Awards season in London witnessed a significant gathering for South Asian cinema, coinciding with the BAFTA Film Awards weekend. Filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir, double Oscar-nominated this year, spoke passionately at a new industry event, emphasizing the alarming times, particularly in the U.S., and the crucial need for solidarity. Gandbhir, who credits the Black community in the U.S. for her first opportunity, highlighted the global ripple effect of U.S. events and called for mutual support within and beyond the South Asian community. Gandbhir herself is recognized at this year's Academy Awards with nominations for Best Documentary Feature for “The Perfect Neighbor” (also BAFTA-nominated) and Best Documentary Short Film for “The Devil Is Busy,” co-directed with Christalyn Hampton. She is also a recipient of two Primetime Emmys for editing.

The event, hosted at BAFTA headquarters, was a collaboration between Society O – a new British cultural platform dedicated to amplifying Asian voices – and U.S.-based strategy and distribution company Product of Culture. It served as a dedicated space during awards season, bringing together nominees, filmmakers, executives, and industry leaders. Among those recognized were Luís Hindman, director of the British Short Film nominee “Magid/Zafar,” who shared a profound reflection on the unexpected recognition for a specifically British Asian film. Rahul Sharda, assistant director of “Boong,” a Children’s & Family Film nominee, noted the growing international appetite for Indian regional cinema.

A highlight of the evening was the reunion of the core cast of “Goodness Gracious Me,” the trailblazing BBC sketch comedy series from 1998-2001, which played a pivotal role in British Asian representation on television. Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal (a BAFTA Fellowship recipient), Kulvinder Ghir, and Nina Wadia were together for the first time in a decade. Other notable attendees included Aziz Ansari, Adil El Arbi, Daniel Francis, Adeel Akhtar, Varada Sethu, Alan McAlex, Sufiyaan Salam, Richie Mehta, and Gurinder Chadha. Society O was founded by filmmakers Sukki Menon and Parvinder Shergill, while Product of Culture, a women-of-color founded company, is run by Archana Misra Jain and Monika Sharma Abbas. Both organizations reiterated their aim to celebrate artistic excellence and strengthen industry connections, showcasing the breadth and impact of South Asian creatives.

The 79th BAFTA Film Awards ceremony itself is set to unfold at London’s Royal Festival Hall, with “The Traitors” star Alan Cumming hosting the prestigious event. U.S. viewers can tune into E! for the red carpet and ceremony, while U.K. audiences can watch on BBC One and iPlayer. The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. GMT, or 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. This year’s awards are characterized by a competitive field, with no single film expected to dominate completely.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” leads the 2026 nominations with an impressive 14 nods, narrowly missing the record of 16 set by “Gandhi.” Close behind is Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” with 13 nominations. Both Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” and Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” secured 11 nominations each, positioning them as strong contenders for the Best Film award. Record-breaking achievements include “Hamnet” becoming the most nominated film from a female director (Chloé Zhao, who now has seven BAFTA nominations and two wins), and “Sinners” as the most nominated film from a Black director. Leonardo DiCaprio also made history as the youngest star, at 51, to achieve a record-equalling seven leading actor nominations. The ceremony will feature a performance of the chart-topping song “Golden” from Netflix’s “Kpop Demon Hunters,” performed by Jae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami.

Here is a detailed list of the 2026 BAFTA Film Award nominations:

Best Film
“Hamnet” —Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes
“Marty Supreme” — Timothée Chalamet, Anthony Katagas, Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
“One Battle After Another” — Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson
“Sentimental Value” — Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
“Sinners” — Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler

Best Director
Yorgos Lanthimos, “Bugonia”
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet”
Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”

Leading Actress
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”
Emma Stone, “Bugonia”

Leading Actor
Robert Aramayo, “I Swear”
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia”

Supporting Actress
Odessa A’zion, “Marty Supreme”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
Carey Mulligan, “The Ballad of Wallis Island”
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”
Emily Watson, “Hamnet”

Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet”
Peter Mullan, “I Swear”
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”
Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value”

Outstanding British Film
“28 Years Later” — Danny Boyle, Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, Bernard Bellew, Alex Garland
“The Ballad of Wallis Island” — James Griffiths, Rupert Majendie, Tom Basden, Tim Key
“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” — Michael Morris, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jo Wallett, Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, Abi Morgan
“Die My Love” — Lynne Ramsay, Martin Scorsese, Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi, Andrea Calderwood, Enda Walsh, Alice Birch
“H Is for Hawk” — Philippa Lowthorpe, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Emma Donoghue
“Hamnet” — Chloé Zhao, Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Speilberg, Sam Mendes, Maggie O’Farrell
“I Swear” — Kirk Jones, Georgia Bayliff, Piers Tempest
“Mr. Burton” — Marc Evans, Ed Talfan, Josh Hyams, Hannah Thomas, Trevor Matthews, Tom Bullough
“Pillion” — Harry Lighton, Emma Norton, Lee Groombridge, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe
“Steve” — Tim Mielants, Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy, Max Porter

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
“The Ceremony” — Jack King (Director, Writer), Hollie Bryan (Producer), Lucy Meer (Producer)
“My Father’s Shadow” — Akinola Davies Jr. (Director), Wale Davies (Writer)
“Pillion” — Harry Lighton (Director, Writer)
“A Want in Her” — Myrid Carten (Director)
“Wasteman” — Cal McMau (Director), Hunter Andrews (Writer), Eoin Doran (Writer)

Adapted Screenplay
“The Ballad of Wallis Island,” Tom Basden and Tim Key
“Bugonia,” Will Tracy
“Hamnet,” Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell
“One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“Pillion,” Harry Lighton

Original Screenplay
“I Swear,” Kirk Jones
“Marty Supreme,” Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
“The Secret Agent,” Kleber Mendonça Filho
“Sentimental Value,” Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
“Sinners,” Ryan Coogler

Children’s & Family Film
“Arco” — Ugo Bienvenu, Félix De Givry, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman
“Boong” — Lakshmipriya Devi, Ritesh Sidhwani
“Lilo & Stitch” — Dean Fleischer Camp, Jonathan Eirich
“Zootropolis 2” — Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino

Film Not in the English Language
“It Was Just an Accident” — Jafar Panahi, Philippe Martin
“The Secret Agent” — Kleber Mendonça Filho, Emilie Lesclaux
“Sentimental Value” — Joachim Trier, Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
“Sirât” — Oliver Laxe, Domingo Corral
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” — Kaouther Ben Hania, Nadim Cheikhrouha

Costume Design
“Frankenstein,” Kate Hawley
“Hamnet,” Malgosia Turzanska
“Marty Supreme,” Miyako Bellizzi
“Sinners,” Ruth E. Carter
“Wicked: For Good,” Paul Tazewell

Special Visual Effects
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” — Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Eric Saindon
“F1” — Ryan Tudhope, Keith Alfred Dawson, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington
“Frankenstein” — Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell
“How to Train Your Dragon” — Christian Mänz, Francois Lambert, Glen McIntosh, Terry Palmer
“The Lost Bus” — Charlie Noble, Brandon K. McLaughlin, David Zaretti

Documentary
“2,000 Meters to Andriivka” — Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath
“Apocalypse in the Tropics” — Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino
“Cover-Up” — Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, Olivia Streisand, Yoni Golijev
“Mr. Nobody Against Putin” — David Borenstein, Helle Faber, Radovan Síbrt, Alžběta Karásková
“The Perfect Neighbor” — Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu, Sam Bisbee

Animated Film
“Elio” — Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, Mary Alice Drumm
“Little Amélie” — Mailys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, Nidia Santiago, Edwina Liard, Claire Le Combe, Henri Magalon
“Zootropolis 2” — Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino

Casting
“I Swear,” Lauren Evans
“Marty Supreme,” Jennifer Venditti
“One Battle After Another,” Cassandra Kulukundis
“Sentimental Value,” Yngvill Kolset Haga and Avy Kaufman
“Sinners,” Francine Maisler

Cinematography
“Frankenstein,” Dan Laustsen
“Marty Supreme,” Darius Khondji
“One Battle After Another,” Michael Bauman
“Sinners,” Autumn Durald Arkapaw
“Train Dreams,” Adolpho Veloso

Editing
“F1,” Stephen Mirrione
“A House of Dynamite,” Kirk Baxter
“Marty Supreme,” Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
“One Battle After Another,” Andy Jurgensen
“Sinners,” Michael P. Shawver

Make-Up & Hair
“Frankenstein” — Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Mike Hill, Megan Many
“Hamnet” — Nicole Stafford
“Marty Supreme” — Kyra Panchenko, Kay Georgiou, Mike Fontaine
“Sinners” — Siân Richards, Shunika Terry, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine
“Wicked: For Good” — Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, Mark Coulier, Sarah Nuth

Original Score
“Bugonia,” Jerskin Fendrix
“Frankenstein,” Alexandre Desplat
“Hamnet,” Max Richter
“One Battle After Another,” Jonny Greenwood
“Sinners,” Ludwig Göransson

Production Design
“Frankenstein,” Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
“Hamnet,” Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
“Marty Supreme,” Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
“One Battle After Another,” Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
“Sinners,” Hannah Beachler and Monique Champagne

Sound
“F1” — Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta
“Frankenstein” — Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitallie, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoem
“One Battle After Another” — Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor
“Sinners” — Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco
“Warfare” — Mitch Low, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner, Glenn Freemantle

British Short Animation
“Cardboard” — J.P. Vine, Michaela Manas Malina
“Solstice” — Luke Angus
“Two Black Boys in Paradise” — Baz Sells, Dean Atta, Ben Jackson

British Short Film
“Magid/Zafar” — Luis Hindman, Sufiyaan Salam, Aidan Robert Brooks
“Nostalgie” — Kathryn Ferguson, Stacey Gregg, Marc Robinson, Kath Mattock
“Terence” — Edem Kelman, Noah Reich
“This Is Endometriosis” — Georgie Wileman, Matt Houghton, Harriette Wright
“Welcome Home Freckles” — Huiju Park, Nathan Hendren

EE Rising Star Award (voted on by the public)
Robert Aramayo
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Archie Madekwe
Posy Sterling