Cerermony - The 79th British Academy Film Awards : From Hamnet to Sinners, the 2026 Nominations Redefine Prestige Cinema

By Mulder, 27 january 2026

Unveiled on 27 January 2026 from the historic BAFTA headquarters at 195 Piccadilly in London, the nominations for the 79th British Academy Film Awards immediately set the tone for what promises to be one of the most competitive and symbolically rich awards seasons in recent memory, reflecting a year where ambitious auteur cinema, emotionally charged performances, and formally daring storytelling dominated British screens throughout 2025. Announced live by David Jonsson, winner of the 2025 EE Rising Star Award, alongside Aimee Lou Wood, the ceremony blended youthful energy with institutional gravitas, a contrast that perfectly mirrors the current state of the BAFTAs themselves: rooted in tradition yet increasingly open to bold, sometimes divisive creative voices. Streaming simultaneously on BAFTA’s official YouTube channel and X account, the reveal became an event in itself, closely followed by industry professionals and cinephiles alike, many of whom had already begun speculating after the longlists were revealed earlier in January, with whispers circulating that this year could quietly redefine what “prestige cinema” looks like in the post-pandemic era.

Scheduled to take place on 22 February 2026 at the Royal Festival Hall within London’s Southbank Centre, the ceremony will be hosted for the first time by Alan Cumming, marking a notable tonal shift after the refined, crowd-pleasing tenures of David Tennant in 2024 and 2025. The choice of Alan Cumming feels anything but accidental: his sharp wit, theatrical roots, and international appeal suggest a ceremony that may lean more playful and self-aware, without sacrificing the seriousness the BAFTAs have worked hard to reassert in recent years. Broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, with additional international partners to be confirmed, the event will once again position the BAFTAs as a crucial bridge between European cinema culture and the broader global awards conversation, particularly as many of this year’s nominees straddle arthouse credibility and mainstream visibility.

Dominating the nominations landscape is Paul Thomas Anderson’s action thriller One Battle After Another, which leads the field with fourteen nominations after topping the longlists with a record-breaking sixteen mentions, the highest number ever achieved at that stage in BAFTA history. Closely following is Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, with thirteen nominations, while Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao, and Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, each secure eleven nods. The achievement of Hamnet carries particular historical weight, as Chloé Zhao becomes the most-nominated female director in BAFTA history for a single film, a milestone that quietly underscores ongoing conversations about representation behind the camera while also reaffirming her ability to translate intimate literary material into resonant, cinematic experiences.

The Best Film category encapsulates the diversity of this year’s slate, pitting the restrained emotional power of Hamnet, produced by Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, and Sam Mendes, against the restless energy of Marty Supreme, shepherded by Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas, and Timothée Chalamet. Also contending are One Battle After Another, produced by Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, and Paul Thomas Anderson, the quietly devastating Sentimental Value from Maria Ekerhovd and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, and Sinners, produced by Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Ryan Coogler, a film whose cultural impact extends well beyond awards-season metrics.

In Best Director, the competition is equally formidable, bringing together Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, Ryan Coogler for Sinners, Yorgos Lanthimos for Bugonia, Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme, Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value, and Chloé Zhao for Hamnet, a lineup that reads like a snapshot of contemporary auteur cinema, where personal vision and collaborative scale increasingly coexist. The acting categories reflect a similar richness, with Best Actor in a Leading Role nominees including Robert Aramayo for I Swear, Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Jesse Plemons for Bugonia, each delivering performances that have fueled extensive critical discourse throughout the year. On the actress side, Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Chase Infiniti, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone represent a spectrum of emotional registers and narrative tones, from historical grief to contemporary psychological intensity.

The supporting performance categories further reinforce the depth of this year’s talent pool, with names such as Benicio del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, Sean Penn, Stellan Skarsgård, Carey Mulligan, Wunmi Mosaku, Teyana Taylor, and Emily Watson highlighting films that have benefited from richly textured ensemble work rather than star power alone. Meanwhile, the screenplay categories reveal a strong balance between original voices and literary adaptations, with Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Ryan Coogler, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Joachim Trier, and Chloé Zhao among those recognized for shaping narratives that linger long after the credits roll.

Technical categories once again showcase the BAFTAs’ reputation for rigor, honoring craftsmanship in cinematography, costume design, editing, sound, production design, and visual effects, with films like Frankenstein, Sinners, Marty Supreme, F1, and Avatar: Fire and Ash standing out as feats of visual and auditory precision. The Outstanding British Film category, meanwhile, feels particularly robust this year, with titles such as 28 Years Later, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Die My Love, Hamnet, and Steve reflecting a national cinema unafraid to oscillate between reinvention, legacy storytelling, and bold thematic risks.

Finally, categories dedicated to emerging talent, including Outstanding Debut and the EE Rising Star Award, reaffirm the BAFTAs’ ongoing commitment to nurturing the next generation of filmmakers and performers, with nominees such as Robert Aramayo, Chase Infiniti, Archie Madekwe, and Posy Sterling signaling careers that may soon become awards-season fixtures rather than newcomers. As anticipation builds toward the ceremony itself, these nominations collectively paint a portrait of a film year defined by ambition, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to challenge audience expectations, positioning the 79th British Academy Film Awards not merely as a celebration of excellence, but as a reflective mirror of where cinema stands—and where it may be heading next.

Best Film
Hamnet – Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, and Sam Mendes
Marty Supreme – Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas, and Timothée Chalamet
One Battle After Another – Adam Somner (p.n.), Sara Murphy, and Paul Thomas Anderson
Sentimental Value – Maria Ekerhovd and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
Sinners – Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Ryan Coogler

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Yorgos Lanthimos – Bugonia
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Robert Aramayo – I Swear as John Davidson
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme as Marty Mauser
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another as Bob Ferguson
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon as Lorenz Hart
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners as Elijah "Smoke" Moore / Elias "Stack" Moore
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia as Teddy Gatz

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet as Agnes Shakespeare
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I'd Kick You as Linda
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue as Claire Sardina
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another as Willa Ferguson
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value as Nora Borg
Emma Stone – Bugonia as Michelle Fuller

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein as The Creature
Paul Mescal – Hamnet as William Shakespeare
Peter Mullan – I Swear as Tommy Trotter
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value as Gustav Borg

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Odessa A'zion – Marty Supreme as Rachel Mizler
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value as Agnes Borg Pettersen
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners as Annie
Carey Mulligan – The Ballad of Wallis Island as Nell Mortimer
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another as Perfidia Beverly Hills
Emily Watson – Hamnet as Mary Shakespeare

Best Original Screenplay
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Kleber Mendonça Filho – The Secret Agent
Kirk Jones – I Swear
Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Tom Basden and Tim Key – The Ballad of Wallis Island
Harry Lighton – Pillion
Will Tracy – Bugonia
Chloé Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell – Hamnet

Best Animated Film
Elio – Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, and Mary Alice Drumm
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – Mailys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, Nidia Santiago, Edwina Liard, Claire Le Combe, and Henri Magalon
Zootropolis 2 – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Yvett Merino

Best Documentary
2000 Meters to Andriivka – Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath
Apocalypse in the Tropics – Petra Costa and Alessandra Orofino
Cover-Up – Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, Olivia Streisand, and Yoni Golijev
Mr Nobody Against Putin – David Borenstein, Helle Faber, Radovan Síbrt, and Alžběta Karásková
The Perfect Neighbor – Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu, and Sam Bisbee

Best Film Not in the English Language
It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi and Philippe Martin
The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho and Emilie Lesclaux
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier, Maria Ekerhovd, and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
Sirāt – Oliver Laxe and Domingo Corral
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha

Best Casting
I Swear – Lauren Evans
Marty Supreme – Jennifer Venditti
One Battle After Another – Cassandra Kulukundis
Sentimental Value – Yngvill Kolset Haga and Avy Kaufman
Sinners – Francine Maisler

Best Cinematography
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji
One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso

Best Costume Design
Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
Hamnet – Malgosia Turzanska
Marty Supreme – Miyako Bellizzi
Sinners – Ruth E. Carter
Wicked: For Good – Paul Tazewell

Best Editing
F1 – Stephen Mirrione
A House of Dynamite – Kirk Baxter
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver

Best Make Up & Hair
Frankenstein – Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Mike Hill, and Megan Many
Hamnet – Nicole Stafford
Marty Supreme – Kyra Panchenko, Kay Georgiou, and Mike Fontaine
Sinners – Siân Richards, Shunika Terry, Ken Diaz, and Mike Fontaine
Wicked: For Good – Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, Mark Coulier, and Sarah Nuth

Best Original Score
Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
Hamnet – Max Richter
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson

Best Production Design
Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
Hamnet – Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
Sinners – Hannah Beachler and Monique Champagne

Best Sound
F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta
Frankenstein – Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern
One Battle After Another – José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio and Tony Villaflor
Sinners – Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker and Felipe Pacheco
Warfare – Mitch Lowe, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff and Richard Spooner

Best Special Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, and Eric Saindon
F1 – Ryan Tudhope, Keith Alfred Dawson, Nicolas Chevallier, and Robert Harrington
Frankenstein – Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, and José Granell
How to Train Your Dragon – Christian Manz, Francois Lambert, Glen McIntosh, and Terry Palmer
The Lost Bus – Charlie Noble, Brandon K. McLaughlin, and David Zaretti

Outstanding British Film
28 Years Later – Danny Boyle, Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, Bernard Bellew, and Alex Garland
The Ballad of Wallis Island – James Griffiths, Rupert Majendie, Tom Basden, and Tim Key
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy – Michael Morris, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jo Wallett, Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan
Die My Love – Lynne Ramsay, Martin Scorsese, Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Cirrocchi, Andrea Calderwood, Enda Walsh, and Alice Birch
H Is for Hawk – Philippa Lowthorpe, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Emma Donoghue
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao, Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes, and Maggie O'Farrell
I Swear – Kirk Jones, Georgia Bayliff, and Piers Tempest
Mr Burton – Marc Evans, Ed Talfan, Josh Hyams, Hannah Thomas, Trevor Matthews, and Tom Bullough
Pillion – Harry Lighton, Emma Norton, Lee Groombridge, Ed Guiney, and Andrew Lowe
Steve – Tim Mielants, Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy, and Max Porter

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
The Ceremony – Jack King, Hollie Bryan, and Lucy Meer
My Father's Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr. and Wale Davies
Pillion – Harry Lighton
A Want in Her – Myrid Carten
Wasteman – Cal McMau, Hunter Andrews, and Eoin Doran
Best British Short Animation
Cardboard – J.P. Vine and Michaela Manas Malina
Solstice – Luce Angus
Two Black Boys in Paradise – Baz Sells, Dean Atta, and Ben Jackson

Best British Short Film
Magid / Zafar – Luis Hindman, Sufiyaan Salam, and Aidan Robert Brooks
Nostalgie – Kathryn Ferguson, Stacey Gregg, Marc Robinson, and Kath Mattock
Terence – Edem Kelman and Noah Reich
This Is Endometriosis – Georgie Wileman, Matt Houghton, and Harriette Wright
Welcome Home Freckles – Huiju Park and Nathan Hendren

Best Children's & Family Film
Arco – Ugo Bienvenu, Félix De Givry, Sophie Mas, and Natalie Portman
Boong – Lakshmipriya Devi and Ritesh Sidhwani
Lilo & Stitch – Dean Fleischer Camp and Jonathan Eirich
Zootropolis 2 – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Yvett Merino

EE Rising Star Award
Robert Aramayo
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Archie Madekwe
Posy Sterling