Maura Higgins Shines at BAFTA Awards Amidst Hollywood Debut Buzz
The EE BAFTA Film Awards saw a dazzling array of talent grace the red carpet at London’s prestigious Royal Festival Hall, with Irish personality Maura Higgins turning heads amongst the A-list attendees. Fresh from making waves in Hollywood, the former Love Island star, who is currently featuring in the US series of The Traitors, embraced the glamour of the occasion.
Higgins opted for a striking, form-fitting red satin gown. The dress featured intricate structured detailing across the bodice and a dramatic train that cascaded down the carpet. Complementing the statement piece, which was adorned with delicate black beading, were a pair of sheer black opera gloves and understated jewellery. Her brunette hair was slicked back into a neat bun, and her makeup was applied with a glamorous touch, accentuating her features.
While Higgins is yet to receive any BAFTA nominations herself, her presence at the awards coincides with her recent acting debut in the Irish comedy film, The Spin. Reports suggest that her appearance has already impressed significant figures within Hollywood.
In The Spin, Maura Higgins takes on the role of Rose in the feel-good road movie. Despite her involvement, her on-screen time is notably brief, clocking in at less than two minutes within the 1 hour and 32-minute runtime. In one scene, she can be heard saying, “Ugh Dermot can we please just do it tomorrow because I’ve had just such a long day and I’m knackered. Yeah I’ve had just such a long day.” Later in the film, after an hour has passed, she reappears to deliver another single line.
The narrative of The Spin centres on Dermot (played by Brenock O’Connor) and Elvis (Owen Colgan), two passionate music enthusiasts running a struggling record shop in Omagh, Northern Ireland. Faced with mounting rent arrears and pressure from their formidable landlady, Sadie (Tara Lynne O’Neill), who is eager to evict them, the duo stumbles upon an almost too-good-to-be-true opportunity. They discover rare, vintage records by the legendary blues musician Robert Johnson are available for purchase at a bargain price in Cork. If they can successfully traverse the length of Ireland within the allotted time, they might just secure the coveted vinyl and save their beloved shop.
With a tight deadline of just two days, Dermot and Elvis embark on their journey in a decidedly well-worn Vauxhall car. Their road trip across Ireland is punctuated by encounters with various locals and the formation of new friendships along the way.
Despite her fleeting cameo in The Spin, Maura Higgins’ performance reportedly captured the attention of industry insiders. These professionals are said to be keenly interested in her future cinematic endeavours. The film, directed by Michael Head, chronicles the frantic two-day road trip undertaken by the two music-obsessed friends as they race against time to prevent their record shop from closing down.
Higgins stars in the film alongside Kimberly Wyatt, the singer from the Pussycat Dolls, and actor Brenock O’Connor. She portrays Brenock’s (Dermot’s) girlfriend at the film’s outset. In stark contrast to her glamorous red-carpet persona, her on-screen appearance is notably more natural, with minimal makeup and her hair swept back from her face.
Her very first line in the script reads: “Ah there you are, did you play already?” This is followed by her enthusiastic shout of “play Coldplay” when Brenock performs at their local bar.
Sources from last year indicated that Higgins made a significant impression. “Everyone was talking about Maura and how great she was,” a source claimed. “She can act and people were impressed.”
The report continued: “There were a lot of important people from the film in that room and conversations were taking place about what she does next.”
BAFTA Awards 2026: A Night of Cinematic Celebration
The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall served as the magnificent backdrop for the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards, honouring the finest achievements in contemporary cinema. Hosted by Alan Cumming, the ceremony welcomed a constellation of stars, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Jacob Elordi, and Michael B. Jordan, to celebrate the year’s most impactful cinematic releases.
The red carpet buzzed with excitement, accompanied by a DJ set from Magic FM presenter Neev Spencer. Clara Amfo and Ali Plumb provided live reporting from outside the iconic London venue. A star-studded lineup of presenters graced the stage, featuring Aimee Lou Wood, Alicia Vikander, Cillian Murphy, Ethan Hawke, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sadie Sink, and the British grime artist Stormzy.
The Royal Festival Hall stage also saw appearances from esteemed actors such as Kerry Washington, Minnie Driver, Monica Bellucci, Patrick Dempsey, and Regé-Jean Page.
The evening’s entertainment was a diverse showcase of talent. Notably, the K-Pop group Demon Hunters, featuring JAE, AUDREYNUNA & REI AMI (the voices of HUNTR/X), delivered a performance of their record-breaking track “Golden,” marking its first performance outside the United States.
Meanwhile, British singer Jessie Ware delivered a moving rendition of a Barbra Streisand cover as part of the In Memoriam segment.
Special Honours and Nominations
This year’s Special Award recipients included Dame Donna Langley, who was presented with the BAFTA Fellowship, the arts charity’s highest honour. As the British Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, she was recognised for her prolific career and her standing as one of the most influential and respected figures in the entertainment industry. Additionally, Clare Binns, Creative Director of Picture House Cinemas, received the BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award. This honour celebrated her significant role in championing diverse and fiercely independent cinematic works across the United Kingdom.
The film One Battle After Another was a dominant force at the awards, securing a remarkable fourteen nominations. However, it faced formidable competition from the supernatural horror Sinners, which garnered thirteen nominations, and Hamnet, Chloé Zhao’s poignant drama exploring the death of Shakespeare’s son, with eleven nominations.
Hamnet, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel about the Bard’s family life, made history by breaking the record for the most nominations for a female-directed film in BAFTA history.
Irish actress Jessie Buckley earned a nomination for her leading role in Hamnet, adding to her accolades which already include a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, and nominations for the Academy Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Co-star Paul Mescal, despite an Oscar nomination snub, was also in contention for a Supporting Actor BAFTA nod.
Marty Supreme and Timothée Chalamet were vying for recognition, having secured eleven BAFTA nominations, including Best Film and Best Actor, following recent successes at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.
Other films with significant nominations included Frankenstein and Sentimental Value, each with eight nods. I Swear and Bugonia received five nominations, while The Ballad of Wallis Island, Pillion, and F1 each earned three.
The competition for Leading Actress was fierce, with nominees including:
* Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
* Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue
* Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another
* Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value
* Emma Stone for Bugonia
Leonardo DiCaprio had the opportunity to win his second BAFTA award, marking his seventh nomination, this time for his Leading Actor performance in the highly decorated film One Battle After Another.
First-time BAFTA Film nominees included Robert Aramayo, Odessa A’zion, Rose Byrne, Chase Infiniti, Michael B. Jordan, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård, and Teyana Taylor.
Emma Baehr, Executive Director of Awards and Content, expressed her delight: “We are delighted to welcome so many of this year’s remarkable nominees to London for the EE BAFTA Film Awards, a vibrant celebration of the creativity, craft and collaboration that goes into British and global cinema.”
She added, “It’s especially exciting to have such an impressive lineup of presenters joining us on the night, representing the very best of film and the wider creative industries. This year’s ceremony is set to be an unforgettable occasion for audiences at home and in the room.”
BAFTA’s charitable mission is to champion the creative and cultural significance of screen arts across film, games, and television. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round talent initiatives, including masterclasses, lectures, scholarships, bursaries, and mentoring schemes in the UK and North America, BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires, and nurtures emerging screen talent, and fosters learning and creative collaboration.
The ceremony was broadcast in the UK on BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm, and in North America on E! at 8:00pm Eastern Time, with international broadcasts available on various other networks.
