The British Academy’s 2026 lineup of Film Awards nominees has no shortage of snubs and surprises. While the likes of “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners,” “Hamnet” and “Marty Supreme” largely did as was expected and dominated the list, further down there was more than enough to raise eyebrows among awards watchers.
With merely five slots in the best film race, there were plenty of features that didn’t make the cut. In the performance categories, however, the sixth space (one more than the Oscars) saw some names not on many frontrunner predictions sneak in. And, as ever, there was some love for British (and Irish — hi Paul Mescal!) stars not reciprocated over the Atlantic.
Below, we break down the biggest developments from this morning’s announcement.
SNUB: “Wicked: For Good” misses out in main categories
After being shut out entirely of the Oscar nominations last week, “Wicked: For Good” didn’t get much love from BAFTA either. Though the sequel earned nods in the costume and hair and make-up categories, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande failed to receive acting nominations and it also didn’t show up in the best film, director or screenplay lists. How disappointifying!
SURPRISE: Paul Mescal nabs a supporting actor nom
Perhaps not all that surprising, but Paul Mescal, having missed out on his second Oscar nomination for “Hamnet,” did get a BAFTA supporting actor nomination. After all, he was playing William Shakespeare. This is now Mescal’s third BAFTA Film Awards nod in four years after “Aftersun” and “All of Us Strangers.” While he’s now taking a break to film the Beatles biopics, surely playing Paul McCartney makes him a shoo-in for leading actor (but not until 2029).
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SNUB: Guillermo del Toro doesn’t make director cut
Though “Frankenstein” star Jacob Elordi nabbed a supporting actor nomination and the film found plenty of love in the craft categories, helmer del Toro missed out on a directing nod (as he also did for the Oscars this year). The movie also wasn’t recognized in the best film or adapted screenplay categories, whereas it’s represented in both in the Oscars race.
SURPRISE: Chase Infiniti elbows into leading actress race
Leave it to BAFTA voters to give a shout out one of the year’s biggest breakouts. While Chase Infiniti couldn’t land a nomination on home turf from the Oscars, the “One Battle After Another” star is now in the running for the leading actress BAFTA (as well as the Rising Star Award).
SURPRISE: Odessa A’zion up for supporting actress
“Marty Supreme” star A’zion also missed out on an Oscar nomination last week, but she’s in the BAFTA supporting actress race for her role as Rachel, Timothée Chalamet’s partner-in-crime in Josh Safdie’s sports drama. It marks her first recognition from BAFTA.
SNUB: Foreign-language films that aren’t “Sentimental Value” miss out
The British Academy has, by and large, been pretty good at recognizing foreign-language films. “All Quiet on the Western Front” smashed records in 2023. But this year, for any film that isn’t “Sentimental Value,” it’s been, well, all quiet. “It was Just an Accident” and “Sirat,” despite Palme d’Ors and critical acclaim, could only make it on the film not in the English language category, and while “The Secret Agent” was also nominated for original screenplay, Oscar nominee Wagner Moura not even making it past the first round of BAFTA voting is a major snub.
SURPRISE: “I Swear” earns five nods
As one of the biggest British indie hits of the year in the U.K., “I Swear” was always destined to have some presence at the BAFTAs. But few would have predicted its five nominations, especially two in the performance categories. Lead star Robert Aramayo, alongside a Rising Star nomination for up-and-coming talent, is now a leading actor nominee (in a group alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet), while Peter Mullan is a supporting actor nominee (with the likes of Sean Penn and Jacob Elordi).
SURPRISE: David Jonsson keeps his cool after “Wasteman” nod
Most filmmakers are expected to whoop and cheer in delight upon hearing that their movie has been nominated for a major award. Unfortunately for Jonsson, he was on stage at the BAFTAs, hosting the nominations announcement alongside Aimee Lou Wood. Jonsson starred in and produced Cal McMau’s prison drama “Wasteman,” which was nominated for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer. So when Lou Wood read out the category and offered him a “congratulations,” the actor — ever the consummate professional — maintained his composure despite showing clear delight at the news.
From Variety US