Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller “One Battle After Another” won six prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, signaling momentum for the film ahead of next month’s Academy Awards ceremony. The film about revolutionaries in conflict with the state also won awards for directing, adapted screenplay, cinematography and editing, plus a supporting-actor prize for Sean Penn.
With 13 Oscar nominations, “One Battle After Another” trails only the vampire epic “Sinners,” which has a record 16 nominations. The BAFTA victories, held at London’s Royal Festival Hall, often predict Oscar outcomes and provide early signals about which films may win the Academy’s highest honors on March 15.
Paul Thomas Anderson accepted the directing prize with a tribute to his late assistant director. “We have a line from Nina Simone that we used in our film, ‘I know what freedom is: It’s no fear,’” Anderson said. “Let’s keep making things without fear. It’s a good idea.” He noted that Adam Somner, who worked with him for years, died of cancer in November 2024 a few weeks into production.
Best Actress and Actor
Jessie Buckley, 36, won best actress for her role as Agnes Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, in the Shakespearean family tragedy “Hamnet.” She is the first Irish performer to win a best actress prize at the awards. “I dedicate this to the women past, present and future who taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently,” Buckley said.
In an upset, Robert Aramayo won the best actor category for his performance in “I Swear,” a fact-based British drama about a campaigner for people with Tourette syndrome. The 33-year-old looked stunned as he accepted the award, beating Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet. “I absolutely can’t believe this. Everyone in this category blows me away,” Aramayo said.
Major Victories in Other Categories
“Sinners,” the blues-steeped vampire epic directed by Ryan Coogler, took home three trophies for original screenplay, musical score and Wunmi Mosaku’s supporting actress performance. Mosaku, a British-Nigerian actor, said she found in her role “a part of my hopes, my ancestral power and my connection, parts I thought I had lost or tried to dim as an immigrant trying to fit in.”
Director Guillermo del Toro’s reimagining of “Frankenstein” also won three awards — for production design, costume design and hair and makeup, the artists having spent 10 hours daily transforming Jacob Elordi into the film’s monstrous creature.
Royal Attendance and International Recognition
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attended the black-tie ceremony at Royal Festival Hall, hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming. Their presence came three days after William’s uncle Andrew was arrested by police over allegations he sent sensitive government information to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a scandal that has rattled the royal family led by King Charles III.
The Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” won best film not in English, while “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” a documentary about a Russian teacher who documented propaganda imposed in schools after the invasion of Ukraine, won the best documentary prize. Director David Borenstein said the film’s subject, Pavel Talankin, had demonstrated that “whether it’s in Russia or the streets of Minneapolis, we always face a moral choice.”
Oscar Race Heats Up
The BAFTA victories often predict the Academy Awards. “Sinners” has 16 Oscar nominations — a record for a single film. “One Battle After Another” goes into the March 15 Academy Awards ceremony with 13 nominations, followed by “Hamnet” with 11. “Marty Supreme,” a ping-pong odyssey that received 11 BAFTA nominations, went home without a prize.