2026 BAFTA Winners: One Battle After Another Sweeps Top Honors Amid Acting Upsets

Explore the complete winners list for the 2026 BAFTAs. Discover how One Battle After Another dominated the night and Robert Aramayo secured a shock Leading Actor win.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 23, 2026, 9:35 AM EST

Source: BBC new

A Historic Sweep for One Battle After Another

The 2026 ceremony was undoubtedly defined by the overwhelming success of One Battle After Another. Leading the nominations going into the night, the film lived up to expectations by winning six BAFTAs in total. Paul Thomas Anderson claimed both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, while the film also secured technical wins for Cinematography and Editing. Sean Penn’s win for Supporting Actor further cemented the film’s status as a generational masterpiece, making it the most successful title of the 79th awards.

Acting Upsets and Rising Stars

While One Battle After Another dominated the film categories, the individual acting awards provided the evening’s most discussed moments. Robert Aramayo achieved a rare double triumph, winning both the Leading Actor award and the public-voted EE Rising Star Award for his performance in I Swear. His win in the Leading Actor category was widely characterized as a "shock," as he beat out heavy favorites Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Jessie Buckley continued her successful awards run by winning Leading Actress for her role in the period drama Hamnet, which was also named Outstanding British Film.

Technical Excellence and Special Honors

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners each took home three trophies, showcasing excellence across various disciplines. Frankenstein was recognized for its immersive world-building, winning for Costume Design, Make-up & Hair, and Production Design. Sinners performed strongly in narrative and atmospheric categories, securing Original Screenplay for Coogler, Original Score, and a Supporting Actress win for Wunmi Mosaku. In the world of blockbusters, Avatar: Fire and Ash claimed the award for Special Visual Effects, while the sports drama F1 was honored for its Sound design.