BAFTA 2026 nominations announced: Farhan Akhtar's Indian film Boong makes the cut in children's category

The nominations for the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards were unveiled on January 27, bringing a mix of global cinema into the spotlight. Leading the race is Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically charged action thriller One Battle After Another with 14 nominations, closely followed by Ryan Coogler’s blues-infused vampire epic Sinners. Indian audiences also have reason to celebrate, as the Manipuri-language coming-of-age drama Boong, produced by Farhan Akhtar, earned a nod in the Best Children’s and Family Film category, marking a significant milestone for Indian cinema on the international stage.

Boong, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Farhan Akhtar, Vikesh Bhutani, Alan McAlex, Ritesh Sidhwani, and Shujaat Saudagar, stars Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam. The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section and has since been officially selected for several prestigious festivals, including the Warsaw International Film Festival 2024, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, the 55th International Film Festival of India, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025.

In the overall BAFTA race, One Battle After Another dominates with 14 nominations, including five acting nods for its ensemble cast. Sinners follows closely with 13 nominations, while Chloé Zhao’s Shakespearean family drama Hamnet and Josh Safdie’s ping-pong adventure Marty Supreme each received 11 nominations. The Best Film category features One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Sinners, and the Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value.


The Best Leading Actor nominations include Robert Aramayo for his portrayal of a man with Tourette’s syndrome in I Swear, Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Jesse Plemons for Bugonia. Leading actress contenders are Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, and Emma Stone for Bugonia.

Supporting actor nods highlight Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn from One Battle After Another, while the BAFTAs continue to recognise performers often overlooked by the Oscars, such as Paul Mescal for Hamnet and Odessa A’zion for Marty Supreme.

The awards, officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards, will be presented on February 22 in London, hosted by actor Alan Cumming. The BAFTAs are also closely watched as an indicator for the Academy Awards, which will be held this year on March 15. This year’s Oscar nominations, announced first, saw Sinners leading with 16 nods and One Battle After Another securing 13.

The BAFTAs also celebrate British cinema with a dedicated Best British Film category, featuring ten nominees including The Ballad of Wallis Island, Pillion, I Swear, and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.