Politically charged thriller “One Battle After Another” gained six prizes, together with greatest image, on the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, constructing momentum forward of Hollywood’s Academy Awards subsequent month.
Blues-steeped vampire epic “Sinners” and gothic horror story “Frankenstein” gained three awards every, whereas Shakespearean household tragedy “Hamnet” gained two together with greatest British movie.
“One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s explosive movie a few group of revolutionaries in chaotic battle with the state, gained awards for guiding, tailored screenplay, cinematography and enhancing, in addition to for Sean Penn’s supporting efficiency as an obsessed army officer.
“This is very overwhelming and wonderful,” Anderson stated as he accepted the directing prize. He paid tribute to his longstanding assistant director, Adam Somner, who died of most cancers in November 2024 a couple of weeks into manufacturing.
“We have a line from Nina Simone that we used in our film, ‘I know what freedom is: It’s no fear,’” the director stated. “Let’s keep making things without fear. It’s a good idea.”
Bookies’ favourite Jessie Buckley gained the very best actress prize for enjoying grieving mom Agnes Hathaway, spouse of William Shakespeare, in “Hamnet.” Buckley, 36, is the primary Irish performer to win a greatest actress prize on the awards, often called BAFTAs.
She devoted her award “to the ladies previous, current and future who taught me and proceed to show me how you can do it in another way.”
In a serious upset, Robert Aramayo gained the very best actor class for his efficiency in “I Swear,” a fact-based British indie drama a few campaigner for folks with Tourette syndrome.
The 33-year-old British actor appeared shocked and referred to as the victory over Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet “absolutely mad.”
“I absolutely can’t believe this,” he stated. “Everyone in this category blows me away.”
“Sinners” took residence trophies for director Ryan Coogler’s unique screenplay, the movie’s musical rating and for Wunmi Mosaku’s supporting actress efficiency as herbalist and healer Annie.
The British-Nigerian actor stated that within the function she discovered “a part of my hopes, my ancestral power and my connection, parts I thought I had lost or tried to dim as an immigrant trying to fit in.”
Hollywood stars and British celebrities, from Paddington Bear to the Prince and Princess of Wales, gathered at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the awards. DiCaprio, Chalamet, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close and Ethan Hawke have been among the many stars strolling the pink carpet earlier than a black-tie ceremony hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming.
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales additionally attended, three days after William’s uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by police and held for 11 hours over allegations he despatched delicate authorities info to the late financier and intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The scandal has rocked the royal household led by King Charles III, although William and Kate stay well-liked standard-bearers for the monarchy. William offered an award in his function as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Among the most important receptions from gathered followers was for Paddington, the puppet bear who stars in a musical stage adaption of the beloved youngsters’s traditional.
The British prizes, formally referred to as the EE BAFTA Film Awards, typically present hints about who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held this 12 months on March 15. “Sinners” has a document 16 Oscar nominations, adopted by “One Battle After Another” with 13.
“One Battle” went into the BAFTAs ceremony with 14 nominations. “Sinners” was simply behind with 13, whereas “Hamnet” had 11.
Ping-pong odyssey “Marty Supreme” additionally had 11 nominations however went residence empty=handed.
Guillermo del Toro’s reimagining of “Frankenstein” and Norwegian household drama “Sentimental Value” every acquired eight nominations.
“Frankenstein” took awards for manufacturing design, costume design and for the hair and make-up artists who spent 10 hours a day remodeling Jacob Elordi into the film’s monstrous creature.
“Sentimental Value” gained the prize for the very best movie not in English.
Cumming informed the viewers that it had been a powerful 12 months for cinema, if not a cheerful one, with nominated movies tackling themes together with little one demise, racism and political violence:
“Watching the films this year was like taking part in a collective nervous breakdown,” he stated. “It’s almost as though there are events going on in the real world that are influencing filmmakers.”
The ceremony was extra glitz than gloom, although, together with a efficiency by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — the voices of animated band HUNTR/X in field workplace juggernaut “KPop Demon Hunters” — singing the film hit “Golden.”
The best-documentary prize went to “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” a few Russian instructor who documented the propaganda imposed on Russian colleges after the invasion of Ukraine.
The movie’s American director David Borenstein stated that instructor Pavel Talankin had proven that “whether or not it’s in Russia or the streets of Minneapolis, we at all times face an ethical alternative,” referring to the protests in opposition to U.S. immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
“We need more Mr. Nobodies,” he stated.
It beat documentaries together with Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing Ukraine warfare portrait “2000 Meters to Andriivka, ” co-produced by The Associated Press and Frontline PBS.
Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,500 members of the UK academy of business professionals. The Rising Star award, which is determined by public vote, went to Aramayo.
Donna Langley, the UK-born chairwoman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, was awarded the British Academy’s highest honor, the BAFTA fellowship.
Associated Press author Hilary Fox contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.