STORY: Dark comedy "One Battle After Another" was the big winner at Britain's top movie awards on Sunday (February 22), picking up six BAFTAs including best film and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson.

It beat home favorite, the tearjerker "Hamnet," and vampire thriller "Sinners," which has a record number of Oscar nominations, in the big two categories in the ceremony, where Britain's Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate were guests of honor.

"We have a line from Nina Simone that we stole in our film. She says 'I know what freedom is, it's no fear'," Anderson said. "So let's keep making things without fear, it's a good idea."

"Sinners," which has 16 Oscar nods, won best original screenplay for writer and director Ryan Coogler, best supporting actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and best original score.

The biggest surprise was Robert Aramayo beating Timothee Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Ethan Hawke and Jesse Plemons to win best actor for his acclaimed performance as Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson in "I Swear."

He accepted the award - his second of the evening after picking up the rising star prize - in tears, saying "I absolutely can't believe it."

Favorite Jessie Buckley won best actress for playing Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, in "Hamnet," based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell and directed by previous Oscar winner Chloe Zhao.

The film also won outstanding British film, but it lost out on the two major awards, including best film, where its home advantage had made it a favorite.

The awards, hosted by actor Alan Cumming, were the first joint engagement for William and Kate since William's uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday (February 19).

William, president of the film academy, presented the BAFTA Fellowship to Donna Langley, studio head at NBCUniversal.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: WINNERS BEING ANNOUNCED AT THE EE BAFTA FILM AWARDS 2026 / WINNERS MAKING SPEECHES ON STAGE

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS PROFANITY IN SHOT 4

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT.

SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 22, 2026) (BAFTA / BBC ONE - Broadcast: Must on-screen credit "EE BAFTA Film Awards 2026, BAFTA/BBC One”. May use up to two (2) minutes in total of all ceremony footage, for news access only within the period ending at 00:01 GMT on Monday 2nd March 2026. After this time material must be taken down from digital platforms. The material may be used only for news reporting purposes directly related to the awards presentation as an event. Broadcasters do not have the right to use the content for special programming, no library access, no resales. Requests for extensions to the news access window may be emailed to mediamgmt@bafta.org / Digital: Must on-screen credit "EE BAFTA Film Awards 2026, BAFTA/BBC One”. May use up to two (2) minutes in total of all ceremony footage, for news access only within the period ending at 00:01 GMT on Monday 2nd March 2026, after this time material must be taken down from digital platforms. The material may be used only for news reporting purposes directly related to the awards presentation as an event, no commercial use, no monetisation on social platforms, no library access, no resales. Requests for extensions to the news access window may be emailed to mediamgmt@bafta.org)

1. VIEW OF BAFTA AUDITORIUM

2. ACTOR, GLENN CLOSE, PRESENTING AWARD FOR BEST FILM TO “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER”

3. CAST AND CREW OF “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER” CELEBRATING, RISING FROM SEATS

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR, PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, SAYING (CONTINUING OVER SHOTS OF AUDITORIUM AND ACTORS ON STAGE):

“Anybody that says movies aren't any good anymore just can pi-(INAUDIBLE) right off because this is a great, great fucking year. So I want to say 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 so much to celebrate. We have a line from Nina Simone that we stole in our film. She says, ‘I know what freedom is. It's no fear.’ So let's keep making things without fear. It's a good idea. See you at the bar. Thank you.”

5. VIEW OF BAFTA AUDITORIUM

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, KERRY WASHINGTON, PRESENTING AWARD FOR LEADING ACTOR TO ACTOR, ROBERT ARAMAYO

7. ARAMAYO, CELEBRATING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, ROBERT ARAMAYO, SAYING:

“Wow, I absolutely can't believe this! I can't believe that I'm looking at people like you and I'm in the same category as you (CONTINUES OVER SHOT OF ACTOR, LEONARDO DICAPRIO). Never mind that I'm stood here, and wow, oh my word.”

9. VIEW OF BAFTA AUDITORIUM

10. ACTOR, CILLIAN MURPHY, PRESENTING AWARD FOR LEADING ACTRESS TO ACTOR, JESSIE BUCKLEY

“The BAFTA (for Leading Actress) goes to Jessie Buckley.”

11. ACTOR, JESSIE BUCKLEY, SMILING / RISING FROM SEAT

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, JESSIE BUCKLEY, SAYING:

“Whoa, this is really such an incredible honour. And as a little girl, I never in a million years thought I'd be allowed to make a film. As we say in Ireland, so well, here I am."

13. VIEW OF BAFTA AUDITORIUM

14. ACTOR, KATE HUDSON, PRESENTING AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR TO PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON (CONTINUES OVER SHOT OF ANDERSON)

15. ANDERSON RISING FROM SEAT, HUGGING DICAPRIO

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR, PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, SAYING (OVER SHOTS OF AUDITORIUM AND DICAPRIO):

“Thank you very much. I feel like the prettiest girl in the room right now. This is very overwhelming and wonderful. Thank you very much. I'm so happy about your appreciation for this film. To look at my cast, I could thank all of you, but I want to give Leo (DiCaprio) a very particular, special thank you, Leo.”

17. ACTORS, PATRICK DEMPSEY AND ALICIA VIKANDER, PRESENTING AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS TO ACTOR, WUNMI MOSAKU

18. MOSAKU RISING FROM SEAT, CELEBRATING

19. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, WUNMI MOSAKU, SAYING (CONTINUES OVER SHOTS OF ACTOR, TEYANA TAYLOR):

“I found a part of myself in 'Annie,' a part of my hopes, my ancestral power and connection, parts of myself I thought I'd lost or tried to dim as an immigrant trying to fit in. 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.”

20. VIEW OF BAFTA AUDITORIUM

21. RAPPER, STORMZY, PRESENTING AWARD FOR BEST BRITISH FILM TO “HAMNET”

22. “HAMNET” CAST AND CREW CELEBRATING, ACTOR PAUL MESCAL AND SINGER, GRACIE ABRAMS, KISSING

23. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRODUCER, SAM MENDES, SAYING (CONTINUES OVER SHOT OF “HAMNET” FILM TEAM ON STAGE):

“Thank you, BAFTA. Fantastic. Everyone here, and there's lots of people coming up on stage, are utterly thrilled. Can I just say, what an incredible list of Best British Film nominees this year. We're not great as an industry or as a culture at patting ourselves on the back, but on this occasion, perhaps we should.”

24. VIEW OF BAFTA AUDITORIUM

25. ACTOR, ALIA BHATT, PRESENTING AWARD FOR BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO “SENTIMENTAL VALUE”

26. FILM TEAM OF “SENTIMENTAL VALUE”, INCLUDING DIRECTOR, JOACHIM TRIER, CELEBRATING

27. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR, JOACHIM TRIER, SAYING:

“Thank you so much for this honour. It’s the first time a Norwegian film wins a BAFTA, so we’re usually better at skiing, but here we are. Thank you to the British Academy. Thank you to Mubi, to Neon, to MK2 for supporting our filmmaking.”

28. VARIOUS OF PRESENTER, ALAN CUMMING, GIVING “VERY BRITISH SNACKS” TO ACTOR, TIMOTHEE CHALAMET; MEDIA PERSONALITY, KYLIE JENNER ; DICAPRIO ; ACTOR, ROSE BYRNE ; BYRNE’S PARTNER, ACTOR, BOBBY CANNAVALE

29. ACTOR, ETHAN HAWKE, PRESENTING BAFTA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER TO “MY FATHER’S SHADOW”

30. “MY FATHER’S SHADOW” DIRECTOR, AKINOLA DAVIES JR, AND SCREENWRITER, WALE DAVIES, WALKING TO STAGE AND ACCEPTING AWARD

31. (SOUNDBITE) (English) “MY FATHER’S SHADOW” SCREENWRITER, WALE DAVIES (LEFT), SAYING:

“I'm going to let my amazing brother and director acknowledge the amazing village it took to create this film. But first, I want to give thanks to God and to my father, Akinola Davis Sr. Thank you for the-- Thank you for the shadow you cast over our lives. Shadows are proof of light, and I hope one day we may cast a shadow that both intrigues and inspires our loved ones. And to the love of my life, my daughter Amari, I love you.”

32. ACTOR, WARWICK DAVIS, PRESENTING BAFTA AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY TO ANDERSON FOR “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER”

33. ANDERSON WALKING TO STAGE

34. VARIOUS OF ANDERSON HOLDING AND ALMOST DROPPING AWARD

35. (SOUNDBITE) (English) “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER” DIRECTOR AND SCREENWRITER, PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, SAYING:

“A few years ago, I got one of these, and I wasn't able to be here, so it's a tremendous honour to be here and accept this in person in this town that I love with my cast, my crew. This is a tremendous honour, and I don't take it lightly.”

36. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

37. ACTORS, KATHRYN HAHN (LEFT) AND BRYAN CRANSTON (RIGHT), PRESENTING BAFTA AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY TO SCREENWRITER AND DIRECTOR, RYAN COOGLER FOR “SINNERS”

38. COOGLER RECEIVING APPLAUSE, RISING FROM SEAT

39. (SOUNDBITE) (English) “SINNERS” SCREENWRITER AND DIRECTOR, RYAN COOGLER, SAYING (CONTINUES OVER SHOT OF ACTOR, MICHAEL B JORDAN):

“Hey, I didn't expect that. Hey, yo. This is nerve-wracking. And I always felt at home here. The first time I came here was 2014, and the driver picked me up from the airport, and I was nervous, first time in the UK. And I told him where I was from, and he told me that Marcus Garvey had an apartment here, and he went out of his way to show me where it was. Cut the meter off, and I felt at home ever since.”

40. VARIOUS OF BRITAIN’S PRINCE OF WALES, WILLIAM WALKING TO STAGE TO PRESENT BAFTA FELLOWSHIP AWARD

41. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN’S PRINCE OF WALES, WILLIAM, PRESENTING BAFTA FELLOWSHIP AWARD TO DAME DONNA LANGLEY, SAYING:

“Good evening. The BAFTA Fellowship is an honour given in recognition of an exceptional contribution to film. And tonight's recipient is quite simply that; exceptional. Her determination and commitment have driven her to become one of the most influential and respected figures in the entertainment industry.”

42. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN’S PRINCE OF WALES, WILLIAM, PRESENTING BAFTA FELLOWSHIP AWARD TO DAME DONNA LANGLEY, SAYING:

“Please, please welcome to the stage the 2026 BAFTA Fellow, Dame Donna Langley.”

43. DAME DONNA LANGLEY WALKING TO STAGE

44. LANGLEY SHAKING HANDS WITH PRINCE WILLIAM WHILE ACCEPTING AWARD

45. PERSON IN PADDINGTON BEAR COSTUME FROM “PADDINGTON: THE MUSICAL” PRESENTING BAFTA AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S & FAMILY FILM TO “BOONG”

46. “BOONG” WRITER AND DIRECTOR, LAKSHMIPRIYA DEVI (IN GREEN), AND PRODUCERS WALKING TO STAGE

47. VARIOUS OF DEVI ACCEPTING AWARD AND HUGGING PERSON IN PADDINGTON BEAR COSTUME

48. ACTOR, JACOBI JUPE, LAUGHING

49. PRINCE WILLIAM AND BRITAIN'S PRINCESS OF WALES, KATE SMILING

50. (SOUNDBITE) (English) “BOONG” WRITER AND DIRECTOR, LAKSHMIPRIYA DEVI, SAYING:

“Khurumjari (Hello in Manipuri). Greetings to everyone. The walk up till here felt like the last few steps to reach a summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place. I just want to use this opportunity to say that we pray for peace to return to Manipur. We pray that all the internally displaced children, including the child actors in the film, regain their joy, their innocence, and their dreams once again. We pray that no conflict is ever formidable enough to destroy the one superpower that all of us have as human beings, that is forgiveness.”

51. VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE APPLAUDING AS “BOONG” TEAM WALKS OFF STAGE