Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet has run away with most of the best actor gongs this season in the run-up to what many have predicted will be his first Oscar.
But Chalamet was pipped at the post at the BAFTAs by Robert Aramayo’s performance as Scottish Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson in the biographical film I Swear.
“I absolutely can’t believe this while looking at people like you,” Aramayo said, pointing to Leonardo DiCaprio, whom he also beat.
“I honestly cannot believe I have won this award.
“When I was in school, Ethan Hawke gave a talk on longevity as an actor, about protecting your instrument and avoiding self-destructive behaviours. So to be in this category with you tonight is incredible.”
Davidson, who was also at the BAFTAs, was given a shout-out by Aramayo as he accepted his rising star award, which acknowledges new talents in the acting industry.
“John Davidson is the most remarkable man I’ve ever met,” he said.
“He’s so forthcoming with education, he believes there’s so much more to know about Tourette’s.”
I Swear has been collecting rave reviews, particularly for Aramayo’s performance, since its UK debut last year. The film opens in Australian cinemas on March 26.
Australian leading actress hopeful Rose Bryne lost out to Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley, while One Battle After Another’s Sean Penn won supporting actor over Jacob Elordi’s performance in Frankenstein.
Cumming charms
Cabaret star Alan Cumming led the BAFTA film proceedings this year, making sure to acknowledge up top that, “Watching films this year was like having a collective breakdown,” touching on the child death in Hamnet.
“Whatever happened to escapism? I’m exhausted,” he said.
Alan Cumming helps the audience let some steam off. (Getty: Tristan Fewings)
“It’s almost as though, I don’t know, there are events going on in the real world that are influencing filmmakers. Anyone else, like you Americans in particular?”
The stage star then led the audience in a nice, cleansing primal scream, which about a quarter participated in.
Other highlights of Cumming’s hosting included handing double Oscar-winner Emma Stone some hula hoops (“a kind of glutinous ring with salt on it”) in a snack bit and asking Prince William to acknowledge his costume change.
Sinners sees a little light
After spending most of the season in nominations jail (lots of nominations, spotty wins), Ryan Coogler’s evocative hybrid horror musical Sinners finally got a few moments in the sun at the BAFTAs.
Early in the awards, the supporting actress award went to Wunmi Mosaku, who gave a knockout performance in Sinner as Annie and has been largely ignored even in terms of nominations up until the BAFTAs.
Wunmi Mosaku thanked her daughter after winning the film BAFTA for supporting actress. (Getty: Stuart Wilson)
“I found a part of myself in Annie, a part of my hopes and my ancestral power and connection, parts I thought I’d lost or dimmed as an immigrant trying to fit in,” the Nigerian British actor said in her acceptance speech.
“Through her I deepened my belief in my potential, my capacity to love and hope in the darkest moments of grief and in the face of this harsh world.”
Coogler took home original screenplay, a category he has dominated for most of the season, but missed out on director and best film, with the latter going to Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.
Sinners also picked up the BAFTA for original score for composer Ludwig Göransson.
Welcome to the stage… Huntrix
Cumming mentioned that KPop Demon Hunter single Golden has been listened to 4 billion times (but what’s one more?), as AJAE, Nuna and Ami — the singing voices of Huntrix — took to the BAFTAs stage to perform the song for the first time outside the US.
You can’t escape Golden, not even at the 2026 BAFTAs. (Getty: Tristan Fewings)
Despite being the hot favourite to take home best original song at the upcoming Academy Awards, Golden was not eligible for the BAFTAs due to the film not having a theatrical release that met eligibility requirements. Streamer Netflix appealed, claiming the film’s later theatrical run should have been accepted as an “exceptional circumstances”, to no avail.
But there seemed to be no love lost as the Huntrix singers, clad in red and gold, floated across the BAFTAs stage, complete with backup dancers and pyrotechnics.
See the list of BAFTA winners below.
Where does this leave us for the Oscars?
Don’t make the mistake of thinking Robert Aramayo’s surprise BAFTA best actor win means big changes for the equivalent Oscar, mostly because Aramayo is not nominated for the Academy Award like many of his BAFTA category peers, which means safe money is on Timothée Chalamet, who has been the frontrunner for most of the season.
Oscar nomination surprises and snubs
Paul Thomas Anderson’s best director and best film wins for One Battle After Another at the BAFTAs further solidify the film’s chances for the big two at the Oscars. But OBAA’s win is Sinners’ loss, despite Coogler taking the BAFTA for best original screenplay and the vampire screamer being the most-nominated film in Oscar’s history.
However, it was spectacular to see Sinner’s Wunmi Mosaku receive some well-deserved love for her performance as Annie at the BAFTAs, which gives her run at the Oscar more steam in a category that has also been passed around various winners this year.
It’s a similar case for best supporting actor, which was given to an absent Sean Penn for his turn as a psychotic army man in One Battle After Another at the BAFTAs.
Stellan Skarsgård, who picked up the Golden Globe for this category, has been a light favourite. But considering Penn’s win today and Jacob Elori’s surprise Critics Choice win, the chance for an Australian upset is there.
If only it were the same case for best leading actress, which was won by Hamnet’s Jesse Buckley at the BAFTAs in a trend that has been fairly consistent all season.
Rose Bryne had steam early on after winning a slew of smaller industry awards for her performance in If I Has Legs I’d Kick You. But another loss to Buckley doesn’t look good for her chance at the Academy Award.
Best filmHamnetMarty SupremeOne Battle After Another — WINNERSentimental ValueSinnersOutstanding British film28 Years LaterThe Ballad of Wallis IslandBridget Jones: Mad About the BoyDie My LoveH is for HawkHamnet — WINNERI SwearMr BurtonPillionSteveDirectorBugonia, Yorgos LanthimosHamnet, Chloé ZhaoMarty Supreme, Josh SafdieOne Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson — WINNERSentimental Value, Joachim TrierSinners, Ryan CooglerLeading actorRobert Aramayo, I Swear — WINNERTimothée Chalamet, Marty SupremeLeonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After AnotherEthan Hawke, Blue MoonMichael B. Jordan, SinnersJesse Plemons, BugoniaLeading actressJessie Buckley, Hamnet — WINNERRose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick YouKate Hudson, Song Sung BlueChase Infiniti, One Battle After AnotherRenate Reinsve, Sentimental ValueEmma Stone, BugoniaSupporting actorBenicio Del Toro, One Battle After AnotherJacob Elordi, FrankensteinPaul Mescal, HamnetPeter Mullan, I SwearSean Penn, One Battle After Another — WINNERStellan Skarsgård, Sentimental ValueSupporting actressOdessa A’zion, Marty SupremeInga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental ValueWunmi Mosaku, Sinners — WINNERCarey Mulligan, The Ballad of Wallis IslandTeyana Taylor, One Battle After AnotherEmily Watson, HamnetOriginal screenplayI SwearMarty SupremeThe Secret AgentSentimental ValueSinners — WINNERAdapted screenplayThe Ballad of Wallis IslandBugoniaHamnetOne Battle After Another — WINNERPillionFilm not in the English languageIt Was Just an AccidentThe Secret AgentSentimental Value — WINNERSiratThe Voice of Hind RajabAnimated FilmElioLittle AmelieZootropolis 2 — WINNERDocumentary2000 Meters To AndriivkaApocalypse In The TropicsCover-UpMr Nobody Against Putin — WINNERThe Perfect NeighbourOriginal scoreBugoniaFrankensteinHamnetOne Battle After AnotherSinners — WINNERCinematographyFrankensteinMarty SupremeOne Battle After Another — WINNERSinnersTrain Dreams