One Battle After Another Sweeps Baftas with Six Major Awards
The 2026 Bafta Film Awards in London saw Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another emerge as the undisputed champion, securing six prestigious awards from fourteen nominations. The film, which tells the story of a washed-up revolutionary searching for his missing teenage daughter, claimed top honours including Best Film, Best Director for Anderson, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn.
Anderson's Triumphant Speech
Accepting the Best Film award, Anderson delivered a passionate speech, declaring it a "tremendous honour." He boldly stated, "Anybody who says that movies aren't good any more can piss right off because this is great f****** year." The director invoked a Nina Simone quote from his film, saying, "I know what freedom is, it's no fear. Let's keep making things without fear, it's a good idea."
British Films Shine Brightly
British productions made a significant impact at the ceremony held at London's Royal Festival Hall. I Swear, the real-life story of a man with Tourette syndrome growing up in 1980s Scotland, achieved two notable victories. British star Robert Aramayo caused a major upset by winning both Best Actor and the EE Rising Star award, defeating Hollywood heavyweights including Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothee Chalamet, and Ethan Hawke.
Aramayo paid special tribute to Hawke during his acceptance speech, recalling how the veteran actor's visit to Juilliard had profoundly influenced his approach to acting longevity. I Swear also secured the Bafta for Best Casting, marking a successful night for the British production.
Buckley's Emotional Victory
Irish actress Jessie Buckley continued her awards season dominance by winning Best Actress for her portrayal of Shakespeare's wife Agnes Hathaway in Hamnet. The film, directed by Chloe Zhao and adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel about William Shakespeare's family life, was also named Outstanding British Film.
In an emotional acceptance speech, Buckley reflected on her unlikely journey from a young actress with "nuclear bad fake tan" to Bafta winner. "This really does belong to the women past, present and future who taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently," she declared. The actress, who had her first child last year, dedicated the award to her daughter, promising "to continue to be disobedient so you can belong to a world in all your complete wildness as a young woman."
Supporting Actress Recognition
British-Nigerian actress Wunmi Mosaku won Best Supporting Actress for her role in a highly acclaimed vampire film, defeating nominees including Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another and Emily Watson for Hamnet. Mosaku spoke movingly about finding parts of herself in her character Annie, including "my ancestral power and connection, parts I thought I had lost or tried to dim as an immigrant trying to fit in."
Additional Award Highlights
The ceremony featured several other notable winners:
- Ryan Coogler won Best Original Screenplay, with his film also securing the prize for Best Score
- Avatar: Fire And Ash claimed the first award of the night for Best Visual Effects
- Sentimental Value won Best Film Not in the English Language
- Zootropolis 2 was named Best Animated Film
Ceremony Atmosphere and Tributes
Host Alan Cumming opened the proceedings with a wry observation that "watching films this year was like taking part in a collective nervous breakdown," referencing the emotional intensity of nominated films including Hamnet, One Battle After Another, and Frankenstein.
The In Memoriam segment paid tribute to late stars including Diane Keaton, Terence Stamp, Catherine O'Hara, Rob Reiner, Robert Duvall, playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, Brigitte Bardot, and Robert Redford, with Jessie Ware performing The Way We Were during the emotional tribute.
Special Honours
Clare Binns, creative director of Picturehouse, received the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award. The highest honour of the evening, the Bafta Fellowship, was presented to Universal Pictures chief Dame Donna Langley by the academy's president, the Prince of Wales, capping a night celebrating excellence in British and international filmmaking.
