The 2026 BAFTA Awards saw I Swear’s Robert Aramayo and Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley winning for leading actor and actress, respectively.
The awards took place on Sunday night in London, hosted by Alan Cumming.
Film News Blitz’s Dan Lawrence takes a look at the winners in the acting categories.
BAFTA backs the Brits
Despite Marty Supreme’s Timothee Chalamet sweeping awards season in 2026, BAFTA chose to recognise one of its own for the leading actor prize.
Aramayo’s transformative portrayal of Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson in I Swear saw him as a surprise but popular winner.
It was one of two prizes he received, with Aramayo also winning the fan-voted rising star award.
The actor paid tribute to Davidson’s inspiring story.
“John Davidson is the most remarkable man I have ever met,” he said (via the BBC).
“He is so forthcoming with education… he believes there is still so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s.”
Leading actress was less of a surprise as Oscar frontrunner Jessie Buckley took victory for her scene-stealing performance in Hamnet.
“I dreamed a little bit to be a little bit like Judi Dench,” she said.
“This really does belong to the women past, present and future that have taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently.”
Who were the other actors to win prizes at the 2026 BAFTA Awards?
Sharing a nomination with his One Battle After Another co-star Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn was victorious in a hotly contested supporting actor category.
Another popular British victory came in the supporting actress category, as Wunmi Mosaku won the prize for her powerful presence in Sinners.
“I found a part of myself in Annie, a part of my hopes, my ancestral power and connection, parts of myself I thought I had lost,” Mosaku said as she accepted her prize.
Finally, the acting-related prizes concluded with casting, which saw I Swear pick up another win after Aramayo’s triumphs.
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The 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards winners and nominees
Best film
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another (Winner)
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Outstanding British film
28 Years Later
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy
Die My Love
H Is For Hawk
Hamnet (Winner)
I Swear
Mr Burton
Pillion
Steve
Leading actress
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (Winner)
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia
Leading actor
Robert Aramayo, I Swear (Winner)
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B Jordan, Sinners
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Supporting actress
Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (Winner)
Carey Mulligan, The Ballad of Wallis Island
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Emily Watson, Hamnet
Supporting actor
Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Paul Mescal, Hamnet
Peter Mullan, I Swear
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another (Winner)
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Director
Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (Winner)
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
The Ceremony
My Father’s Shadow (Winner)
Pillion
A Want In Her
Wasteman
Film not in the English language
It Was Just An Accident
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value (Winner)
Sirât
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Documentary
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Apocalypse in the Tropics
Cover-Up
Mr Nobody Against Putin (Winner)
The Perfect Neighbour
Animated film
Elio
Little Amélie
Zootropolis 2 (Winner)
Children’s and family film
Arco
Boong (Winner)
Lilo & Stitch
Zootropolis 2
Original screenplay
I Swear
Marty Supreme
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners (Winner)
Adapted screenplay
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Bugonia
Hamnet
One Battle After Another (Winner)
Pillion
EE BAFTA Rising Star Award
Robert Aramayo (Winner)
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Archie Madekwe
Posy Sterling
Original score
Jerskin Fendrix, Bugonia
Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
Max Richter, Hamnet
Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another
Ludwig Göransson, Sinners (Winner)
Casting
I Swear (Winner)
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another (Winner)
Sinners
Train Dreams
Costume design
Frankenstein (Winner)
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Editing
F1
A House of Dynamite
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another (Winner)
Sinners
Production design
Frankenstein (Winner)
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Make-up and hair
Frankenstein (Winner)
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Sound
F1 (Winner)
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Warfare
Special visual effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash (Winner)
F1
Frankenstein
How to Train Your Dragon
The Lost Bus
British short film
Magid / Zafar
Nostalgie
Terenece
This is Endometriosis (Winner)
Welcome Home Freckeles
British short animation
Cardboard
Solstice
Two Black Boys in Paradise (Winner)
