WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BAFTA AWARDS?
words by ANOUK WOUDT
The BAFTA Awards lit up our screens last night, brimming with some of the biggest film stars from the UK and beyond, as they gathered together to celebrate their accomplishments. Excitement was high leading up to the winners’ announcement in another leg of the anxious awards season race towards the esteemed Academy Awards.
all images via @thedailystar
The red carpet was crowded with fan favorites including Bugonia’s Emma Stone who stunned in a striking cutout dress, and even appearances from the royal family with Kate Middleton and Prince William making a dazzling entrance.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was definitely an Academy favorite with its major wins for Best Film of the Year and Best Director of the Year, in a tough race against Marty Supreme, Hamnet, and Sinners, amongst other highly-celebrated movies of last year. Among winning two of the biggest categories of the ceremony, they also received their flowers for their cinematography and editing, among other achievements, leaving them with an impressive six wins. This sweep only fuels the Oscar buzz, positioning it as one of the most highly awarded films of 2026 thus far.
Though Hamnet didn’t win Best Film last night, it has definitely been having a sizeable awards season run, with critics and audiences alike unabashedly obsessed with the period tragedy. Following six Golden Globe wins, they walked away with Best British Film and Best Leading Actress at the BAFTAs, which was undoubtedly deserved for Jessie Buckley’s gut-wrenching performance. Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein also had some notable wins for its costuming, set design, and makeup, putting them at the forefront of the BAFTA winners this year.
Sinners also walked away holding awards for their phenomenal score by Ludwig Göransson and Wunmi Mosaku’s supporting performance as Annie, marking her first win for this role. With many nominations to come, we hope to see her get what she deserves in future award shows.
The biggest surprise of the evening was Marty Supreme walking away with nothing, despite a whopping eleven nominations. This feat even joins BAFTA History as one of its worst-performing films ever in terms of winless nominations, tied only with 1969’s Women in Love and 2004’s Finding Neverland. With its praise and intense campaigning, many were suspecting a sweep during this Awards season, but it has yet to pay off for them. Despite these losses, the film still remains a top Oscar contender, especially considering there are other past Oscar Best Film winners that had poor BAFTA runs, such as Everything, Everywhere All At Once and Moonlight.
Expected to be taken home by Timothée Chalamet, we saw a surprising win in the Best Actor category for newcomer Robert Aramayo with his performance in the Tourette’s drama film I Swear. This win made headlines as an underdog victory, given his competition included some of the biggest names in the industry, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke. His joy up on that stage was intoxicating, leaving everyone watching equally as excited by his accomplishment. He also received the EE Rising Star Award, so we are hopeful to see where he will end up in the future.
