Timothée Chalamet's Oscar Chances Hit With Huge Blow Following BAFTA Shocker

5 days ago 6

Timothée Chalamet standing in his room in Marty Supreme

Published Feb 22, 2026, 6:14 PM EST

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Awards season was already chaotic, and now it’s officially unhinged. After a wild night at the 79th BAFTA Awards, the Oscar race heading into final voting (Feb. 26–March 5) feels less like a coronation and more like a coin toss. And the biggest casualty of the night? Timothée Chalamet.

Chalamet entered BAFTA night as the presumed frontrunner in Best Actor, riding major wins at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes for his performance in Josh Safdie’s sports dramedy. Momentum seemed firmly on his side in awards season, but then came the upset, as the BAFTA for Leading Actor went to Robert Aramayo for Kirk Jones’ Tourette’s drama I Swear. Aramayo also took home the EE Rising Star Award — the only prize voted on by the public.

While I Swear won’t be eligible for this year’s Oscars (it will qualify for the 99th ceremony due to its U.S. release timing), the optics still matter. Late-season losses can change the psychological narrative voters tell themselves. And if the race for the acting gongs seemed wild, Best Picture felt both clearer and messier.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another dominated the night with six BAFTA wins, including Best Film and Director. It also swept key craft categories like cinematography and editing, solidifying its “below-the-line” strength — a crucial indicator for Oscar success.

But Ryan Coogler’s Sinners surged in a different way. The film won three BAFTAs, including Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, making him the first Black winner in that category’s BAFTA history, and supporting actress winner Wunmi Mosaku added the cherry on top of that.