There’s always something a little different about BAFTA night. It doesn’t feel like a dress rehearsal for the Oscars. It feels like its own thing. The voting body has different instincts, and every year there’s at least one moment where you realize the British Academy simply saw the race in a way nobody else did. That’s part of the fun.
This year’s ceremony lands on February 22, hosted by Alan Cumming, airing live on BBC One and streaming on iPlayer in the UK, with E! carrying it stateside as a pre-recorded special. And walking into the night, the headline is clear: One Battle After Another leads the field with 14 nominations. That kind of showing usually signals a strong night ahead, and it’s hard to imagine it leaving empty-handed.
The real question is how strong that night will be.
There’s a sense that One Battle After Another is lining up for a proper BAFTA moment. It’s performed consistently across the season, it has broad industry respect, and it feels like the kind of film BAFTA voters can rally behind without hesitation. Even in categories where the race looks competitive on paper, you can feel the gravitational pull toward it. If it overperforms here, it won’t surprise anyone.
That said, it’s not the only player. Marty Supreme, Sinners, and Sentimental Value all showed up big on nomination morning. Each has a path to multiple wins. Marty Supreme feels actor-driven. Sinners could dominate in screenplay and techs if the passion is there. Sentimental Value clearly resonated with BAFTA voters.
HAMNET, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Then there’s Hamnet. It underperformed on nominations day, missing key crafts like cinematography and editing, which raised eyebrows. Still, that doesn’t erase its strength in major categories. Films sometimes stumble in the tech races and still take something substantial home. I wouldn’t write it off. Though I wouldn’t bet on it having a great night, the safest bet to make is Jessie Buckley taking that best actress prize.
Let’s talk about Supporting Actress, because this is where the discourse has gotten strange. There’s a narrative forming around Wunmi Mosaku as a potential spoiler because she’s been recognized by BAFTA before. That history matters, sure, but this season she hasn’t looked like a frontrunner or even close to that. She even missed at the Globes. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas has also become a popular prediction in some corners, largely on the idea that she’s a big emotional standout of Sentimental Value. That may be true, but admiration doesn’t automatically turn into trophies. Fact of the matter is, she hasn’t been winning many prizes, so why would she win now?
The simplest answer might actually be the correct one: Teyana Taylor. She won the Globe. She’s hit every major precursor. She’s shown strength all season long. Sometimes we overthink these things because we assume BAFTA won’t go for an American performance. That line of thinking feels outdated. If anything, Taylor’s consistency makes her the safest bet.
Best Actor feels steadier. Timothée Chalamet has had the kind of season where momentum builds and never really dips. He’s visible, he’s respected, and Marty Supreme has clearly connected. If there’s an upset brewing, it’s Leonardo DiCaprio riding the wave of One Battle After Another. That’s the only scenario that feels plausible, even if he didn’t win the Globe. Otherwise, this is Chalamet’s to lose.
Supporting Actor is slightly more complicated. Stellan Skarsgård enters as the favorite thanks to the love BAFTA showed Sentimental Value. His SAG miss caused some concern, though that group has its own patterns and isn’t always the best measure for international contenders. Skarsgård still feels strong here. If someone disrupts the race, it could be Sean Penn. A surprise Penn win would immediately change the Oscar conversation.
Best Director feels locked. Paul Thomas Anderson has swept through critics, claimed the Globe, took Critics Choice, and secured DGA. This feels like the final stop before Oscar night. BAFTA has occasionally zigged in this category, but there’s no real sign of that happening here.
As for Sinners, it comes in with real potential. Original Screenplay feels like its clearest path. If it starts picking up technical wins beyond that, then we’re talking about something bigger. That’s the category to watch. A strong showing below the line could signal broader industry passion.
So when I stop circling possibilities and just commit, here’s where I land.
BEST FILM
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another**
Sentimental Value
Sinners
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
28 Years Later
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Die My Love
H Is for Hawk
Hamnet**
I Swear
Mr. Burton
Pillion
Steve
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
The Ceremony
My Father’s Shadow**
Pillion
A Want in Her
Wasteman
CHILDREN’S & FAMILY FILM
Arco
Boong
Lilo & Stitch
Zootopia 2**
FILM NOT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Sentimental Value**
Sirāt
The Voice of Hind Rajab
DOCUMENTARY
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Apocalypse in the Tropics
Cover-Up
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor**
ANIMATED FILM
Elio
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain**
Zootopia 2
DIRECTOR
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another**
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
I Swear
Marty Supreme
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners**
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Bugonia
Hamnet
One Battle After Another**
Pillion
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
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
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Peter Mullan – I Swear
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value**
CASTING
I Swear
Marty Supreme**
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another**
Sinners
COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein**
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
EDITING
F1
A House of Dynamite
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another**
Sinners
MAKE UP & HAIR
Frankenstein**
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
ORIGINAL SCORE
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners**
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein**
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash**
F1
Frankenstein
How to Train Your Dragon
The Lost Bus
SOUND
F1**
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Warfare
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
Cardboard
Solstice
Two Black Boys in Paradise**
BRITISH SHORT FILM
Magid / Zafar
Nostalgie**
Terence
This Is Endometriosis
Welcome Home Freckles
Roberto Tyler Ortiz is a movie and TV enthusiast with a love for literally any film. He is a writer for LoudAndClearReviews, and when he isn’t writing for them, he’s sharing his personal reviews and thoughts on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd. As a member of the Austin Film Critics Association, Roberto is always ready to chat about the latest releases, dive deep into film discussions, or discover something new.
