Dark comedy"One Battle After Another"was the big winner at Britain's top movie awards on Sunday, Feb. 22, picking up six BAFTAs, including best film and best director forPaul Thomas Anderson.
It beat home favorite, the tearjerker"Hamnet,"and vampire thriller"Sinners,"which has a record number of Oscar nominations in the ceremony's major categories. "We have a line from Nina Simone that we stole in our film. She says 'I know what freedom is, it's no fear,'" Anderson said during an acceptance speech.
"So let's keep making things without fear, it's a good idea," he added.
The BAFTAs − the British equivalent of the Oscars − also saw A-listers Emma Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Hudson and Ethan Hawke in attendance. Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams also made their debut red carpet appearance as a couple ahead of the awards show ceremony.
More:'Sinners' tops Oscars with record 16 nominations. See the list.
Oscar hopefuls including Emma Stone ("Bugonia") are stepping out on the red carpet at the 2026 British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, Feb. 22, where "Sinners" and "Once Battle After Another" are vying for best film honors." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Maggie Gyllenhaal " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> See Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet walk 2026 BAFTAs red carpet
Oscar hopefuls including Emma Stone ("Bugonia") are stepping out on the red carpet at the 2026 British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, Feb. 22, where "Sinners" and "Once Battle After Another" are vying for best film honors.
'One Battle After Another' wins top prize at 2026 BAFTA Awards
Anderson also picked up the award for best adapted screenplay, while Sean Penn beat his co-star Benicio del Toro, among others, for best supporting actor.
The critical hit also won best cinematography and best editing. It took home a total of six prizes.
"Sinners," which has 16 Oscar nods, won best original screenplay for writer and director Ryan Coogler, best supporting actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and best original score.
What was the biggest surprise at 2026 BAFTA Awards?
The biggest surprise was Robert Aramayo beating Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Ethan Hawke and Jesse Plemons to win best actor for his acclaimed performance as Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson in "I Swear."
He accepted the award − his second of the evening after picking up the rising star prize − in tears, saying, "I absolutely can't believe it."
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Asked before the ceremony what it would mean to him to win, Aramayo told Reuters: "I haven't even engaged with that thought to be honest with you, I just feel really, really lucky to be on that list of names."
Jessie Buckley wins best actress for 'Hamnet'
One of the awards show darlings this season, Jessie Buckley, won best actress for playing Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, in "Hamnet."
The film is based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell and directed by the previous Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. The film also won outstanding British film, but it lost out on the two major awards, including best film.
More:Prince William, Princess Kate make BAFTAs return after Andrew's arrest
Prince William and Kate attend BAFTAs as guests of honor
This year also markedPrince William and Princess Kate's return to theBritish Academy Film Awards.
The royal couple stepped out in London for the awards ceremony for their first joint appearance on the BAFTAs red carpet since 2023. The Prince of Wales, 43, serves as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Kate, 44, smiled and waved as she walked the red carpet, clad in a sheer, layered pink and maroon gown accessorized with diamond earrings and a thick cuff. Her hair was long and in loose waves. William wore a maroon velvet tuxedo jacket with black lapels.
The outing came three days after British police arrested William's uncle,Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public life.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners' wins big at 2026 BAFTA awards
