Elsinore leads 2026 British Independent Film Awards with 12 nominations
Simon Stone's 'Elsinore' dominates the 2026 British Independent Film Awards with 12 nominations, including best British independent film and lead performance for Andrew Scott. Winners will be announced in two parts, with craft awards on November 24 and the main ceremony on December 6.
The 2026 British Independent Film Awards nominations place Simon Stone's 'Elsinore' as the clear frontrunner with 12 nods. The acclaimed biographical drama has already propelled its lead star Andrew Scott into the Oscars best actor race.
'Elsinore' received nominations for best British independent film, best director for Simon Stone, and best screenplay for Simon Beresford. Andrew Scott is nominated for best lead performance for his role as Ian Charleson, and Billie Piper is nominated for best supporting performance. The film also secured seven craft nominations.
The other contenders for best British independent film are 'Effi O Blaenau' from Marc Evans, Gary Owen, and Branwen Cennard; 'I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning' from Clio Barnard, Enda Walsh, and Tracy O’Riordan; 'Queen At Sea' from Lance Hammer and Tristan Goligher; and 'Tender Loving Care' from Mike Leigh and Georgina Lowe.
Key acting and craft recognition
The Bifas feature non-gendered acting categories. Andrew Scott and Tut Nyuot for 'Animol' compete for best lead performance against Juliette Binoche for 'Queen At Sea', Erin Doherty for 'Faith', Leisa Gwenllian for 'Effi O Blaenau', and Jonathan Jules for 'Florid'.
Billie Piper's supporting performance nomination for 'Elsinore' places her alongside Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay for 'Queen At Sea', Sekou Diaby for 'Animol', Claire Foy for 'Ink', and Bill Pullman for 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans'.
The craft nominations for 'Elsinore' span multiple technical fields. The full list of nominees in key craft categories is below.
Other notable nominees
Clio Barnard's 'I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning' follows with eight nominations, the second-highest count. Its nominations include best British independent film, best director, best screenplay for Enda Walsh, and best ensemble performance for its cast.
Ashley Walters’ feature directorial debut 'Animol' received seven nominations. These include best debut director for Walters, best breakthrough producer for Tom Hawkins, and best lead and supporting performance for Tut Nyuot and Sekou Diaby. Both Nyuot and Diaby are also nominated for best breakthrough performance.
The Welsh-language film 'Effi O Blaenau' and Lance Hammer's 'Queen at Sea' each received six nominations. Mike Leigh's 'Tender Loving Care' was nominated for four awards, including best director.
Debuts, documentaries, and special awards
The Douglas Hickox Award for best debut director features a competitive field. The nominees are Billy Lumby for 'Florid', Molly Manners for 'Extra Geography', Bertil Nilsson for 'Masc', Louis Paxton for 'The Incomer', and Ashley Walters for 'Animol'.
Five cinemas are shortlisted for the cinema of the year award. The nominees are Abbeygate Cinema in Bury St Edmunds, Campus West in Welwyn Garden City, The Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness, The Kinema in the Woods in Woodhall Spa, and The Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford. The Ultimate Picture Palace is currently threatened with closure by its landlord, Oriel College at Oxford University. The award was won in its inaugural year in 2025 by the Magic Lantern Cinema in Tywyn, Wales.
The Raindance Maverick Award nominees are 'Act 3' from Christine Molloy, Joe Lawlor, Alex Thiele, and Hannah Patterson; 'Chatlines' from Neil Ely, Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, and Paul Mortlock; 'Masc' from Bertil Nilsson; 'The Peril At Pincer Point' from Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twine; and 'Something Familiar' from Rachel Taparjan, Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, Elena Martin, and Aleksandra Bilic.
The recipient of this year’s Richard Harris award for outstanding contribution by an actor to British film will be announced in the coming weeks. Emily Watson received the award last year.
Craft winners will be announced on Bifa’s social media channels on November 24. The rest of the awards will be unveiled on December 6 at London’s Roundhouse.
