BAFTA nominations 2026: One Battle After Another leads as the BAFTA Film Awards race tightens

One Battle After Another tops the BAFTA nominations 2026 list

The BAFTA Film Awards field for 2026 is set, and the nomination leader is One Battle After Another, which scored 14 nominations announced Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in Eastern Time. Close behind is Sinners with 13 nominations, setting up a two-film showdown that now stretches across best film, directing, acting, and multiple craft categories.

A second tier of contenders is right on their heels. Hamnet and Marty Supreme earned 11 nominations each, while Frankenstein and Sentimental Value collected eight apiece. Together, that grouping signals a year where the BAFTA nominations are spread across big swing auteur projects, high-concept genre work, and performance-driven dramas.

BAFTA said a total of 46 films received nominations this year, underlining how wide the 2026 slate is across categories and styles.

Best Film nominees and where the momentum is building

The best film lineup is a clear snapshot of where the season’s energy is concentrated. The five best film nominees are:

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• Sentimental Value

• Sinners

What stands out is how these titles represent different strengths. One Battle After Another is the across-the-board frontrunner by volume, while Sinners is close enough on the nomination count to keep the top prize in play. Hamnet and Marty Supreme have enough support to be realistic threats, particularly if their strongest categories line up with voter passion. Sentimental Value, meanwhile, shows up as both a best film and director contender, suggesting deeper-than-expected backing.

In the broader nomination picture, BAFTA’s craft branches appear to be spreading recognition beyond the core best film group, including visible support for Frankenstein and a technical showing for Wicked: For Good.

Acting races: DiCaprio, Chalamet, Stone and a breakout lead enter the spotlight

The leading performance categories are stacked, mixing established awards fixtures with newer faces breaking through. In leading actor, the nominees are:

• Robert Aramayo for I Swear

• Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme

• Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another

• Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon

• Michael B. Jordan for Sinners

• Jesse Plemons for Bugonia

That field sets up a high-profile contest between films that are also major best film and director players, a pattern that often matters as voting narrows closer to the ceremony.

Leading actress is similarly competitive, with a blend of acclaimed dramatic work and star-driven turns:

• Jessie Buckley for Hamnet

• Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

• Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue

• Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another

• Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value

• Emma Stone for Bugonia

One of the day’s biggest talking points is Chase Infiniti landing in leading actress as part of the nomination surge for One Battle After Another, a combination that can quickly transform a buzzy performance into a genuine winning path.

BAFTA also highlighted several first-time film nominees in performance categories, reinforcing the sense that 2026 is not only a star year, but a breakthrough year.

Director nominees and the craft categories shaping the BAFTA Film Awards narrative

The best director lineup mirrors the best film group while leaving room for distinctive creative signatures. The director nominees are:

• Ryan Coogler for Sinners

• Yorgos Lanthimos for Bugonia

• Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme

• Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another

• Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value

• Chloé Zhao for Hamnet

That slate frames the season as an auteur-led contest with a strong genre presence. It also sets up a common awards dynamic: whether the eventual best film winner matches best director, or whether BAFTA splits the top prizes to reflect different strengths.

Outside the headline categories, the craft races look pivotal this year. Frankenstein shows up as a major craft contender, while Sinners and One Battle After Another are positioned to rack up wins across technical areas if the voting trends match the nomination totals. Even films with fewer top-category nods could become “night-of” factors by collecting craft awards that build momentum in the room.

When are the BAFTA Film Awards 2026 and what to expect next

The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, February 22, 2026, in London, with Alan Cumming set to host. With nominations now locked, the next phase of the season is about consolidation: guild chatter, late-breaking screenings, and the way voters align around either a single dominant film or a broader split.

One additional category likely to stay in the conversation is the EE Rising Star Award, which this year includes nominees Archie Madekwe, Chase Infiniti, Miles Caton, Posy Sterling, and Robert Aramayo. It is often a reliable indicator of who is about to become a lasting awards-season presence.

For now, the clearest takeaway from the BAFTA nominations 2026 is that One Battle After Another has a measurable lead, Sinners is close enough to challenge, and several well-supported contenders are positioned to turn the BAFTA Film Awards into a wide-open finish rather than a foregone conclusion.