The results of the BAFTA Awards ceremony on February 22 sparked widespread surprise as both Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio were beaten by Robert Aramayo.

According to Page Six, the UK’s annual film awards are often seen as a fairly reliable bellwether for the Oscars race. This year’s outcome, however, proved controversial—especially in the Best Actor category.

Aramayo was named the winner for his performance in I Swear, stunning audiences who had largely expected the prize to go to Chalamet for Marty Supreme or DiCaprio for One Battle After Another. Many viewers were unfamiliar with I Swear, which has so far only been released in the UK, adding to the shock of Aramayo’s victory.

Missing out on this key award complicates Chalamet’s path to the Oscar, though the Marty Supreme star remains a strong contender after previously winning both the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.

As for DiCaprio, fans expressed disappointment over his BAFTA loss, but One Battle After Another was still honored as Best Film at the ceremony and is widely expected to be a major force in the Academy Awards 2026 season.