The 2026 BAFTA Awards delivered major surprises, historic wins, royal appearances, and Oscar-shaping moments — here are the biggest highlights and winners from the night.
During the awards season, the BAFTA is traditionally the most demure ceremony, always proceeding with placid normalcy as opposed to its raunchier American counterparts. Not this year. The just-concluded 2026 BAFTAs provided some eyebrow-raising moments and unexpected outcomes that may or may not change the trajectory of things, upping the ante for what’s to come. Here are the highlights from the biggest night in British cinema!
Full List of 2026 BAFTA Winners
-
Best Film — One Battle After Another
-
Best Actor — Robert Aramayo
-
Best Actress — Jessie Buckley
-
Supporting Actor — Sean Penn
-
Supporting Actress — Wunmi Mosaku
-
Original Screenplay — Ryan Coogler
Biggest Moments from the 2026 BAFTAs
10. Racial Slur Hurled At Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo By Audience with Tourette’s Syndrome
One of the night’s most shocking moments came when Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the Visual Effects award for Avatar: Fire And Ash.
Tourette’s Syndrome activist John Davidson – who is the subject of this year’s nominated film “I Swear”, based on his experience living with the condition – suddenly blurted out the N-word toward the presenters. Though visibly stunned, Jordan and Lindo quickly regained their composure and carried on with the presentation. BAFTA host Alan Cumming later issued an apology, explaining that the remark was an involuntary tic to which Davidson had no control.
But the issue appears to have grown out of control after BBC, which aired the show with a two-hour delay, broadcast the incident uncensored – prompting severe backlash from viewers who noted that several other curse words and political statements said onstage had been edited out.
READ NEXT: Michael B. Jordan's 7 Best Performances Ranked: From Creed to Black Panther
9. Prince and Princess of Wales Return to Ceremony After 3 Years' Absence
After missing out on the event for several years, the royal couple was back on the red carpet. Prince William arrived in a sharp burgundy tuxedo while Kate Middleton mesmerized in a purple Gucci number and flowing curls. The couple last attended together in 2023, with the Princess skipping BAFTAs in the intervening years to focus on her cancer treatment.
Their reappearance drew significant attention partly because it occurred only days after the arrest of William’s uncle, the disgraced former Prince Andrew, on suspicion of misconduct related to Jeffrey Epstein – a case currently making the rounds in international headlines. Notably, the royal couple ignored questions related to the issue, resulting in some awkward moments on the carpet.
READ NEXT: Worst TV Series Finales Ever Ranked: From Game of Thrones to Dexter
8. Celebrity Couples Steal the Spotlight at the 2026 BAFTAs
The BAFTAs became witness to two of the hottest couples in the world right now. Fellow Best Actor nominees Timothee Chalamet and Paul Mescal brought their respective significant others to the ceremony. Chalamet was inseparable from longtime partner Kylie Jenner throughout the night, while Mescal packed on the PDA with “That’s So True” songstress Gracie Abrams on the red carpet.
Major Winners and Surprise Victories
7. Robert Aramayo Beats Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor.
2026 BAFTAs highlights
In a rare shake-up to the otherwise predictable roster of winners, English actor Robert Aramayo took home Best Actor over Hollywood favorites Chalamet and DiCaprio. Aramayo won for his portrayal of Tourette’s activist John Davidson in the biopic I Swear – though the win might have been overshadowed by the latter’s N-word outburst. Regardless, Aramayo’s win shall remain a one-off thing (he has no Oscar nomination) and should not pose a threat to Chalamet’s path toward Oscar glory.
READ NEXT: Best and Worst BookTok Movie Adaptations Ranked (2026 Guide)
6. Sean Penn Wins Supporting Actor
2026 BAFTAs highlights
Elsewhere, One Battle After Another’s Sean Penn triumphed over co-star Benicio Del Toro and Sentimental Value contender Stellan Skarsgard in the Supporting Actor category. With this result, the race could now go three ways, the three having split the major awards so far.
5. Jessie Buckle Wins Best Actress
To nobody’s surprise, “Hamnet” actress Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for her performance in the Shakespeare melodrama. This extends her winning streak and solidifies her position as the frontrunner for next month’s Oscar. Up next for the Irish thespian is the The Actors Award, widely expected to favor her as well.
READ NEXT: The 7 Best Disney Live-Action Adaptations
4. One Battle After Another Dominates with 6 Wins
2026 BAFTAs highlights
On the other hand, it was a great night for One Battle After Another’s team – triumphant in six major categories, including Best Film, Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn. This result continues a solid run for the action comedy, which previously bagged Best Film at the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards. It certainly bodes well for its Oscars prospects next month.
READ NEXT: Leonardo DiCaprio's 7 Greatest Movies Ranked
3. Sinners and Ryan Coogler Make BAFTA History
2026 BAFTAs highlights
Blockbuster supernatural actioner Sinners took home three awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku and Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler. The latter marks a historic win for the writer-director, who became the first Black screenwriter to win the prize in its history.
READ NEXT: I Am Legend 2: How Will Smith Is Returning as Robert Neville
The Biggest Snubs
2. Marty Supreme Goes Home Empty
Coming into the night with one of the most nominations, the film went home empty-handed – tying the record for most losses in BAFTA history with 11-0.
Other Standout Moments from the Ceremony
1. Paddington Presents
In a moment of wholesomeness, Paddington Bear came out on stage to present the Children’s and Family Film award. In his monologue, the blue-coated icon delivered its signature wry humor before presenting the prize to the Indian film Boong.
What It All Means For the 2026 Oscars
What the 2026 BAFTAs mean for the Oscars: Historically, BAFTA winners don’t always align with Academy Awards results. In the last decade, its Best Film winners only ever matched the Oscars twice – for Oppenheimer and Nomadland. So, it could very well go either way for frontrunner One Battle After Another. Seemingly a lock, however, are the actress winners Jessie Buckley and Wunmi Mosaku, who have so far swept in their respective categories. Meanwhile, the actor branches remain an open playing field, adding some much-needed suspense to keep the race intriguing.
