Robert Aramayo’s shock Bafta win as One Battle After Another dominates the night

At the 79th British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday February 22, 2026, robert aramayo delivered one of the night’s biggest surprises by taking the Bafta for leading actor. The ceremony — star-studded, sunny and sometimes tearful — produced shock wins, high-profile appearances and a string of trophies for Paul Thomas Anderson’s film.

Robert Aramayo topples frontrunners in best actor

In one of the clearest upsets of the evening, 33-year-old, Hull-born Robert Aramayo beat Timothée Chalamet in the best actor category for his performance in I Swear. Aramayo had earlier won the EE Bafta rising star award and, through tears, said: “I absolutely can’t believe it, I can’t believe I’m in the same category as you never mind being stood here. ”

I Swear is a British Tourette syndrome biopic about writer and campaigner John Davidson; it was nominated in five categories and also won the prize for casting. Aramayo’s victory came against a field that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke and Michael B Jordan.

One Battle After Another takes six awards and dominates nominations

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was the night’s big winner, taking six awards including best film, best director, best cinematography, best editing, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay. The film had entered the evening with 14 nominations, the most of any contender, and includes a cast list that had nods for Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor.

Anderson referenced a line from Nina Simone in his acceptance and said: “Anybody who says movies aren’t good anymore can piss right off, because this is a great fucking year. ” He paid tribute to the film’s late producer Adam Somner, who died in 2024, noting that “three weeks into our film he found out he was sick, and he made it through production. ”

Jessie Buckley makes history for Hamnet and praises her daughter

Jessie Buckley won leading actress for Hamnet and became the first Irish performer to claim that Bafta prize. Hamnet, Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of the Maggie O’Farrell novel about William Shakespeare, his wife Agnes and the tragic death of their son, took home two awards including outstanding British film and Buckley’s leading actress trophy.

Critics widely praised Buckley’s raw, intimate performance as a mother grieving the loss of her 11-year-old son. She had picked up an IFTA on Friday and is also in the running for a best actress award at the Oscars this March. In her speech she thanked her daughter, who “has been with me since she was six weeks old on the road with this. It’s the best role of my life being your mum and I promise to continue to be disobedient so you can belong to a world in all your complete wildness as a young woman. ”

Sinners and other genre winners, plus Marty Supreme snub

Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners, described as exploring racial and cultural erasure, took three awards: best original screenplay, best original score and best supporting actress. By contrast, Timothée Chalamet’s film Marty Supreme was notably snubbed — it came into the night with 11 nominations and left with zero.

Royals, Paddington and red-carpet moments at the Royal Festival Hall

The Prince and Princess of Wales walked the red carpet and attended the ceremony in their first public appearance since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest. Prince William, who is the president of Bafta, gave a speech and he and Catherine spoke behind the scenes about films they’d been watching. William called the F1 movie “fantastic”, “mainly because of the music” by Hans Zimmer, and admitted he hasn’t watched Sinners yet, calling it “a bit dark. ”

Journalists gathered adoringly as Paddington Bear posed on the red carpet, the sun even came out, and the evening featured A-listers, stand-out style, PDAs and tears — a mix that underlined why this ceremony drew so much attention.

Moments and takeaways from a dramatic night

The ceremony produced unexpected wins across major categories, emotional speeches and public appearances that combined to make the evening memorable. Robert Aramayo’s triumph in the best actor race, One Battle After Another’s six trophies, Jessie Buckley’s historic leading actress win and the Prince and Princess of Wales’ attendance were among the night’s defining moments at the Royal Festival Hall.