BAFTA Longlists Fail to Address Diversity Concerns as Awards Ceremony Looms Near
The UK's most prestigious film awards ceremony, BAFTA, has seemingly sidestepped criticism over its long-running diversity crisis after unveiling its nominees for 2026. Although the organization had vowed to overhaul its voting system in 2020, following allegations of systemic racism, the recent list does not appear to have made sufficient strides.
In a move that could be seen as a step forward, Bafta has included more people of color on its longlist – specifically four individuals across various categories. Chloé Zhao's "Hamnet" and Ryan Coogler's "Sinners," both featuring predominantly white casts, have secured considerable attention. Yet, some critics argue that this progress is too little, too late.
Meanwhile, the acting list falls short in terms of diversity, boasting only seven people of color out of 40 longlistees. Cynthia Erivo, Tessa Thompson, and Michael B. Jordan are among those who made it onto the list. However, their inclusion seems largely to be a result of their individual recognition rather than a concerted effort by Bafta to promote more underrepresented talent.
In recent years, Bafta has claimed to have achieved several diversity targets. The organization stated in 2025 that it had hit its target for minority ethnic group membership at 20%, as well as inclusion of deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people and the LGBTQ+ community at around 12% each. However, these figures are only a snapshot of the broader membership rather than a comprehensive assessment of diversity within the awards themselves.
The longlists reveal a crowded field for several categories, with some films securing multiple entries in contention for major awards like best picture and acting accolades. Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has currently secured 16 entries – perhaps an indication that Bafta is on the cusp of making significant strides towards greater representation.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether these longlists signal a genuine shift towards inclusivity or merely a temporary reprieve from previous criticisms. As the final nominations approach in January and the ceremony takes place in February, some will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief that diversity concerns have been temporarily alleviated. Others, however, may question whether more meaningful action is required to ensure greater representation within the awards themselves.
In conclusion, while Bafta's longlists for 2026 show some glimmers of hope, it remains unclear whether this is a sign of genuine progress or simply a superficial attempt to placate critics. Only time will tell if these nominees truly represent a more inclusive future for British film.
The UK's most prestigious film awards ceremony, BAFTA, has seemingly sidestepped criticism over its long-running diversity crisis after unveiling its nominees for 2026. Although the organization had vowed to overhaul its voting system in 2020, following allegations of systemic racism, the recent list does not appear to have made sufficient strides.
In a move that could be seen as a step forward, Bafta has included more people of color on its longlist – specifically four individuals across various categories. Chloé Zhao's "Hamnet" and Ryan Coogler's "Sinners," both featuring predominantly white casts, have secured considerable attention. Yet, some critics argue that this progress is too little, too late.
Meanwhile, the acting list falls short in terms of diversity, boasting only seven people of color out of 40 longlistees. Cynthia Erivo, Tessa Thompson, and Michael B. Jordan are among those who made it onto the list. However, their inclusion seems largely to be a result of their individual recognition rather than a concerted effort by Bafta to promote more underrepresented talent.
In recent years, Bafta has claimed to have achieved several diversity targets. The organization stated in 2025 that it had hit its target for minority ethnic group membership at 20%, as well as inclusion of deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people and the LGBTQ+ community at around 12% each. However, these figures are only a snapshot of the broader membership rather than a comprehensive assessment of diversity within the awards themselves.
The longlists reveal a crowded field for several categories, with some films securing multiple entries in contention for major awards like best picture and acting accolades. Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has currently secured 16 entries – perhaps an indication that Bafta is on the cusp of making significant strides towards greater representation.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether these longlists signal a genuine shift towards inclusivity or merely a temporary reprieve from previous criticisms. As the final nominations approach in January and the ceremony takes place in February, some will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief that diversity concerns have been temporarily alleviated. Others, however, may question whether more meaningful action is required to ensure greater representation within the awards themselves.
In conclusion, while Bafta's longlists for 2026 show some glimmers of hope, it remains unclear whether this is a sign of genuine progress or simply a superficial attempt to placate critics. Only time will tell if these nominees truly represent a more inclusive future for British film.
i'm not buying it 
they're still only trying to tick boxes on diversity rather than actually making real changes. 4 people of color out of 40 longlistees is barely a start 
bafta needs to do so much more than just include some token faces in the acting list. what about giving opportunities to lesser-known talent from diverse backgrounds? that's not being mentioned at all 
theyve made some attempts at including ppl of color but its still only 4 out of like 40 people 
dont get me wrong, chloe zhao and ryan coogler are dope and all, but is it enough? 
also, where r the women and trans ppl in these categories? that's what really matters to me 
. Maybe we'll see more diversity on the shortlist? Fingers crossed! 
honestly tho? Bafta's diversity efforts feel like a PR stunt at this point. I mean, 4 ppl of color on the longlist is a decent start, but it's still only 10% of the total nominees in acting 
. And let's be real, those 4 ppl are mostly just there because they're individually talented and well-known, not necessarily because Bafta is actively trying to promote underrepresented talent 
. 
. That just screams "Bafta is trying too hard" 
seems like bafta's diversity efforts are still kinda weak tho - all that flash about including more ppl of color but then the acting list is still super whiteness 
we need more diverse films and talent getting recognized in major categories, not just tokenistic appearances. it feels like bafta is only scratching the surface when it comes to addressing diversity concerns 
gotta keep pushing for change 
. Allowing four people of color onto the list is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't quite add up when you consider how little representation there actually is in other categories 
the bafta longlists are kinda meh... i mean, its good they're including more people of color, but its not like they're actively trying to promote more diverse talent 
u know what would be cool? if they had a separate category just for underrepresented films 
or maybe its just a bunch of ppl voting for their fave celebs 
bafta thinks adding 4 people of color on the longlist is gonna magically fix everything? newsflash: its not that simple. we need to see some real systemic changes, like a complete overhaul of the voting system and more emphasis on promoting underrepresented talent from the getgo. just slapping a few token nominees onto the list isn't enough 
. It's easy to say you've got diversity targets met when it comes to membership numbers, but how many of those people are actually making decisions about which films get recognized? 
. Let's see some real change, not just a bunch of token nods to progress 
- 7 people of color out of 40? That's still pretty low in my opinion. It feels like Bafta is just going through the motions at this point, trying to appease critics without actually making any meaningful changes.