A night of upsets, triumphs and unforgettable moments

The 79th EE BAFTA Film Awards, held on 22 February 2026 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, delivered a night that blended expected victories with genuine surprises. One Battle After Another emerged as the ceremony’s dominant force, taking home six awards. Among them were Best Film and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, along with multiple craft prizes, cementing its status as this awards season’s defining contender.

But the evening also delivered standout moments. In one of the night’s biggest upsets, I Swear star Robert Aramayo won Best Leading Actor over Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet before also claiming the EE Rising Star Award. Jessie Buckley made history as the first Irish performer to win Best Leading Actress for Hamnet, which also secured Outstanding British Film. Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners proved its strength across major categories, earning three awards, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku.

From breakout talent to established auteurs, the ceremony offered a vivid snapshot of this year’s cinematic highs. Below is the full list of winners at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards:

Best Film: One Battle After Another

Outstanding British Film: Hamnet

Best Leading Actress: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

Best Leading Actor: Robert Aramayo – I Swear

Best Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners

Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: My Father’s Shadow

Best Film not in the English Language: Sentimental Value

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Claire Binns

Best Documentary: Mr Nobody Against Putin

Best Animated Film: Zootropolis 2

Best Children’s and Family Film: Boong

Best Original Screenplay: Sinners

Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another

EE Bafta Rising Star Award: Robert Aramayo

Best Original Score: Sinners

Best Casting: I Swear

Best Cinematography: One Battle After Another

Best Costume Design: Frankenstein

Best Editing: One Battle After Another

Best Production Design: Frankenstein

Best Make-Up and Hair: Frankenstein

Best Sound: F1

Best Special Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash

Best British Short Film: This Is Endometriosis

Best British Short Animation: Two Black Boys in Paradise

BAFTA Fellowship: Donna Langley

Also see: 8 films to watch this Lunar New Year, beyond the usual classics