Bafta Voting Member Reveals How Awards Are Actually Decided

Every awards season, the same persistent question emerges: do voters genuinely watch all the films they are voting on? This suspicion intensified following the reported Oscars scandal, where it was revealed that many Academy members had not viewed most of the nominated films. The assumption naturally extended to Bafta, but as a Metro film critic and a Bafta voting member, I am here to provide an insider's perspective on the actual process.

The Reality of Film Viewing

First, let's address a fundamental truth: no one watches every eligible film. This year, Bafta received 221 official submissions for consideration. As someone who watches films professionally, I managed to view 112 of them. When I attend the Baftas ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall this Sunday, hosted by Alan Cumming and attended by stars like Timothee Chalamet and Jessie Buckley, I am confident that not a single person has watched all 221 entries. However, that is not the objective of the process.

What Bafta demands is a level of rigor that might surprise many. When I submitted my final vote this week, it took a solid half-hour. I had to individually verify how many of the 43 finalists I had seen; otherwise, I would be locked out of some of the 23 categories. This verification is merely the tip of the iceberg in a process that requires countless hours of dedication over several months.

The Structured Voting Process

Here is a detail that few outside the membership are aware of: in early November, before casting any votes, Bafta assigns each voter a randomized group of 15 films to watch. This system is specifically designed to level the playing field, ensuring that big-budget films with extensive awards campaigns do not dominate. Every voter, regardless of industry connections, must engage with these 15 titles.

The voting process consists of three distinct rounds:

Longlisting: The initial stage where films are narrowed down.
Nominations: The selection of final nominees.
Winners: The final decision on award recipients.

Each round has its own rules, eligible films, and, in some cases, specialist voters. Bafta's global voting membership of approximately 8,300 does not vote on every category. Specialist groups, known as Chapters, handle certain categories based on professional expertise. For instance, directors or editors can opt to vote within their respective Chapters. While most categories are decided by the wider film-voting membership, awards like outstanding debut and children's & family film are determined by juries throughout the process.

The cardinal rule is straightforward: if you have not seen a film, you cannot vote on it.

Verification and Trust

How does Bafta ensure voters have actually watched the films? Every qualifying film is available on Bafta View, the organization's secure, private online streaming platform. This allows members to watch from anywhere in the world at any time, though in-person industry screenings are also available for those based in London.

Bafta can track whether you have pressed play on the Bafta View portal, but they cannot physically verify that you watched every minute with your eyes open. They also cannot monitor films viewed on other platforms or in person. Thus, an element of trust is involved, which, in my experience, is taken seriously by a voting body composed of professional filmmakers and craftspeople.

Comparison to the Oscars

Compared to the Oscars, Bafta has been tightening its processes for some time. Following a 2020 review, Bafta introduced mandatory 'conscious voter' training for all members. The American Academy's similar measure is more recent: a category-by-category viewing requirement was approved in 2025 and takes effect for the 98th Oscars this March, where online ballots unlock only after viewing is verified.

Is the system perfect? Nothing is. Can people still cheat by claiming they have seen a film they haven't? Honestly, yes, but it requires effort and involves multiple checks. This year, in each voting round, I had to individually verify every film I watched. Of the 43 nominees on my final ballot, I had only seen 35, meaning I had to abstain from certain categories. That is how it should be.

I won't specify which categories I missed, but if you feel anyone was robbed on Sunday night, you know where to direct your concerns.