You Won’t Believe Who’s Leading the BAFTA 2026 Race — And How to Watch It Live!

The 2026 BAFTA Film Awards are set to take place on Sunday at London’s Royal Festival Hall, celebrating the best in British and global cinema. Hosted by The Traitors star Alan Cumming, the ceremony promises a night of glamour, recognition, and historic achievements.

Broadcast Details

The BAFTAs will air at 7 p.m. GMT, which translates to 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT for U.S. viewers.

• U.K. audiences can tune in live on BBC One or stream via BBC iPlayer.
• U.S. audiences can watch the red carpet and ceremony on E!, marking a shift from previous years when BritBox held the broadcast rights.

Major Nominees

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another leads the pack with 14 nominations, including Best Film, Director, Leading Actor, and Leading Actress. Close behind is Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, with 13 nominations across major categories.

The Best Film lineup also includes:

• Hamnet by Chloe Zhao
• Marty Supreme by Josh Safdie
• Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier

Director Race

This year’s director category is stacked with talent: Anderson, Coogler, Zhao, Safdie, Trier, and Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia). Zhao’s Hamnet made history as the most-nominated BAFTA film by a female director, earning 11 nods. Zhao now holds seven BAFTA nominations overall, with two wins for Nomadland in 2021.

Acting Categories

Leading Actor nominees include Jesse Plemons (Bugonia), Robert Aramayo (I Swear), Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners). Leading Actress contenders are Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).

What to Expect

With Paddington Bear joining the lineup of presenters and Jessie Ware among the performers, the BAFTAs promise both star power and entertainment. The ceremony will not only honor cinematic excellence but also spotlight diversity and groundbreaking achievements in film.