BAFTAs 2026: Chaos, Class, Cinema… and a Whole Lot of Gold Masks
- Samantha Ann
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
BAFTAs 2026 highlights are here! From One Battle After Another dominating Best Film to surprise acting wins, shocking snubs, royal red carpet moments, and viral speeches — relive the biggest winners, fashion, drama, and unforgettable moments from the 79th British Academy Film Awards.
If awards season is a sport, then the 79th British Academy Film Awards — better known as the BAFTA Film Awards 2026 — was the cinematic equivalent of a Champions League final. Drama. Upsets. Emotional speeches. Couture so architectural it probably needed planning permission.
Held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 22 February 2026, the evening delivered prestige, pageantry, and just enough unpredictability to keep Film Twitter in cardiac arrest.
Let's examine the highlights.
The Night’s Undisputed Heavyweight
The biggest winner... One Battle After Another.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s razor-sharp epic didn’t just win — it colonized the ceremony. Six awards. Including Best Film and Best Director. Critics had called it “meticulous,” “ferocious,” and “formally audacious.” BAFTA voters called it “yes, please, more of that.”
The film’s dominance instantly repositioned it as a major Oscars front-runner, proving once again that the British Academy has a refined taste for intelligent, auteur-driven cinema.
Acting Wins That Sparked Group Chats
Best Leading Actor
The surprise of the night: Robert Aramayo for I Swear.
Yes, surprise. And yes, deserved. His performance — restrained, fragile, and technically nuanced — earned him not only the Leading Actor prize but also the EE Rising Star Award. That’s what we call a career acceleration event.
Best Leading Actress
Jessie Buckley won for her luminous turn in Hamnet.
Her performance was the kind that makes you sit up straighter in your seat and reconsider your life choices. Emotional precision. Vocal control. Period-drama gravitas. Buckley delivered all three with scholarly discipline.
Screenwriting That Made History
Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, secured multiple wins including Best Original Screenplay and Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku.
It was a significant cultural moment — bold genre storytelling meeting awards recognition. A reminder that intelligent mainstream cinema is not an oxymoron.
The Snub Heard Around the Industry
Poor Marty Supreme.
Multiple nominations. Zero wins.
Starring Timothée Chalamet, the film walked in with awards buzz and walked out with existential reflection. Such is the ruthless mathematics of awards season.
Royal Red Carpet Energy
The red carpet delivered its own cinematic subplot when Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales made a high-profile joint appearance.
The cameras flashed. The commentary panels speculated. The couture shimmered. Britain did what Britain does best — combine monarchy with movie glamour.
Meanwhile, Alia Bhatt made a memorable BAFTA debut, greeting audiences with “Namaskar” and reminding everyone that global cinema is no longer a buzzword — it’s reality.
Host With the Most
The ceremony was hosted by Alan Cumming, whose dry wit and theatrical timing kept the evening brisk. His handling of an unexpected on-air moment during the broadcast showed poise — live television, as ever, remains undefeated.
Technical Triumphs & Genre Love
There was also love for:
Frankenstein (Production Design & Makeup)
Zootropolis 2 (Best Animated Film)
Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Best Documentary)
Translation: spectacle, animation, and documentary filmmaking are alive and intellectually thriving.
This year’s ceremony reflected several trends shaping contemporary cinema. The British Academy also rewarded craft, risk, and narrative intelligence. That, my friend, is how you host an awards ceremony that feels relevant, global, and just chaotic enough to trend.
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References
British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) – 79th Film Awards Winners Press Release (2026)
Reuters, “One Battle After Another wins big at Britain’s BAFTA movie awards,” Feb 22, 2026
Entertainment Weekly, “Sinners and Ryan Coogler make BAFTA history,” Feb 2026
The Indian Express, “BAFTA Awards 2026 winners and snubs,” Feb 2026
Times of India, “Alia Bhatt’s BAFTA 2026 debut highlights,” Feb 2026
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