Leading Oscars, British Awards, or both? The identity dilemma facing BAFTA | BAFTA

IThey may be described as Britain’s premier film awards, but when the BAFTA nominations were announced last month, it was hard to ignore the lack of British representation in the major categories. Only one British actor, Robert Aramayo, appeared in the Lead Actor category, while there were no British nominees at all for the Lead Actress award (although UK-based Irish actor Jesse Buckley did).

Peter Mullan was the only Briton in the Supporting Actor category, while Best Supporting Actress was even better, with Emily Watson, Carey Mulligan and Wunmi Mosaku nominated.

The awards, announced on Sunday, are one of the most competitive in years. Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Battle After Battle” leads the field across several categories, with Hamnett and Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller “Sinners” emerging as its closest competitor.

Experts expect Hamnett to capitalize on the home crowd advantage, but the question heading into Sunday is whether he can realistically unseat battle after battle — or whether Bafta will once again position itself less as a national awards body than as an international leader for the Oscars.

Last year, Conclave swept the competition, defeating popular international contenders like The Brutalist and Anora. In other years, widely acclaimed British films, including Aftersun, All of Us Strangers and The Zone of Interest, have failed to break into the Best Picture category – a pattern that continues to complicate the Baftas’ sense of identity and purpose.

“Hollywood has officially gentrified the UK Awards. At this point, just rename them the Oscars: London Branch,” one X user said. Film critic Guy Lodge, writing in Variety, said Bafta should “fly its flag a little higher”.

For BAFTA award-winning producer Rebecca O’Brien, known for her work with Ken Loach, the problem is structural. “In other countries, there are awards specifically designed for national film industries, such as Goya in Spain and Césaire in France,” she said. “The BAFTAs are in two seats: it’s the Brit Awards and the Oscars at the same time. It makes sense to do both, but it’s a real dilemma.”

O’Brien, who won a BAFTA for Best British Film for I, Daniel Blake in 2017, said she thought the Baftas “struck the right balance”. “You need international films to attract interest and money,” she said.

“The UK is punching above its weight globally. Look at the Oscar successes the Brits have had over the years, which has been amazing. Our national industry is independent and supported by public funders, helping to feed the international industry with talent and skills. That’s why we received the Bifas Award.” [British independent film awards]. Maybe BAFTA should stick to where they stand.”

To overcome the dual mandate, BAFTA created the Outstanding British Film category, which was first awarded in 1948. Expanded to 10 nominees five years ago, it ensures a high-profile platform for British work. Films nominated this year include established cinema (Hamnet, H for Hawk, Mr Burton), cult films (28 Years Later, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy), and standout British independent films (I Swear, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Pillion, Steve, Die My Love).

But only four — Hamnet, Swear, Billion, and The Ballad of Wallis Island — were recognized in the other categories. “The problem is you might get one or two films that end up in the best picture category, like Hamnet this year,” O’Brien said. “And then you get the feeling that the other British films have no chance, because one of them is already in the top category.”

This year, Timothée Chalamet is widely tipped to win Best Actor for Marty Supreme in a strong category that also includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan. Elsewhere, Jessie Buckley is expected to beat out Chase Infinity and Rose Byrne in the lead actress category, while Paul Thomas Anderson remains the favorite for best director.

However, many eyes will be on the Sinners, one of the night’s most iconic competitors. With multiple nominations – the most ever for a film by a black director at the BAFTA Awards – the film’s performance will be seen as a broader judgment on recent gains in representation.

This question has been looming over the awards since Bafta launched a comprehensive internal review in response to persistent criticism over the lack of black and minority ethnic nominees. The Academy reshaped its membership and voting processes, and by 2025 announced it had achieved most of its goals.

Delroy Lindo received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but was snubbed by the BAFTA Awards. However, elsewhere, Akinola Davies Jnr received a nomination for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for his hit film My Father’s Shadow at Cannes. Chase Infinity was nominated for Lead Actress (no black woman had ever won in this category).

Film critic Amon Warman said: “Nominations are one thing, winning is another thing, so we’ll see what happens that night.”

“The best path is to greenlight more films from diverse filmmakers with diverse casts, and [having] More people of color in decision-making positions. This way, more films can rise to the top rather than relying on one or two.

Clive Nonka, an associate professor of film, culture and society at the University of California, said the focus on awards can obscure deeper inequalities in the industry.

“BAFTA has no problem with representation per se,” he said. “Over the last 15 years, there has always been some black representation. The problem is the overemphasis on visibility as evidence of progress. Does a nomination or win mean there is a level playing field across the industry? I would say no – the BAFTAs are just one element of the wider film environment.”

Although Sinners may win multiple awards, the Academy has long recognized black talent without permanent turnarounds, Nonka said. “Moonlight received multiple nominations in 2017. Will Smith won in 2022 for King Richard, and Daniel Kaluuya won in 2021 for Judas and the Black Messiah. But vision alone does not equal structural change.”

He also criticized the interactive nature of the awards in general. “Tributes often come after a moment’s notice: #OscarsSoWhite, #BaftasSoWhite, and George Floyd. This makes awards an unreliable measure of change. Black filmmakers and actors want to work in conditions where race doesn’t matter to the outcome.”