On Monday night (February 23), the 79th edition of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards (BAFTA) ceremony took place at London’s Royal Festival Hall. This year, the spotlight firmly belonged to ‘One Battle After Another’. Leading the nominations, the film ultimately won six awards, including Best Film and Best Director.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson achieved another major milestone in his career with this project. His portrayal of post-war human crisis woven through personal tragedy earned praise from both critics and audiences. Co-star Sean Penn also won in the supporting actor category for the same film.
Another widely discussed film this year was ‘Sinners’, directed by Ryan Coogler. The film won awards for Best Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress and Original Score. Coogler became the first Black winner in BAFTA history in the Original Screenplay category with this win. Wunmi Mosaku received the Supporting Actress award, while Ludwig Göransson won for Original Score.
There was a surprise in the Best Actor category. Beating out several heavily favored contenders, Robert Aramayo won Best Actor for his performance in ‘I Swear’. The Best Actress award went to Jessie Buckley for her performance in ‘Hamnet’, which also won the award for Best British Film.
The award for Best Film Not in the English Language went to Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value’. The Best Documentary award was presented to ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’.
In the Animation category, ‘Zootopia 2’ took home the prize. The Children’s and Family Film award went to ‘Boong’.
The BAFTA 2026 was hosted by Alan Cumming. His witty presentation brought both laughter and reflection, as many artists used their acceptance speeches to address political tensions, freedom of expression and diversity.
