LONDON — This year’s BAFTA Awards had an unforeseen third-act twist.
After a relatively calm ceremony on Sunday that primarily honored “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Frankenstein” and “Hamnet,” Kerry Washington took the stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall to announce the winner of the prize for leading actor. Anticipation was high for Timothée Chalamet, thanks to his bold performance in “Marty Supreme” and an equally bold marketing campaign. Instead, Washington read: “Robert Aramayo.”
Who? The British actor, already named the recipient of the Rising Star award earlier in the evening for his endearing performance as real-life Tourette’s syndrome campaigner John Davidson in “I Swear” (releasing stateside Apr. 24), may have been shaken by his big win, but no one was more surprised than the audience. Screams, cheers and cries of “Oh, my God” resonated throughout the theater. In a stacked category that also included American actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Jesse Plemons and Ethan Hawke, BAFTA voters opted to reward one of their own.
“I honestly cannot believe that I won this award,” Aramayo said, speaking through tears and pure shock. He expressed admiration for all of his fellow nominees, but singled out Hawke in particular.
“When I was in school, Ethan Hawke came in to speak to us at Juilliard and he gave an amazing talk on longevity as an actor, about protecting your instrument and avoiding self-destructive behaviors,” Aramayo recalled. “And it had a really great impact on everyone in that room. So to be in this category with you tonight is incredible.”
In an upset, Robert Aramayo won the award for leading actor for his performance in “I Swear.”
(Stuart Wilson / BAFTA / Getty Images for BAFTA)
“I Swear” ultimately took home three awards, two for Aramayo and one for casting. But the film had a strong, sometimes controversial presence in the room beyond its trophies: In the film, Aramayo portrays Davidson, a notable advocate for Tourette’s syndrome awareness who suffers from the disorder. Davidson himself attended the BAFTA Awards and his frequent, involuntary outbursts punctuated host Alan Cumming’s introduction and several of the early award presentations.
When “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the first award of the night, for special visual effects, Davidson could be heard shouting the N-word. It was edited out of the broadcast on BBC 1 and Davidson left his seat midway through the ceremony, but Cumming later addressed the situation to viewers.
“You may have heard some strong, offensive language tonight, but if you’ve seen the film ‘I Swear,’ it’s about the experience of a person with Tourette’s syndrome,” the host explained. “The tics you have heard tonight are involuntary — that means the person who has Tourette’s syndrome has no control over their language and we apologize if it has caused offense.”
The “Traitors” host proved himself to be an amiable, good-natured BAFTAs anchor, changing his flamboyant, sequined suits several times, once to an ornate white ensemble in honor of the costume category. He was the ideal choice for an awards show that tends to avoid overt politics. Cumming hinted at ongoing global disquiet without going too far or getting too pointed.
“Lies, corrupt leaders, poisoning and persecution of a race,” Cumming said, summing up the plot of “Zootopia 2,” adding, “Too soon, Disney. Come on, people. Cut us some slack here. Whatever happened to escapism?”
Winners kept their political views to a minimum. The ceremony was edited and aired on a delay, and this year the BBC announced early that it was on especially high alert for any comments that were perceived as scandalous.
Director David Borenstein, accepting the documentary award for “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” reflected on “how quickly totalitarianism can take over a school, a work place, a government, and how our complicity becomes fuel in that fire.” He thanked his co-director and subject Pavel Talankin for “showing me that no matter how dark things get, whether it’s in Russia or the streets of Minneapolis, we always face a moral choice.”
Akinola Davies Jr., who won the prize for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer for “My Father’s Shadow,” concluded his speech by shouting “Free Palestine”— a line that did not make the edited broadcast on the BBC. It did rouse huge cheers in the room.
Later in the evening, Donna Langley, chair of Universal Pictures, was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship — the ceremony’s equivalent for a lifetime achievement award — for her contributions to the film industry. The honor was bestowed on her by Prince William, who attended with his wife, Princess Catherine.
“My hope is that those of us who help tell stories for a living continue to find inspiration to make popular art that carries over into people’s everyday lives,” Langley said. “And reminds us that decency is a superpower.”
An actor in costume as Paddington Bear presents at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards.
(Scott Garfitt / BAFTA via Getty Images)
Moments of sweetness and sincerity marked these BAFTA Awards, thanks in part to the presence of Paddington Bear. The character, here played by a costumed actor, arrived courtesy of “Paddington the Musical,” which opened last year on the West End. He received more audible gasps than Kylie Jenner when he strolled on stage to present the children’s and family film award to “Boong.” Paddington was led off stage in an adorable moment.
“Paddington — so cute,” Cumming sighed as he departed. “I just want to take him home with me. And it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taken home a South American bear.”
Although there were some notable upsets, like “One Battle After Another” taking the cinematography prize over such widely anticipated nominees as “Train Dreams” and “Sinners,” many of the winners felt inevitable. Paul Thomas Anderson scored the trifecta of adapted screenplay, director and best film for “One Battle After Another.” His speeches went further off the cuff with each subsequent win. “I feel like the prettiest girl in the room right now,” he quipped, accepting the director trophy.
Anderson paid tribute to his assistant director and producer, British-born Adam Somner, who died in November 2024 after wrapping production on the film. “You may think your greatest export is Alfred Hitchcock or Charlie Chaplin, but to me it was Adam Somner,” Anderson said. “He made us all better.”
The filmmaker grew particularly animated by the time the final award was announced, more than three hours after the ceremony began. “Anybody that says movies aren’t any good anymore can piss right off,” Anderson said.
This year’s awards season largely has been a race between two front-runners, “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Both found success at the BAFTAs. Wunmi Mosaku won supporting actress for “Sinners,” an emotional moment, while Sean Penn (not in attendance) won supporting actor for “One Battle After Another.” Ryan Coogler won for his “Sinners” original screenplay, becoming the first Black recipient ever in the category.
“I come from a community that loves me,” Coogler said. “They made me believe that I could do this, that I could be a writer. And it was amazing to be accepted into the community of film actors, the community of Los Angeles. For all the writers out there, when you all look at that blank page, think of who you love, think of anybody who you’ve seen in pain that you identify with and wish they felt better, and let that love motivate you.”
“Hamnet,” another strong Oscar contender, didn’t leave empty-handed. The Chloé Zhao-directed film won the prize for outstanding British film (17 people came onstage to accept it) and Jessie Buckley won the leading actress award for her undeniable performance as Agnes, the grieving wife of William Shakespeare.
After forgetting her prepared remarks in her seat and finding her bearings, Buckley delivered one of the night’s best speeches.
“This really does belong to the women past, present and future who taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently,” she said, acknowledging her fellow nominees Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Chase Infiniti, Renate Reinsve and Emma Stone. “You are all just radical and you are doing it for the naughty girls.”
She dedicated the award to her daughter, who was six months old when Buckley began campaigning for “Hamnet.” “It’s the best role of my life being your mum,” she said. “I promise to continue to be disobedient so you can belong to a world in all your complete wildness as a young woman.”
Before the audience hurried out of Royal Festival Hall, rushing to find their seats at the dinner downstairs, Cumming offered a final thought. “Tonight we have welcomed people from all over the world,” he said, “people who look and sound and love differently for a celebration of stories and ideas and culture. In fact, a celebration of diversity and equality and inclusion.”
“And guess what?” he concluded. “Nobody died. In fact, we laughed. A lot.”
It was his most political statement of the night and the one that rang the most true.
A complete list of Sunday’s winners
Best Film: “One Battle After Another”
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Leading Actress: Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”
Leading Actor: Robert Aramayo, “I Swear”
Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
Supporting Actor: Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”
Outstanding British Film: “Hamnet”
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: Akinola Davies Jr., “My Father’s Shadow”
Film Not in the English Language: “Sentimental Value”
Documentary: “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”
Animated Film: “Zootopia 2”
Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
Original Score: Ludwig Göransson, “Sinners”
Costume Design: Kate Hawley, “Frankenstein”
Production Design: Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau, “Frankenstein”
Special Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett and Eric Saindon, “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
Makeup & Hair: Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Mike Hill and Megan Many, “Frankenstein”
Editing: Andy Jurgensen, “One Battle After Another”
Cinematography: Michael Bauman, “One Battle After Another”
Casting: Lauren Evans, “I Swear”
Sound: Steve Speed, Nick Fry, James Evans, and Hugh Wan, “F1”
British Short Animation: “Two Black Boys in Paradise”
British Short Film: “This Is Endometriosis”
EE Rising Star Award: Robert Aramayo
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