One Battle After Another Dominates 2026 BAFTA Awards With 6 Wins Including Best Film
Paul Thomas Anderson's political thriller One Battle After Another swept the 79th BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday night, February 22, 2026, taking home six prizes and cementing its status as the clear Oscar front-runner just days before Academy ballots close. The ceremony was held at London's Royal Festival Hall and hosted by The Traitors fan favorite Alan Cumming.
Best Film & Top Winners: One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another dominated the 79th BAFTA Film Awards, taking home six prizes including Best Film and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Early winners included Sean Penn, who took home the Supporting Actor prize for his performance in the film.
At the end of the big night, director Paul Thomas Anderson, who had received a standing ovation, had this message for people who say movies are no good anymore: "You can p*** right off!"
Full 2026 BAFTA Winners List
| 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 |
| Outstanding British Film | Hamnet |
| Best Original Screenplay | Sinners |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | One Battle After Another |
| Best Cinematography | One Battle After Another |
| Best Editing | One Battle After Another |
| Best Production Design | Frankenstein |
| Best Costume Design | Frankenstein |
| Best Make-up & Hair | Frankenstein |
| Best Sound | F1 |
| Best Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash |
| EE Rising Star Award | Robert Aramayo |
The Biggest Surprises of the Night
The biggest shock of the ceremony came when Robert Aramayo, after picking up the EE Rising Star Award, beat out the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor — a win met with audible gasps by the audience.
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) pulled off a surprise win in Best Supporting Actress over heavily watched contenders Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value).
Sinners Makes History, Hamnet Shines
Ryan Coogler's Sinners made history with three wins — becoming the most-decorated film from a Black director in BAFTA history — for Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and Original Score for Ludwig Göransson. Coogler also became the first Black winner in the Original Screenplay category.
Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein scored Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Make-up & Hair, making it one of the night's craft category leaders.
Oscar Implications
One Battle After Another led all films with 14 nominations going into the night and became the most longlisted film in BAFTA history, with 16 longlists mentions. The film's six wins, including the top prizes, solidify its front-runner status as the Oscars race enters its final stretch. Donna Langley, NBCUniversal Entertainment chair and the first British woman to run a major Hollywood studio, received the BAFTA Fellowship — the British Academy's highest honor — telling the audience that "decency is a superpower."
