Robert Aramayo Stuns 2026 BAFTAs With Double Win as Hamnet and One Battle After Another Also Triumph

The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, held Sunday night at London's Royal Festival Hall and hosted by Alan Cumming, delivered one of the most surprising Best Actor outcomes in recent memory. Robert Aramayo — a relative newcomer from Hull, England — walked away with two trophies in a single evening, while Jessie Buckley's Hamnet movie claimed Outstanding British Film, and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another dominated the night with six wins overall.

Robert Aramayo Makes BAFTA History With I Swear Double

Robert Aramayo was the night's most shocking story. Competing against a field that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, and Jesse Plemons, Aramayo won Best Actor for his portrayal of real-life Tourette syndrome activist and writer John Davidson in the British biopic I Swear. His win was met with audible gasps from the audience at the Royal Festival Hall.

Aramayo also claimed the EE BAFTA Rising Star Award, voted for by the public — making him one of the ceremony's rare double winners. Accepting Best Actor, he said he could hardly believe he was standing in that category alongside those names. I Swear collected a total of three BAFTAs on the night, also winning Best Casting.

Jessie Buckley Wins Best Actress for the Hamnet Movie — a Historic Moment

Jessie Buckley became the first Irish performer to win the Leading Actress BAFTA, taking home the prize for her raw, grief-driven performance as Agnes Hathaway — William Shakespeare's wife — in the Hamnet movie. The win extends a dominant awards season run that has included a Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award for Buckley's performance.

The Hamnet movie, directed by Chloé Zhao and based on Maggie O'Farrell's acclaimed novel, dramatizes Shakespeare's family life and the death of his 11-year-old son. It broke the record for the most nominations for a female-directed film in BAFTA history with 11 nods. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 86% critics score, with the site's consensus calling it a work of "palpable emotional force."

Paul Mescal, who plays William Shakespeare, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor but did not win. The Hamnet movie finished the night with two BAFTAs — Outstanding British Film and Best Actress.

One Battle After Another Leads the Night With Six BAFTAs

Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another entered the ceremony with 14 nominations — the most of any film — and converted six of them into wins:

Accepting Best Director, Anderson paid tribute to the late producer Adam Somner, who died in 2024 after learning he was ill just three weeks into production, and invoked a Nina Simone lyric used in the film: "I know what freedom is — it's no fear."

Full 2026 BAFTA Key Winners at a Glance

Sinners, Frankenstein, and Others Round Out the Night

Ryan Coogler's Sinners — which had earned 13 nominations, the second-most of any film — claimed three BAFTAs: Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson, and Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein swept the craft categories, winning Costume Design, Make Up & Hair, and Production Design. Sentimental Value made history as the first Norwegian film to win a BAFTA.

With Oscar nominations already locked in for many of the same contenders, Sunday's results — particularly Robert Aramayo's stunning double and Jessie Buckley's historic Hamnet movie win — are certain to reshape conversation heading into Hollywood's biggest night.