The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has published the official longlists for its 2026 film awards. The lists show which films and performances have moved forward in the voting process. Leonardo DiCaprio‘s film One Battle After Another currently leads with mentions in 16 categories, a record number for this stage of the awards. Following closely behind are Hamnet and Sinners, each with 14 longlist entries.
The longlists are a key step in the awards season. They are created from an initial pool of 221 submitted films and narrow down the competition before the final nominations are chosen. Round Two voting is now open for BAFTA members to decide those nominations.
Films Leading the 2026 BAFTA Longlist
One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, is the clear frontrunner. The film appears on longlists for major awards like Best Film, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. Its lead actors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti, are also contenders for the top acting prizes. The film’s strong showing comes after it recently won Best Picture at the Critics Choice Awards.
In a close second place, two very different films each earned 14 longlist entries. The first is Hamnet, a British historical drama directed by Chloé Zhao that explores the life of William Shakespeare’s family. The second is Sinners, a horror film from director Ryan Coogler.
Other films with strong showings include:
- Marty Supreme with 13 entries.
- Bugonia and Frankenstein with 12 entries each.
- Sentimental Value with 8 entries.
Notable Performances and Contenders in Acting Categories
The longlists for the four main acting categories feature a mix of established stars and newer talent. In the Leading Actor category, Leonardo DiCaprio is joined by other high-profile names like Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Cillian Murphy for Steve. British talent is represented by Harry Melling for Pillion and Robert Aramayo for I Swear.
The Leading Actress longlist includes Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Jennifer Lawrence for Die My Love, and Emma Stone for Bugonia. Cynthia Erivo is also on the list for her role in Wicked: For Good, despite not being nominated for recent Screen Actors Guild awards.
The supporting categories feature names like Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good), Carey Mulligan (The Ballad of Wallis Island), and Gwyneth Paltrow (Marty Supreme) for Supporting Actress. The Supporting Actor list includes Paul Mescal (Hamnet), Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn (both for One Battle After Another), and Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein).
Diversity and Representation in the 2026 Longlists
BAFTA’s longlists this year show some progress in representation, an area where the awards have faced criticism in the past. The Director category longlist meets the academy’s requirement for gender parity, with 50% of the listed directors being women. The list includes Chloé Zhao (Hamnet), Kathryn Bigelow (A House of Dynamite), Lynne Ramsay (Die My Love), Hikari (Rental Family), and Kaouther Ben Hania (The Voice of Hind Rajab).
The director longlist also includes four people of color: Chloé Zhao, Ryan Coogler, Hikari, and Kaouther Ben Hania. However, representation in the acting categories is more limited. Across the four acting longlists (40 spots total), only seven performers of color have advanced to this stage. These include Cynthia Erivo, Chase Infiniti, Tessa Thompson, Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, and Teyana Taylor.
BAFTA Film Committee Chair, Emily Stillman said: “Today’s 82 longlisted films reflect a year of outstanding filmmaking told through bold, complex and original storytelling and exceptional craftsmanship.”
Strong Showing for British Films and Netflix Titles
While an American film leads the overall count, British cinema has a strong presence across the lists. Four of the ten films longlisted for Best Film are British productions: Hamnet, The Ballad of Wallis Island, I Swear, and Frankenstein. The separate Outstanding British Film category features 15 titles, including 28 Years Later, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, and Pillion.
Streaming service Netflix also has several films in contention. Its major title is Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro, which appears in 12 categories including Best Film. Other Netflix films on the longlists include Train Dreams, Steve, Goodbye June, and the documentary The Perfect Neighbor.
Some notable films received fewer longlist entries than expected. The Palme d’Or-winning film It Was Just an Accident only appears in two categories. Other films like The Smashing Machine, Jay Kelly, and Hedda each have only one or two mentions. Films such as After the Hunt and The Testament of Ann Lee did not make any longlists.
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Next Steps for the 2026 BAFTA Awards
Voting for the next round is now underway. BAFTA’s voting members will decide the official nominations from these longlists. This round of voting closes on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
The full list of nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, on the BAFTA YouTube channel. The only award not decided by this process is the EE Rising Star Award, which is voted on by the public. Those nominees will be revealed earlier, on January 14.
The awards ceremony where the winners will be announced is scheduled for Sunday, February 22, 2026. It will be held at the Royal Festival Hall in London and hosted by actor Alan Cumming.
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