LONDON, UK – The 2026 BAFTA Awards have spoken—and the Oscar race just got a whole lot clearer.
Held on February 22 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, with Alan Cumming hosting, the British Academy’s annual celebration of cinema delivered plenty of surprises, historic firsts, and a clear frontrunner for next week’s Academy Awards.
‘One Battle After Another’ Leads the Pack
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another entered the night with a leading 14 nominations and walked away with an impressive 6 wins, including the night’s biggest prize: Best Film.
The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, also took home:
- Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson
- Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Editing
- Best Cinematography
It was a clean sweep that solidifies the film’s status as the one to beat at the Oscars.
‘Sinners’ Makes History
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which made history just weeks ago by earning 16 Oscar nominations—the most ever for a film—followed closely with 13 BAFTA nods and 3 wins.
The film’s victories included:
- Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku
- Best Original Score
- Best Original Screenplay for Coogler, who became the first Black winner in this category in BAFTA history—a landmark moment celebrated across social media.
Acting Winners: Aramayo and Buckley Shine
The acting categories delivered their own share of surprises:
- Best Actor went to Robert Aramayo for his starring role in I Swear, a Tourette’s syndrome drama yet to receive wide U.S. release. Aramayo, known to global audiences as Elrond in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, also won the EE Rising Star Award—a rare double victory.
- Best Actress was claimed by Jessie Buckley for her performance in Hamnet, which itself won Outstanding British Film.
- Best Supporting Actor went to Sean Penn (One Battle After Another), while Best Supporting Actress was awarded to Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners).
‘Zootopia 2’ Roars in Animation
Disney’s Zootopia 2, which crossed $1 billion at the global box office last year, added another trophy to its collection, winning Best Animated Film—a strong sign for its chances at the Oscars.
Full Winners List Highlights
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Film | One Battle After Another |
| Best Director | Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) |
| Best Actor | Robert Aramayo (I Swear) |
| Best Actress | Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) |
| Best Supporting Actor | Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) |
| Best Original Screenplay | Sinners |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | One Battle After Another |
| Best Animated Film | Zootopia 2 |
| Outstanding British Film | Hamnet |
| Best Film Not in English | Sentimental Value |
| Best Documentary | Mr. Nobody Against Putin |
| Best Original Score | Sinners |
| Best Cinematography | One Battle After Another |
| Best Editing | One Battle After Another |
| Best Production Design | Frankenstein |
| Best Costume Design | Frankenstein |
| Best Makeup and Hair | Frankenstein |
| Best Special Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash |
| EE Rising Star Award | Robert Aramayo |
What This Means for the Oscars
The BAFTAs are a key predictor of Oscar success. Last year, all four acting winners at BAFTA—Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin, and Zoe Saldaña—went on to win Oscars in the same categories.
With the Academy Awards just days away, One Battle After Another and Sinners have firmly established themselves as the films to beat.
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