One Battle After Another Sweeps Baftas with Six Major Awards
Paul Thomas Anderson's counterculture comedy, One Battle After Another, has emerged as the standout winner at the Baftas, securing an impressive six awards. The film triumphed in key categories including best film, best director, best cinematography, best editing, best supporting actor, and best adapted screenplay. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, the movie entered the ceremony with a leading 14 nominations, featuring stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn.
In his acceptance speech, Anderson delivered a passionate defence of contemporary cinema, stating, "Anybody who claims movies aren't good anymore can piss right off, because this is a great fucking year." He also paid heartfelt tribute to the late producer Adam Somner, who passed away in 2024, describing him as Britain's greatest export and highlighting his courage during illness.
Historic Wins and Notable Upsets
Jessie Buckley made history by becoming the first Irish performer to win the leading actress Bafta for her role in Hamnet, Chloe Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel. Buckley's raw portrayal of Agnes Hathaway, a mother grieving her son's death, has earned critical acclaim and positions her as a strong contender for the upcoming Oscars. In her emotional speech, she dedicated the award to her daughter and praised Zhao's storytelling.
In a significant upset, Robert Aramayo claimed the best actor award for I Swear, a British Tourette biopic about writer John Davidson. Aramayo, who also won the EE Bafta rising star award, defeated favourites including Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Through tears, he expressed disbelief at sharing the category with such esteemed actors.
Other Key Winners and Highlights
Sinners, Ryan Coogler's vampire thriller, secured three awards: best original screenplay, best original score, and best supporting actress for Wunmi Mosaku. Coogler made history as the first Black winner in the best original screenplay category, while Mosaku delivered a powerful speech about reconnecting with her ancestral roots through her role.
Sean Penn won best supporting actor for his chilling performance in One Battle After Another, though he was absent from the ceremony. Other notable wins included Mr Nobody Against Putin for best documentary, My Father's Shadow for outstanding debut, and Zootropolis 2 for best animated film.
The ceremony, hosted by Alan Cumming, opened with humorous commentary on the year's films, while Clare Binns received the outstanding contribution award and Donna Langley was honoured with the Bafta fellowship by Prince William.
