Sean Penn sparks fiery Bafta row as film fans fume at 'ROBBED' fellow nominee after Supporting Actor awards win: 'Insanity!'

The American star was not present at London's Royal Festival Hall to accept the honour, with Gillian Anderson and Maggie Gylenhaal instead accepting the award on his behalf.

The victory represents a significant moment for the two-time Oscar winner, who had previously been overlooked by the British Academy despite multiple nominations over the years.

One Battle After Another, which also features Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, and Benicio Del Toro, entered tonight's awards as the frontrunner with 14 nominations.

In Mr Penn's category, he saw off co-star Mr Del Toro, I Swear's Peter Mullan, Frankenstein's Jacob Elordi, Sentimental Value's Stellan Skarsgard, and Hamnet's Paul Mescal.

However, despite this being a history-making victory for Mr Penn, it's safe to say not all film fans were in agreement with the jury's decision.

Reacting to popular cinema blog Film Updates on X, the debate quickly erupted.

"Are you serious? Not Jacob, Benicio or Skarsgård?" one X user asked after learning of Mr Penn's award win.

"Stellan was robbed," a second fan echoed, while a third film fan weighed in: "NOOOOOO BENICIO ROBBED."

A fourth was similarly unimpressed: "Oh god, Sean Penn??? Jesus, Gross!!!"

"Stellan and Paul were robbed," a fifth concurred, while a sixth branded the decision as "insanity".

Sean Penn wins Best Actor in a Supporting Role for ‘ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER’ at the 2026 BAFTAs. pic.twitter.com/LXU0ui56Rk

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) February 22, 2026

However, Mr Penn did receive plenty of applause from others who jumped to the actor's defence in light of the backlash.

One X user hit back: "Hell Yeah!! Oh my god, such a great performance. Sean Penn is likely gonna win his third Oscar. They do like villain roles like Christoph Waltz and Javier Barden what can I say."

And a second also praised the 65-year-old: "From performance to recognition pure excellence! Congrats to Sean Penn." (sic)

Mr Penn's triumph marks the culmination of more than two decades of Bafta recognition without a win.

His first brush with the British Academy came in 2003, when he secured nominations for his leading performances in both Mystic River and 21 Grams.

Five years later, he returned to the nominees list for his acclaimed turn in Milk, yet once again departed empty-handed.

Sunday night's award, therefore, represents third time lucky for the veteran performer, who has finally converted his Bafta nominations into silverware with this supporting role in Mr Anderson's ensemble drama.

The 2026 Bafta Film Awards were held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, with Scottish actor Alan Cumming taking on hosting duties.

Mr Cumming has stepped into the role previously occupied by fellow Scot David Tennant.

However, it wasn't just Mr Penn who sparked debate, with the Scottish host also coming under fire for his opening monologue and political digs.