The British Academy's 2026 film awards nominations have delivered a mix of snubs and surprises, with several major contenders failing to secure recognition in key categories. While films such as 'One Battle After Another', 'Sinners', 'Hamnet' and 'Marty Supreme' dominated the shortlists, other anticipated frontrunners were left disappointed.
'Wicked: For Good' was notably shut out of the main races, receiving only nods for costume design and hair and make-up. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande missed out on acting nominations, and the sequel was absent from the best film, director and screenplay categories, mirroring its recent omission from the Oscar nominations.
Paul Mescal, who missed a second Oscar nomination for his role in 'Hamnet', did secure a BAFTA supporting actor nomination. This marks his third BAFTA film nomination in four years, following 'Aftersun' and 'All of Us Strangers'. Meanwhile, Jacob Elordi received a supporting actor nod for 'Frankenstein', but director Guillermo del Toro was overlooked in the directing category, and the film failed to appear in the best film and adapted screenplay lists, despite featuring in those races at the Oscars.
Breakout performers Chase Infiniti and A'zion also earned surprising BAFTA recognition. Infiniti, star of 'One Battle After Another', is nominated for leading actress and the Rising Star award, while A'zion, from 'Marty Supreme', is in the running for supporting actress. Both had missed out on Oscar nominations the previous week.
Foreign-language films, apart from 'Sentimental Value', received limited recognition. 'It was Just an Accident' and 'Sirat' could only muster a place in the film not in the English language category, while 'The Secret Agent' secured an original screenplay nomination but saw Wagner Moura fail to advance past the first round of voting. In contrast, British indie hit 'I Swear' earned five nominations, including leading actor for Robert Aramayo and supporting actor for Peter Mullan.
One awkward moment came for actor Jonsson, who was co-hosting the nominations announcement when he learned his film 'Wasteman' had been nominated for outstanding debut. As his co-host offered congratulations, Jonsson maintained his composure on stage, clearly delighted but professional.
