It was a lively night at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, as the film world descended on the British capital for the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards.
It wasn’t just a list of celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessie Buckley, Kate Hudson, Chloe Zhao, Paul Thomas Anderson, Timothée Chalamet, and Kylie Jenner waiting with bated breath to see who would take to the stage and push back their shiny gold BAFTA mask — the Prince and Princess of Wales were also in the house (William is the president of BAFTA, after all).
He was the host for the evening Traitors usa star Alan Cumming, who softened up guests by asking the entire room to let out a primal scream on the count of three. He quickly struck up a comical relationship with Paul Mescal, red-faced next to his partner Gracie Abrams, repeatedly asking Cumming Hamnet A star if he hears about many specialists in this field. “No,” was Mescal’s usually answer, except for one time when she caught him cumming on his phone.
Backstage, it was a revolving door of talent, with award winners making their way on and off stage, up and down the stalls. Ryan Coogler and Joachim Trier were particularly drawn to each other throughout the evening, as they routinely went out of their way to give each other a celebratory hug (Sinners He made BAFTA history with three wins, while… Emotional value It won the award for Best Film Not in the English Language). Coogler even thanked his “mentor” Trier in his best speech upon accepting the original script.
Things got a little awkward when Cumming was forced to read Tourette’s disclaimers repeatedly. John Davidson, a Tourette’s campaigner and the inspiration behind the BAFTA nomination I swearScreaming and cursing could be heard at the presenters during the first 20 minutes of the concert. “Tourette syndrome is a disability, and the tics you heard tonight are involuntary, meaning the person with Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you felt offended tonight,” Cumming said. Davidson eventually left the room Hollywood Reporter He understood it on his own.
One of the show’s lighter moments came when Paddington Bear himself took to the stage to present the award for Best Children’s and Family Film, which went to Lakshmipriya Devi. Pong. UK icon – currently a star Paddington the musicalin which a young woman in a bear suit plays Aarti Shah – apologized for getting spoonfuls of marmalade on the BAFTA award he was handing out. While out, Cumming fawns over Paddington’s cuteness, saying he wants to take him home. “This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taken home a South American bear,” the host added, eliciting uproarious laughter.
Cumming’s best antics came midway through when he started handing out British snacks as if he were a flight attendant walking down the aisle of a plane. Kylie Jenner partner Marty SupremeChalamet was asked: “Have you ever had your gums hurt around a jam dodger?” Well, it turns out she didn’t. Meanwhile, DiCaprio was given hoopnoobs, Emma Stone’s hoops, and Rose Byrne twigs (for our non-UK readers, this gibberish is simply different wafers and biscuit-adjacent sweets).
Then came the much-anticipated performance of the singing trio Demon hunters in kpopHuntrix, who played their first live show outside the United States Battle after battleChase Infiniti’s Chase Infiniti knew all the words to “Golden” and was seen dancing in the front row.
But the evening belonged to Paul Thomas Anderson, who took home awards for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and the grand prize: Best Picture. He captivated his guests when he dedicated the Best Director award to Adam Sumner. The late UK native was a producer and assistant director of PTA for 20 years.
“You might think your greatest exports are Alfred Hitchcock or Charlie Chaplin, but that’s not the case,” Anderson told the Brits in the room. “For me, it was Adam Sumner. … He came to America, and there were people who wanted to work with him because he made us better. About three weeks into the movie, he found out he was sick, and he made it into production. If you’ve ever gone to work before with someone who is very sick, there’s something miraculous that makes you take notice and reminds you of the privilege of the work we do. So thank you for sending it to me.”
While concluding the screening with a Best Picture win, Oscar nominee Anderson took the opportunity to express his optimism for the film industry: “Anyone who says movies aren’t good anymore should get angry right away,” to applause and applause. “I want to thank you, and I know there’s a bar somewhere. I think we should all go there. It’s been a long evening, but we have a lot to celebrate. … Let’s keep making things without fear,” he added, quoting pianist, singer, songwriter and activist Nina Simone. “That’s a good idea. See you at the bar!”
Political talk was kept to a minimum at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards. The most notable mention came from Akinola Davies Jr, who won Outstanding British Debut by a Writer, Director or Producer for the Nigerian film. My father’s shadow. He thanked his family and co-writer and brother Will Davies for “nurturing the spark and writing this story.”
Davis Jr. ended his speech with a dedication to “all those whose parents immigrated,” as well as to those suffering “persecution and genocide… Your stories matter more than ever,” adding, “Free Palestine.” His final remark was reportedly cut from the BBC broadcast, although the BBC did not respond to a request for comment on this matter.
Best Celebrity Appearance went to Emma Thompson, who appeared alongside Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise in a video paying tribute to the career of BAFTA Fellow and President of NBCUniversal, Donna Langley. Before Langley received her award from William, Prince of Wales, Oscar winner Thompson appeared on the looming screens.
She was the sole contributor to the filming of her message to Langley over the phone, her fluffy blonde hair charmingly askew. “I look like Boris Johnson,” she began, referring to the former Conservative prime minister. The left-wing Britons in the room took up the tricky political debates.
As the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards come to a close – with a surprise win for I swearRobert Arameo, plus solid outings for One battle and Sinners — Talk started turning to the lavish parties planned. The hottest ticket? Netflix party at Twenty Two in Grosvenor Square, where three separate DJ sets were waiting for the celebrities. Some of the surprise guests spotted at the smoke-filled, candlelit venue included Machine Gun Kelly, Pete Davidson, Patrick Dempsey, Laura Harrier, Vittoria Ceretti, Iris Law, Damson Idris and Damien Lewis. Hollywood giant Ted Sarandos was also seen working in the room. It seems as if most BAFTA attendees decided that this was where their night would end.
Read the full list of BAFTA Film Awards winners here.
