Reactions poured in after the BAFTA Film Awards on February 22, 2026, as Jessie Buckley and Robert Aramayo took major acting prizes, sparking both praise and disappointment among viewers
At the 79th BAFTA Film Awards at London’s Royal Festival Hall on February 22, 2026, the ceremony served up a mix of surprises, triumphs and spirited online debate that will ripple through the closing weeks of awards season. Jessie Buckley took home leading actress for Hamnet, while Robert Aramayo claimed leading actor for I Swear.
The political drama One Battle After Another led the field in nominations and translated that momentum into several technical awards — including best film. The show itself balanced glossy live production with a strong BBC iPlayer presence, and social feeds lit up with both praise and sharp disagreement over a few unexpected results.
How winners are chosen
BAFTA’s voting is a two-stage process that blends specialist juries with a wider academy vote. Early rounds concentrate on branch-specific expertise; later rounds bring the full electorate into play. Ballots are weighted to try to balance peer appraisal with broader academy sentiment.
That structure often benefits daring, performance-driven work over sheer star power — a factor that helps explain Buckley’s and Aramayo’s victories despite more widely known competitors.
The highs and the tensions
One of the evening’s clear wins was recognition for a diverse slate of films: mainstream studio fare rubbed shoulders with smaller, distinctive indie projects. One Battle After Another confirmed its frontrunner status, while surprise acting wins gave lesser-known films a major visibility boost. But the night wasn’t without controversy. A vocal slice of viewers, especially on social platforms, were unhappy that Rose Byrne didn’t take the prize for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The backlash underlines how celebrity momentum and pre-ceremony expectations continue to shape audience reactions.
Why this matters commercially
A BAFTA can change a film’s trajectory. Awards attention typically lifts festival bookings, streaming placements and box-office interest; it also sharpens a film’s case during the final rounds of international voting. Expect Buckley’s and Aramayo’s names to show up more often on programmers’ radars and in publicity campaigns. Broadcasters and platforms will be watching short-term spikes in search traffic and viewer engagement, then tweaking programming and marketing to ride that wave.
What the landscape looks like now
This year underlined the strength of a crowded field: historical dramas, political thrillers and genre pictures all earned meaningful recognition. Titles such as Sinners and Marty Supreme held their own across categories, reinforcing the idea that well-crafted independent films can compete head-to-head with studio projects. Technical awards continued to be a decisive ingredient for seasonal momentum, and the ceremony’s staging — from live performances to the in‑memoriam segment — influenced how the BAFTAs were read as both a celebration and a platform for conversation.
What’s next
BAFTA outcomes will feed directly into conversations ahead of the Oscars and other international prizes. The wins for Buckley and Aramayo should raise their profiles among voters and audiences alike. Meanwhile, broadcasters and streaming services will pore over engagement metrics from the BAFTA broadcast to inform scheduling and promotional choices. For anyone wanting to rewatch or reassess the night’s highlights, the BBC iPlayer stream remains available.
