Alan Cumming ‘excited’ to be announced as Bafta film awards host
The Scottish actor, 60, will host the awards ceremony next year.
Scottish actor Alan Cumming has been announced as the host of the 2026 Bafta film awards.
The 60-year-old actor, writer and presenter – known for hosting the US version of The Traitors and starring in American drama The Good Wife – will helm the event being held at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London on February 22.
In May this year he hosted the Bafta TV awards ceremony.
He took home a Bafta Scotland award in 2018, for outstanding contribution to film and television.
He has hosted the US version of hit reality TV show The Traitors since its launch in 2023, and has also appeared in films including X2: X-Men United and GoldenEye.
The Perthshire-born star is known for his stage success, taking home the best actor in a musical Tony award for his 1998 performance in Cabaret for his portrayal of the Emcee.
He also picked up an 1991 comedy performance Olivier Award for a production of the Italian play Accidental Death Of An Anarchist and hosted the 2015 Tony Awards with Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth.
Cumming’s first feature film Prague – where he plays a young Scot returning home to his grandparents’ country – earned him a 1993 Scottish best actor Bafta nomination.
February 2026 marks a busy month for him, as he is also due to perform a DJ set at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Winter Words Festival, for which he is the artistic director.
The actor is also set to reprise his role as blue, devil-like mutant Nightcrawler from the 2003 X-Men film in Avengers: Doomsday next December.
He said: “How exciting to be back in the Bafta fold, this time hosting the EE Bafta Film Awards, a night like no other when we celebrate and honour creativity and craftsmanship and also hopefully have a laugh and create some mischief as we do so!”
Bafta executive director of awards and content Emma Baehr said: “With his sharp wit, warmth and vibrant energy, we are beyond excited that Alan Cumming will be hosting this year’s EE Bafta film awards.
“As we honour the outstanding talent in film that brings stories to life on screen, we know that Alan will give us an unforgettable night full of laughter, magic and plenty of surprises, and maybe some extraordinary outfits!”
Cumming has been known for his extravagant outfits in his role hosting The Traitors US.
This year the prestigious awards ceremony was hosted by Rivals star and fellow Scotsman David Tennant for the second year in a row.
In previous years, the awards ceremony has also been hosted by Saltburn actor Richard E Grant.
The first round of voting for the 2026 film awards opened on December 5, and long-lists for the 2026 EE Bafta film award categories will be announced on January 9, followed by the nominations on January 27.
The Bafta film awards will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday February 22.
