Who will win at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards? Edith Bowman reveals her picks of the nominees

Few people know the BAFTA Film Awards better than Edith Bowman. The Scottish broadcaster has worked extensively with the organisation for many years, frequently presenting the BAFTA Scotland Awards and even hosting the main ceremony itself alongside Dermot O'Leary back in 2021.

She's therefore uniquely positioned to speak about this Sunday's upcoming awards, and so ahead of the ceremony Radio Times spoke exclusively with Bowman at BAFTA HQ in London's Picadilly, to get the lowdown on what sets the BAFTAs apart from all the many other ceremonies that populate the increasingly lengthy awards circuit.

With a huge number of terrific films featuring in this year's nominations – from One Battle After Another to Sinners – Bowman also picked out a few films and performances that she'd been especially wowed by, as well as singing the praises for another tremendous year of British cinema.

We were joined for the conversation by Zeena Hill, the director of marketing for BAFTA's official screen partner Samsung Home Entertainment & Appliance, who also gave her verdict on which films she'd love to see triumph at Royal Festival Hall this weekend.

You can read the full chat below:

Radio Times: Awards season consists of so many different ceremonies. What is that makes the BAFTA Film Awards stand out from the rest?

Edith Bowman: I've been lucky enough to work with BAFTA over the years in various different guises. And the award shows are the kind of front-facing thing are amazing and recognising people's achievements. I love all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don't realise – that BAFTA is a charity, and the support that it gives that next generation of talent, whether they be in front of the camera, behind the camera...

But I think what's great is the way that BAFTA is constantly evolving with the its juries, and its processes. It's really listening to what's going on in the outside world and adjusting that to really feel like it's moving with the times and addressing issues that may well need to be addressed, and things like bringing in a casting award and things like that.

So making sure that everybody is really getting the recognition that they deserve. And I really like as well how they do the long list, because it really does shine a light on those smaller films that maybe don't get that press that all those big films get, and that is so important.

Zeena Hill: From our perspective, being an official screen partner, one of the reasons why we have this partnership with BAFTA is around craftsmanship... BAFTA's credibility around craftsmanship, and how it has the craft awards, and how it really champions craftsmanship, whether it's cinematography, whether it's sound engineering... That for us is how our relationship started, and that's what we see in terms of the Film Awards.

RT: The BAFTA Film Awards also celebrate British film. What have you made of the past year of British cinema? Do you have any favourites?

EB: I think it's extraordinary. I think every year we see the scale in terms of of what British cinema is capable of doing. And you see that as well, even in the production side of things in terms of how many films are coming to the UK to be made, in terms of the crews that we have. When you look at those British films that are nominated this year, everything from Pillion to Bridget Jones and everything in between. And I think that Pillion, for me, is just like... as a debut feature, you're kind of like, 'wow.'

It's like, what an exciting and brilliant breath of fresh air of a creative voice to be recognised that early on in your career, it's so exciting. And then someone like Lynne [Ramsey], who is a complete craftswomen in every element of her filmmaking. I'm really thrilled that that film [Die My Love] has been recognised. Like on a surface level, it might look like an American film, in terms of Jennifer Lawrence and it's set in the States, but behind the scenes it's all British. Andrea Calderwood, the producer, all that kind of stuff, Seamus McGarvey the cinematographer... it's the best of the best of Brits.

ZH: From my perspective, I think the one standout for me is I Swear. Because I remember the original TV show, the documentary about [Tourette's] as a topic. And I have to say, when I saw that come up [in the nominations] I was really so proud because this is so British. The topic itself is something that's instilled in me decades ago with this documentary and, for me, it's such a proud moment to sit where I sit, helping in our way a charity that is absolutely recognising British filmmaking and British talent.

It's just phenomenal, because it's not just Downton Abbey. Sometimes people go, 'the British film industry is all about period dramas and things.' [But] it's really gritty. And there's so much in there. I mean, if you look at Hamnet, for example, it's an ensemble, right? That's what I love. It's an ensemble with some really great British talent in there as well. That's what I love this year.

RT: Do you have favourites from the nominees that you'd like to see win particular awards?

EB: What I like is that... there's obviously clear favourites there. But I think what's great across the nominees is that there is so many great films nominated. And I'd quite like to sort of hand out one to so many. You know what I mean? I want One Battle After Another to win one. I want Lynne to win for Die My Love for British film. But then I also want Steve [starring Cillian Murphy] to win. I want Frankenstein to win something.

It's so hard because that's the great thing about cinema, you have an emotional connection to these stories and these characters, and so to try and pick them out is hard. And also different days, you feel different ways about things as well. Like I was lucky enough to chat to Chloe [Zhao] about Hamnet and that film affected me so massively that when I sat down to interview her I burst into tears because it was still with me. So they all have really special places. Sirat as well... and My Father's Shadow.

ZH: I think the difficulty for me is there's so many different genres. But I think connection has been a real one for me this year, I felt so connected to so many of these movies. So whether it's Chloe's movie about grief, and you're like, 'Oh my God,' it's a real guttural feeling. So I felt real connection to a lot of the movies. I think that's why it makes it really difficult to go, 'I want this one over that one' because they've all been so good. And I think this is the beauty of this year is every one that I've watched so far – there's a few that I haven't watched yet – but every one that I've watched so far, I have come out going, 'Oh my God, that was brilliant.'

EB: Marty Supreme as well. I didn't know, whilst I was watching that film that I was so invested in the character, until one point that I just burst out crying. And I didn't know it was coming. I was crying for the rest of the film. I was like, 'What are you doing?', almost having a conversation with myself, it was crazy. It's just an extraordinary year. Then F1. I'm slightly obsessed with F1 so that was great. And I actually rewatched that the other day on TV and having that ability to crank up those moments where Hans Zimmer's score is going a bit Daft Punk... it's just that immersive experience.

What are the performances this year that have really stood out to you?

EB: Jessie Buckley, I mean... That's another thing about British and Irish cinema is that idea that we are just kind of punching [above our weight]. It's great. I thought Timmy [Chalamet] was phenomenal in Marty Supreme, Leo [DiCaprio] in One Battle After Another as well. For someone like Leonardo DiCaprio, who you've watched in so many films, to be given the opportunity to sort of see a different side of film as well. And then new talent, like Chase Infiniti I thought was... you know, to hold her own in scenes with Sean Penn and Leonardo DiCpario was just incredible.

ZH: Robert [Aramayo], just an outstanding performance. When I look at that, it's nothing contrived, it's pure acting. So I think definitely Robert. And Jessie... Oh my god. That was just... as a mum as well... Oh my gosh, my daughter was sitting next to me watching it in the cinema, and someone at the end said, 'All I could hear was all of this sobbing.' I was like, 'That was us!'

EB: On Robert, I mean, I didn't really know him as an actor when I watched it, and being a Scot, there was not one minute in that film where I thought 'he's not Scottish'. And when I heard him talk in real life, I was like, 'Sorry?' And that physicality of being able to embody such a unique thing, of reflexes to that condition and be living with that and how he just managed to... what a performance to make us all believe, really.

I also did a great conversation with Jacob Elordi last week about Frankenstein. And I mean, that's a fantastic performance as well. Just the idea that he's behind so much prosthetic and still gets so much storytelling and emotion from the creature. And there was an English teacher in the audience. And she said, 'Can I just say a massive thank you on behalf of the English department, because I feel like you have reignited, particularly, a certain demographic's interest in the classics!'.

The EE BAFTA Film Awards will take place at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 22nd February 2026.

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