BAFTA Nominations Will Follow the Oscars for the First Time in Decades
The season’s script just got flipped — and momentum might never look the same.
August 14, 2025 | By Lisa Hatzenbeller
For the first time since 2001, BAFTA nominations will land after the Oscar noms — January 27 vs. January 22. That flips the script: the traditional “BAFTA bump” that helps Oscar hopefuls get nominated will now happen too late to sway the shortlists, but it could become a high-profile closer in the final stretch before Oscars voting ends.
Extended viewing and voting windows could also mean tighter races, more late surges, and a little chaos in the momentum game. Campaigns will have to play a long, patient strategy, with the Oscars not until March 15 — three full weeks after BAFTA night on February 22.
A few insider tweaks to watch:
• Documentary: Only members with doc/non-fiction experience can shape the longlist, but the full BAFTA body will now pick the winner. Expect the shortlist to feel even more “specialist-approved” while still giving the big tent vote its say.
• British Shorts: For the first time, the full membership gets to decide the British Film and British Animation Short winners — raising the visibility and competitiveness of the categories.
All told, the season just got longer, the maps got redrawn, and momentum could shift more than once before the finish line. This might be the most unpredictable Oscars race in years.
What do you think — will BAFTA’s later date shake up the Oscars, or will the race stay the same? Let’s hear your predictions. Reply on X @OscarObsessADHD or join the conversation on today’s Instagram post @OscarObsessedADHD.
