Dame Donna Langley: The Fellowship 2026 and Baftas Highlights
dame donna langley was handed a Fellowship prize at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards in London and used her acceptance to tell the audience: “We are facing moments of change and disruption today. ” The night also produced major wins for Robert Aramayo, One Battle After Another and Jessie Buckley.
Dame Donna Langley: The Fellowship 2026
The studio chief, identified in the programme as NBCUniversal Entertainment’s chairman, received the ceremony’s highest accolade: a BAFTA Fellowship prize. She was described in the presentation as the first British woman to run a major Hollywood studio and was handed the Fellowship by Prince William, who hailed her “tireless” advocacy for British storytelling and championing movies that have “shaped culture. ”
What Langley said on stage
Langley addressed the audience directly. She said: “We are facing moments of change and disruption today. My hope is that those of us who help tell stories for a living continue to find inspiration to make popular art that carries over into people’s everyday lives – that helps us understand the world a bit better and to see each other a little more clearly…and reminds us that decency is a superpower. ”
She continued: “As we move forward, let’s remember the future of this business is not something that happens to us. It’s something we shape…by the risks we take and the people we back. So, let us continue to adapt, be resilient, and make room for new voices. ” Later she added: “As my career has progressed, I’ve come to believe that the most meaningful part of what we do is the people we choose to support along the way. The voices we encourage. And the talent we protect…long enough for them to find their feet. And the doors we remember to open. ”
Filmmakers’ remarks and video tribute
An onstage video reel showed leading filmmakers Langley has worked with and two major directors contributed tributes. Steven Spielberg said: “Donna is a peacemaker and she’s a dealmaker, a creative rights advocate, and she’s always on the forward fringe of new business, new technology, new ideas…Donna believes that movies and audiences belong in movie theatres and she’s an advocate of that…. to make movies that, as Gloria Swanson said in Sunset Boulevard, out there in the dark…Her patience is kind of like the bonding agent. It makes us all feel like, in a way, she’s our security blanket. ”
Christopher Nolan commented: “It’s hard to think of a more deserving recipient of a BAFTA Fellowship than Dame Donna Langley. She’s been leading Universal with a very unique blend of filmmaker friendly creative insights with true leadership that commands respect…Donna has a grasp of all the different aspects of the filmmaking process but never loses sight of the audience. [She] is so inspiring to work for and collaborate with. ”
Honoured work and ceremony details
The Fellowship citation noted Langley’s “transformative leadership in the face of rapid change and disruption” at NBCUniversal Entertainment and recognized her role in films including Oppenheimer, Bridget Jones, and Straight Outta Compton. The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards took place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, with Alan Cumming hosting the ceremony for the first time.
Baftas winners and video highlights
On the night, Robert Aramayo was credited with a strong night for British cinema, taking both best newcomer and best actor awards. One Battle After Another took home best film. Hamnet also saw success, with Jessie Buckley winning best actress among its accolades.
Video highlights of the ceremony were presented as a short package labelled "Watch: Highlights from the Baftas 2026, " timed at 00: 01: 54. The programme lineup included several short items listed as Up Next: “What the killing of drug lord 'El Mencho' means for Mexico” (00: 01: 07); “Inside press briefing as Trump criticises Supreme Court tariffs ruling” (00: 00: 56); “Giant tortoises return to Galápagos island after nearly 200 years” (00: 00: 31); “Viral monkey Punch rejected by mother given stuffed orangutan” (00: 01: 22); “What happens next for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor?” (00: 01: 00); “Watch: The day Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested” (00: 01: 14); “Why haven't more Americans faced charges in the Epstein case?” (00: 01: 03); “Watch: Skier tells of 'panic' as avalanche hit Italian slopes” (00: 01: 23); “Lunar New Year 2026: Celebrations around the world” (00: 01: 29); and “Flying oranges: Italian town celebrates carnival with historic street battle” (00: 00: 30).
Fellowship lineage and recent winners
The Fellowship joins a list of previous BAFTA fellows that includes Dame Helen Mirren, Sidney Poitier, Mel Brooks, Sir Ridley Scott, Thelma Schoonmaker, Kathleen Kennedy, and Ang Lee. The most recent recipient prior to this year was Warwick Davis at the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards.
One short technical note from the awards platform read "Just a moment... " and instructed viewers to click if they were not redirected automatically.
For those seeking the full list of winners, the programme indicated a complete list was available with the ceremony coverage; the ceremony itself included the presentations, the video reel and the onstage remarks noted above.
In closing, dame donna langley’s Fellowship acceptance and onstage remarks framed a night that combined celebration of individual winners — Robert Aramayo, One Battle After Another and Jessie Buckley — with industry tributes and filmmaker endorsements highlighting leadership and stewardship in film.
