Hamnet was declared Outstanding British Film at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards.
Liza Marshall, Sir Sam Mendes and Dame Pippa Harris accepting the Outstanding British Film gong at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards
The Shakespeare drama – which stars Paul Mescal, 30, and 36 year old Jessie Buckley – managed to beat 28 Years Later, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy, Die My Love, H Is For Hawk, I Swear, Mr Burton, Pillion, and Steve, to bag the accolade.
Rapper Stormzy, 32, presented the award to producers Liza Marshall, 53, Sir Sam Mendes, 60, and Dame Pippa Harris, 58, on stage at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on Sunday night (22.02.26).
In his acceptance speech, Mendes said: “Thank you, BAFTA. Fantastic. Everyone here, and there’s lots of people coming up on stage that are utterly thrilled.
“Can I just say, what an incredible list of Best British film nominees this year?”
He then quipped: “We’re not great as an industry or as a culture at patting ourselves on the back, but on this occasion, perhaps we should.”
The producer then described Hamnet – which tells the story of William Shakespeare’s (Mendes’) marriage to Agnes Hathaway (Buckley) and how the loss of their son Hamnet inspired Hamlet – was an “act of faith”.
Mendes continued: “[It was] about a movie, a quiet, epic, about love and loss, and beauty, and grief, could span centuries and generations and find an audience in a cinema.
“The fact that it has is just wonderful for everyone involved in it.”
He then thanked the team behind Hamnet – directed by 43 year old Chloe Zhao – for their hard work.
Mendes said: “I have to shout out, my co-producer, the great Steven Spielberg, for once again showing his commitment to film and filmmakers, and believing in us, believing in this movie from the very start.
“And of course, I wouldn’t be standing here – none of us would be standing here without Chloe Zhao and the incredible cast and crew.
“Or, the person who started it or a wonderful lead producer, Liza Marshall.”
