Baftas 2026: Alan Cumming set to host film awards
Scottish writer, actor, producer, and host Alan Cumming is set to host the 2026 Bafta Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
The event will take place on February 22nd. Cumming will be familiar with the format, as he hosted the 2025 Bafta Television Awards for the first time earlier this year.
Speaking on his upcoming involvement in the Award Ceremony, he shared, “How exciting to be back in the Bafta fold, this time hosting the EE Bafta Film Awards, a night like no other when we celebrate and honour creativity and craftsmanship – and also hopefully have a laugh and create some mischief as we do so.”
Cumming has most recently captivated audiences overseas as the host of The Traitors in the US; now, he takes over from David Tennant as host of the celebration.
Between 2001 and 2017, the award ceremony was hosted by Stephen Fry, who spent 12 years in total up on the stage, and Jonathan Ross, who spent five years as the voice piece for the year in moving pictures.
Since then, the Baftas has been hosted by several different stars, including Graham Norton, Rebel Wilson, Alison Hammond and Joanna Lumley.
Emma Baehr, Bafta’s executive director of awards and content, has expressed her excitement for the upcoming ceremony, highlighting Cumming’s “sharp wit, warmth and vibrant energy” as their new secret weapon.
She added: “As we honour the outstanding talent in film that brings stories to life on screen, we know that Alan will give us an unforgettable night full of laughter, magic and plenty of surprises, and maybe some extraordinary outfits!”
The penultimate award event of the season comes after the Golden Globes, which will take place on January 11th, and the Oscars, which will take place on March 15th.
Last year, the Baftas found the standout winner in Edward Berger’s Vatican thriller, Conclave. The film had the most Bafta nominations of any film, earning 12, including for ‘Best Director’ for Berger, ‘Best Actor’ for Fiennes, and ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for Isabella Rossellini, who plays a nun who has a pivotal, if brief, role in the proceedings.
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