Predictions for the 79th Annual BAFTA Awards

The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards will air in the U.S. on E! on Sunday, February 22nd and will be hosted by Alan Cumming. I am predicting that the ceremony is set to deliver several upsets ahead of the Oscars in March.

Momentum from the Critics Choice Awards, Astra Film Awards, and the Golden Globes has clarified several races heading into BAFTA night, while others appear poised for genuine shake-ups. Timothée Chalamet continues to consolidate strength for his commanding turn in Marty Supreme, and Jessie Buckley remains equally formidable for her emotionally devastating performance in Hamnet. Across the board, Hamnet feels primed for stronger BAFTA support than it has received elsewhere this season.

Meanwhile, One Battle After Another has steadily collected wins in screenplay, director, and picture — though BAFTA’s historically distinct voting body may disrupt as many as two of those three categories.

Supporting Actor is where the most visible shift has occurred. While Jacob Elordi rode early-season momentum following Critics Choice, the race has recalibrated toward Stellan Skarsgård for his layered, quietly commanding performance in Sentimental Value. 

Skarsgård’s Astra Film Awards win signaled broader industry consolidation, reinforcing the sense that his work carries deeper cross-voting support than initially projected. In addition to Astra, he has accumulated key critics’ citations that suggest frontrunner status. BAFTA voters have historically responded to veteran European actors delivering restrained but emotionally resonant performances, and Skarsgård fits that template precisely. The category now appears less about early-season surprise and more about sustained industry respect.

Sinners, with its record-setting 13 nominations, may ultimately see a more restrained return on the night. A win for Original Music feels inevitable for Ludwig Göransson, the longtime collaborator of Ryan Coogler and a previous BAFTA and Oscar winner for their collaborations.

The craft races remain fluid, with momentum spread across multiple contenders and compelling arguments to be made in several categories. Cinematography, Editing, Sound, and Visual Effects are particularly competitive. I lean toward Brad Pitt’s F1, a high-intensity, high-grossing spectacle captured largely in-camera, surprising with multiple below-the-line victories. Its case rests not only on visible technical precision but also on the global popularity of the sport — an advantage that may resonate with an international voting body.

Over the past decade, eight Oscar Best Picture winners have not matched BAFTA’s choice for Best Film, underscoring how frequently the British voting body charts its own course. Should Sinners prevail here, it likely would not meaningfully disrupt the broader season trajectory for One Battle After Another, which remains firmly positioned within the Academy conversation. 

Warner Bros. has mounted an expansive and disciplined campaign for both films under its umbrella, staging high-profile events ranging from live music performances to cast Q&As that have sustained visibility and reinforced each film’s distinct identity within the race.

Still, the “little engine that could” narrative surrounding Hamnet — the most intimate, character-driven, and classically British in temperament among the frontrunners — aligns closely with BAFTA’s historical preference for emotionally grounded storytelling over broader, genre-leaning fare.

Below are my category predictions for the 79th EE BAFTA Film Awards:

Best Film

Prediction: Hamnet

Best Director

Prediction: Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Best Leading Actor

Prediction: Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

Best Leading Actress

Prediction: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

Best Supporting Actor

Prediction: Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress

Prediction: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value

Best Original Screenplay

Prediction: Sentimental Value

Best Adapted Screenplay

Prediction: Hamnet

Best Casting

Prediction: Sinners

Outstanding British Film

Prediction: Hamnet

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Prediction: Pillion – Harry Lighton (writer/director)

Best Film Not in the English Language

Prediction: Sirāt

Best Documentary

Prediction: The Perfect Neighbor

Best Animated Film

Prediction: Zootopia 2

EE Rising Star Award

Prediction: Chase Infiniti

Best Original Music

Prediction: Sinners

Best Cinematography

Prediction: Sinners

Best Editing

Prediction: Marty Supreme

Best Production Design

Prediction: Frankenstein

Best Costume Design

Prediction: Frankenstein

Best Make Up & Hair

Prediction: Frankenstein

Best Sound

Prediction: F1

Best Special Visual Effects

Prediction: F1