Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams make red carpet debut at the 2026 BAFTAs
paul mescal and Gracie Abrams made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2026 British Academy Film Awards, arriving arm in arm at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. The appearance mattered because Mescal was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of William Shakespeare in Hamnet, and the night brought the pair together in public for a formal celebration.
Paul Mescal's nomination and layered red-carpet styling
Paul Mescal was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of William Shakespeare in Hamnet. He has previously won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor in 2021 for his work on Normal People. For the BAFTAs, Mescal chose Prada by Felicity Kay and wore a black suit with a white dress shirt; images from the night show him with his jacket unbuttoned, the collar of his white shirt worn open, the cuffs folded over, and in other moments rolling his sleeves up and leaving the jacket open for a relaxed, laid-back red carpet approach.
Gracie Abrams's Chanel dress, jewelry and contrasting hair notes
Gracie Abrams wore Chanel, selecting a dress tied to Matthieu Blazy’s 2026 Métiers d’art collection and continuing her relationship as a longtime ambassador of the French label. The dress was described as a black sleeveless gown trimmed with teal-blue beading and embellished with aquatic motifs in shades of red and brown, with an open back that highlighted an extra-short bob. She also turned up on other coverage described with her signature dark pixie cut. Abrams kept accessories minimal with long diamond earrings, a statement diamond ring, and black pointy-toe heels while another account noted kitten-heel pumps; she matched her nails to the dress with a deep-brown polish.
From casual premieres to a formal BAFTAs debut
Earlier this week the pair made a first official public appearance together at the London premiere for Sir Paul McCartney’s upcoming documentary, Man On The Run, where they kept things casual in baseball caps and winter coats. The BAFTAs marked a new first: the couple’s red carpet debut as a couple. They had been seen together publicly before—the two have been dating since 2024 and were spotted in city streets and at festival sites, and they have more recently appeared together in Abrams’ social media posts.
Public moments, a personal Instagram message and a kiss
A recent Instagram post from Abrams celebrated both Paul and her close friend Clemmy with the caption, "My whole heart!!!!!!!!! I love February 2… Happy birthday, I love you both more than words could ever describe. Thank you for making everything better. " At the BAFTAs the couple posed for photos together and shared an affectionate moment on the red carpet: one account describes Abrams kissing Mescal on the cheek, while another notes the pair even shared a kiss as they arrived arm in arm.
BAFTAs setting, other attendees and the couple's low-key couple style
The 2026 British Academy Film Awards took place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. Other high-profile attendees that night included Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner as well as Prince William and Princess Kate. Observers noted the couple’s looks as classy, cool and low-key—both worthy of the red carpet—and that the evening felt like a special moment for the pair after having kept things private over the past couple of years. Commentators expressed interest in future photo calls now that the pair have made things red carpet official.
