Baftas 2026: 'Phenomenal' Bafta winner Robert Aramayo hailed an inspiration — robert aramayo
robert aramayo took home best actor and the Rising Star prize at the 2026 Bafta Awards, a victory that prompted praise in his home city of Hull. The Bafta Film Awards, celebrating the best on the big screen from the past 12 months, also saw One Battle After Another win six awards, I Swear, Sinners and Frankenstein collect three apiece, and Hamnet take two.
Aramayo's Hull reaction
People in Hull hailed Robert Aramayo as an inspiration after his Bafta success. He had studied performing arts at Wyke College in the city and attended Hull Truck Theatre during his early career. After walking to the stage to receive the leading actor award, he broke down in tears on stage and said afterwards: "It totally blows my mind. "
Local voices respond
Laura Bulless, from 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. That is just something they can take with them now on whatever they are going to do next. "
Theatre director's praise
Mark Babych, artistic director of Hull Truck Theatre, described the moment as a "jump up and down" moment and said he was not surprised because "Rob is a phenomenal actor. " He called the recognition great for "theatres like ours" and for the role such venues play in encouraging young talent. "We are just incredibly proud of Rob, who is clearly an enormous inspiration to people, " Babych added, and said Aramayo had shown "a great deal of authenticity, respectfulness and insightfulness" in tackling the role.
Film wins and counts
One Battle After Another won the most awards with six and took home best film. I Swear, Sinners and Frankenstein each collected three awards, while Hamnet won two and saw success in the outstanding British film category. The ceremony included A-listers, a touch of royalty, Paddington Bear and, as many noted, the sun even came out for the event in London. Actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time during the award ceremony in London.
I Swear and John Davidson
Aramayo was named best actor for his portrayal of John Davidson in the film I Swear. I Swear follows Davidson's struggle growing up with Tourette's in 1980s Scotland. Tourette's syndrome is an incurable condition, external 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. "
Accolades and wider remarks
As well as best actor, Robert Aramayo also received the Rising Star prize at the 2026 Bafta Awards. The sweep of awards prompted wider commentary at the ceremony; Ted Sarandos said his company's offer is better for industry growth as it is "buying assets we don't currently have. "
Some coverage framed the night as a snub for Timothée Chalamet, noting that Brit Aramayo beat US stars such Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet. The winners list for the ceremony was presented in full during the event, and one named winner listed in the ceremony materials was Clare Binns, creative director of Picturehouse Cinemas and Picturehouse Entertainment.
The winners of the Bafta Film Awards have been revealed, and the mix of trophies and emotional moments underlined the awards' focus on the past 12 months of cinema. Clarence details beyond the event itself are unclear in the provided context.
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