BAFTA 2026: Anderson's Epic Wins Six, Coogler Makes History

A Night of Dominance at the Royal Festival Hall

London's Royal Festival Hall delivered a clear verdict on Sunday, February 22: Paul Thomas Anderson's sprawling epic "One Battle After Another" is the film to beat this awards season. The 79th BAFTA Film Awards, hosted by Emmy-winning actor Alan Cumming and broadcast on BBC One, saw Anderson's film claim six prizes — the night's highest haul — including the two most coveted: Best Film and Best Director.

The victory caps a remarkable awards run for the film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio in what critics have called one of his most demanding performances. Along with the top awards, "One Battle After Another" claimed Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing — a near-total sweep of the craft categories that underscored its technical and narrative ambition.

Sinners Makes BAFTA History

If "One Battle After Another" dominated the night, Ryan Coogler's supernatural horror film "Sinners" provided its most resonant moment. Coogler won Best Original Screenplay, becoming the first Black person ever to win a BAFTA in that category — a milestone that drew wide attention in the industry.

The historical weight is significant. "Sinners" had arrived at the BAFTAs with 13 nominations, the most ever for a film directed by a Black filmmaker. At the Oscars, only one Black screenwriter has won for original screenplay in the Academy's near-century history: Jordan Peele for "Get Out" in 2017. Coogler's BAFTA win adds fresh momentum to the conversation around representation in the industry's top honours.

"Sinners" also picked up Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku and Best Original Score, finishing the night with three awards — a strong showing for a film that has already shattered the all-time Oscars nominations record with 16 nods.

Upsets in the Acting Races

The evening's biggest surprise came in the acting categories. Robert Aramayo, largely unknown outside genre television, beat Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Ethan Hawke, and Michael B. Jordan to claim Best Actor for his performance in "I Swear." Because Aramayo is not eligible at the Oscars, his BAFTA win is unlikely to directly reshape the Academy race — but it served as a sharp reminder that BAFTA voters operate on their own terms.

Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for "Hamnet," the period drama that had been considered a genuine threat to "One Battle After Another" for the top prize. Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" won three technical awards — Costume Design, Production Design, and Make-up & Hair — rounding out a night with results spread across the field.

What It Means for the Oscars

With Oscar balloting underway, the BAFTA results carry real weight. Anderson's six-win haul — particularly the sweep of directing, writing, and craft awards — firmly consolidates "One Battle After Another" as the Academy Awards frontrunner. DiCaprio's Best Actor loss, however, further tips that race toward Chalamet, who already holds the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award.

For Coogler, the stakes are different but equally significant. A historic BAFTA win for Best Original Screenplay may not guarantee an Oscar, but it shifts the narrative around "Sinners" from a crowd-pleasing genre film to a serious awards contender — and a vehicle for long-overdue recognition of Black creative talent at cinema's highest levels.