The 79th British Academy Film Awards were held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on February 23rd, showcasing a significant event in this year’s awards season. Hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming for the first time, the ceremony brought together top figures from British and international cinema to celebrate films released in 2025.
The evening featured a mix of established names and up-and-coming talent, demonstrating the UK industry’s robustness and expanding global influence. With multiple competitive categories and a diverse range of nominations, this year’s BAFTAs underscored intense competition and provided early insights leading up to the Oscars.
Leading the nominations was Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” with 14 nods, closely followed by Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” with 13. Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” and Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” each garnered 11 nominations, setting the stage for a fiercely competitive race.
“One Battle After Another” emerged as the biggest winner of the night, securing Best Film and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. The film also triumphed in the Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, and Supporting Actor categories for Sean Penn, solidifying its position as the most acclaimed film of the evening.
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” made history by winning three awards, becoming the most honored film by a Black director at the BAFTAs. The film claimed victories in the Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and Original Score for Ludwig Göransson categories. Coogler also made history as the first Black winner in the Original Screenplay category, using his acceptance speech to motivate aspiring writers, emphasizing the power of love in the creative process.
In the technical categories, “Frankenstein” shone, clinching awards for Costume Design, Makeup & Hair, and Production Design. Jessie Buckley was awarded Leading Actress for “Hamnet”, while Robert Aramayo took home the Leading Actor accolade for “I Swear”. Aramayo’s win was a standout moment as he also claimed the EE Rising Star Award, surpassing notable contenders such as Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Sentimental Value” made history as the first Norwegian film to win a BAFTA, securing the Best Film Not in the English Language category, while the British international feature Oscar submission “My Father’s Shadow” was honored with the Outstanding British Debut award.
The ceremony featured remarkable performances, including Jessie Ware’s moving rendition of Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were” during the In Memoriam tribute, paying homage to icons like Diane Keaton, Terence Stamp, and Catherine O’Hara. India had a significant presence at the event, both on stage and among the winners, with Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt making a notable debut as a presenter, warmly greeting the audience with “Namaskar.”
A notable highlight was the recognition of the Manipuri film Boong, produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani and directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, which won the Best Children’s & Family Film award. Devi used the platform to address the ongoing unrest in Manipur and expressed optimism for peace.
Here is a comprehensive list of the winners from the event:
– Best Film: One Battle After Another
– Outstanding British Film: Hamnet
– Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
– Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
– Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
– Leading Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
– Leading Actor: Robert Aramayo (I Swear)
– Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
– Supporting Actor: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
– Casting: Lauren Evans (I Swear)
– Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer: My Father’s Shadow
– Film Not In the English Language: Sentimental Value
– Documentary: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
– Animated Film: Zootropolis 2 (Zootopia 2)
– Children’s & Family Film: Boong
– Cinematography: Michael Bauman (One Battle After Another)
– Editing: Andy Jurgensen (One Battle After Another)
– Costume Design: Kate Hawley (Frankenstein)
– Make Up & Hair: Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Mike Hill, Megan Many (Frankenstein)
– Original Score: Ludwig Göransson (Sinners)
– Production Design: Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau (Frankenstein)
– Sound: Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta (F1)
– Special Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Eric Saindon (Avatar: