- Hamnet, Sinners and One Battle After Another lead Bafta longlists ahead of nominations.
- KPop Demon Hunters is ineligible at the Baftas because it lacked an initial UK theatrical run.
- Bafta offers more places for British films and will likely boost UK and Irish contenders.
- Nominations are due this week ahead of the awards ceremony on 22 February, hosted by Alan Cumming.
What to expect from the Bafta nominations 2026
Bafta’s longlists point to a close race among several high-profile films as nominations are set to be announced this week. Hamnet, Sinners and One Battle After Another have secured the most longlist mentions and look like the frontrunners for the Bafta Film Awards.
Frontrunners and likely nominees
One Battle After Another, a gritty story of a former revolutionary reunited with his old crew, has strong momentum. Hamnet, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about family tragedy and Shakespearean inspiration, and Sinners, a vampire-horror blended with blues set in 1930s Mississippi, are both tracking well across Bafta longlists.
Actors tipped for possible nominations include Emma Stone, Timothée Chalamet, Jessie Buckley, Jacob Elordi and Wunmi Mosaku. British and Irish performers such as Carey Mulligan, Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson, Robert Aramayo and Andrea Riseborough could also benefit from Bafta’s focus on homegrown talent.
More room for British films
Unlike the Oscars, Bafta has dedicated categories for outstanding British film and outstanding British debut. The Academy also allows six slots in many categories instead of five, giving more films and performers a shot at recognition. Titles longlisted for outstanding British film include I Swear, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Pillion, H is for Hawk and Hamnet among others.
Notable snubs and eligibility rules
One of the most notable absences is Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. Although it has become a viral hit and is favoured in some Oscar categories, Bafta deemed it ineligible because it opened on Netflix in the UK without a preceding theatrical release. A later singalong cinema version did not change the ruling.
Other big names — including Julia Roberts, Dwayne Johnson, George Clooney and Sydney Sweeney — were also missing from Bafta’s longlists.
What the Baftas mean for the Oscars
Bafta has historically been a useful bellwether for the Academy Awards. Many acting winners at Bafta have gone on to Oscars success, and the British ceremony can highlight performances that gain traction with international voters. Still, Bafta and the Oscars do not always align — the best picture winner split last year — so the nominations will give another important snapshot of the awards race heading into March.
Bafta’s ceremony will take place in London on 22 February, with Alan Cumming set to host. Expect the nominations to shape betting lists and headlines throughout awards season as the industry narrows the field for the 2026 film prizes.
Image Referance: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrz09lx91vo