Robert Aramayo and Jessie Buckley triumph at the 2026 Baftas

robert aramayo won best actor at the 2026 Bafta Awards and also took the Rising Star prize, beating competition that included Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet; he became the first performer to win both categories in the same year.

Robert Aramayo's double win

Robert Aramayo collected the leading actor trophy for his portrayal of John Davidson in I Swear, and was in tears on stage, telling the crowd: "I honestly cannot believe this. " Earlier in the evening he had already won the Bafta Rising Star award, the prize given to up-and-coming actors, and later said: "It totally blows my mind. " Organizers noted it marks the first time an actor or actress has won both categories in the same year.

Hull hails its hometown star

People in Aramayo's home city of Hull described him as an inspiration after his Bafta success; he studied performing arts at Wyke College and attended Hull Truck Theatre early in his career. Laura Bulless of Wyke College said: "It felt like the whole of Hull was behind him to get that newcomer award and then to get leading actor, it's just absolutely phenomenal. " Bulless added: "It's an amazing thing to happen for a lad from Hull and for our students to see. " Hull Truck Theatre's artistic director Mark Babych called it a "jump up and down" moment and said he was not surprised, calling him "a phenomenal actor" and praising the recognition for theatres like theirs; Babych said Aramayo had shown "a great deal of authenticity, respectfulness and insightfulness" in tackling the role.

I Swear and John Davidson's story

I Swear follows John Davidson's struggle growing up with Tourette's syndrome in 1980s Scotland; Tourette's syndrome is an incurable condition that causes someone to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements, known as tics. Davidson was made an MBE in 2019 for his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and help families deal with it. Aramayo described Davidson as "the most remarkable man I have ever met. " The film centers on Davidson's campaigning and his life with the condition, which Aramayo brought to the screen in the Bafta-winning performance.

Jessie Buckley wins best actress

Jessie Buckley, the favourite, won best actress for her portrayal of Agnes, Shakespeare's grieving wife, in Hamnet. Buckley accepted the award saying: "This is nuts. This really does belong to the women past, present and future that taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently. " It is the first time an Irish actress has won the best actress award. The Prince of Wales, attending in his capacity as Bafta president, told Southbank Centre chief executive Elaine Bedell he had yet to see the emotion-laden film and said: "I need to be in quite a calm state and I'm not at the moment. " The Princess of Wales told Bafta film committee chair Emily Stillman she had watched the drama, about the death of Shakespeare's son, on Saturday and said: "I think it was a very bad idea actually... (I) ended up with very puffy eyes. " The appearance was the couple's first joint public outing since Prince William's uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office last week.

One Battle After Another dominates the night

Paul Thomas Anderson's darkly comic thriller One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was the biggest winner of the night, picking up six awards out of the 14 it was nominated for. It won best film and best director for Anderson, and Sean Penn won best supporting actor for his role as reactionary villain Colonel Steven Lockjaw but was not in attendance. The film, which also won awards for best editing, best cinematography and best adapted screenplay, sees a father (DiCaprio) reconnect with his former group of revolutionaries following the kidnap of his daughter (Chase Infiniti). Anderson told the audience: "Anybody that says movies aren't any good any more can (expletive) right off. Let's keep making movies without fear. " The veteran filmmaker had never won that directing category before; his only other Bafta came for best original screenplay for Licorice Pizza in 2022. Having already picked up awards momentum with wins at the Golden Globes for best film (musical or comedy), Critics Choice for best film and best director at the Director's Guild Awards, One Battle After Another is being framed as the one to beat at the Academy Awards on 15 March.

The next major milestone on the awards calendar is the Academy Awards on 15 March, where the night’s winners and contenders will face another round of voting and public attention.