark night. Wunmi Mosaku won Best Supporting Actress, while Ryan Coogler took home Best Original Screenplay, becoming the first Black filmmaker to win in the category. The film also picked up Best Original Score, completing its historic triple win.

BAFTA 2026 Winners

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 Languag 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

Donna receives BAFTA’s highest honour

The star-studded BAFTA Film Awards 2026 ceremony in London also put a spotlight on Donna Langley, chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment and the first British woman to run a major Hollywood studio, as she received the British Academy's highest honour, the BAFTA Fellowship on Sunday. The top executive, born and raised on the Isle of Wight in the U.K., took to the stage to receive the honour to a standing ovation before highlighting cinema's power to bring people together.

"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." said Langley.

Langley also shared that her parents helped her "see differences as a strength and not a weakness." She continued, "As my career has progressed, I've come to believe that the most meaningful part of what we do is the people we choose to support along the way. The voices we encourage. And the talent we protect... long enough for them to find their feet. And the doors we remember to open."

"As we move forward, let's remember the future of this business is not something that happens to us," she emphasised. "It's something we shape... by the risks we take and the people we back. So, let us continue to adapt, be resilient and make room for new voices," added Langley.

Prince William introduced Langley, lauding, among other things, her "determination and commitment," and her "strong commitment to inclusion and mentorship."

Ryan Coogler sets record

Ryan Coogler has made history at the BAFTA Awards with a big win that has added a new feather to his career. Coogler won the BAFTA award for Original Screenplay for his film Sinners, becoming the first Black winner in this category. The moment was met with loud applause as Coogler walked on stage to accept the honour. Speaking after his win, Coogler shared how the moment felt for him. "I didn't expect that," Coogler said as he took the stage to massive applause. "This is nerve-wracking."

"I come from a community that loves me. They made me believe that I could do this, that I could be a writer. And it was amazing to be accepted into the community of film actors, the community of Los Angeles ..." "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. I'll be forever grateful for this, thank you all," he added.

When the ceremony was paused…

The BAFTA Film Awards ceremony was interrupted for a while when host Alan Cumming paused the show to address disruptions heard inside the venue. Cumming stopped the awards night twice to speak to the audience after loud words were heard during the live ceremony. He later explained that the sounds came from John Davidson, a nominee who lives with Tourette's syndrome and was present at the event.

Davidson was seated inside London's Royal Festival Hall, and his involuntary tics were picked up by microphones. During the opening part of the ceremony, Davidson shouted words like "boring" and "f*k off" while BAFTA chair Sara Putt was addressing the audience. Later, while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were announcing the Best Visual Effects award for Avatar: Fire and Ash, another remark was heard on the broadcast.

Between award segments, Alan Cumming spoke to the audience. He said viewers "may have noticed" some "strong language" during the show. He thanked everyone for being understanding and for helping to keep the space respectful for all. Later, he apologised if anyone felt offended and explained that the sounds were not intentional, as the tics are involuntary. At one point, Davidson left the auditorium.

John Davidson is known for speaking openly about living with Tourette's syndrome. He has worked for years to raise awareness and support others with the condition. Davidson's life is depicted in the film I Swear, where he is played by Robert Aramayo. While accepting the Rising Star award, Aramayo called Davidson "the most remarkable man I've ever met."

Marty Supreme pulls an 0-for-11

Timothee Chalamet's Marty Supreme may have ignited the American dream in his viewers, but at BAFTA, it all went to nought. In one of the huge surprises, prime Oscar contender Marty Supreme left the British Academy Awards empty-handed after being shut out, following a healthy 11 nods at the nominations stage.

In one of the night's biggest shocks, Chalamet lost to Robert Aramayo from Kirk Jones' Tourette's drama movie, I Swear. With this disappointing night ahead of the Oscars, the film has joined movies including Women in Love (1969) and Finding Neverland (2004) as the only films to go winless with 11 nominations at BAFTA.