Four emerging U.K. filmmakers each secured £20,000 ($26,520) at the 2026 BFI & Chanel Filmmaker Awards on Wednesday. The ceremony unfolded at London's Claridge's Hotel, drawing a star-heavy guest list.

Rich Felgate won for We, The Hated. Olive Nwosu won for Lady. Imran Perretta won for Ish. Rachel Taparjan won for Something Familiar. The four winners span directing, writing, producing, and cinematography across the U.K. independent film sector, which the BFI cites as central to the program's stated mission.

Who judged the 2026 awards?

The five-person jury included Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie as presenters. Edward Enninful, ex-editor-in-chief of British Vogue and co-founder of EE72, returned to the panel for another year. Marie-Louise Khondji, founder of Le Cinéma Club, brought curatorial credentials to the table. BFI CEO Ben Roberts completed the roster, anchoring the panel with institutional leadership from the awards' parent organization.

What are the four winning projects?

• We, The Hated follows U.K. climate activist group Just Stop Oil and was shot, directed, and produced by Felgate.
• Lady, written and directed by Nwosu, centers on a fiercely independent female cab driver working the streets of Lagos, Nigeria.
• Ish, co-written and directed by Perretta, follows two childhood friends separated by racial profiling and a police stop-and-search.
• Something Familiar, written and directed by Taparjan, also stars her as she searches for the birth mother of a fellow Romanian orphan.

What did the jury say?

Buckley called the entries "such a feast of very original, inspiring, and radical work" while accepting the stage dressed by Chanel, the awards' title sponsor. She added: "The future of U.K. independent filmmaking is bright indeed if we continue to support and champion filmmakers such as Rich, Olive, Imran, and Rachel." Christie and Buckley jointly praised the winners for "bold, visual sensibility" and "unshakable sense of responsibility to the communities" represented across the four selected films.

How does the Chanel partnership work?

Chanel has co-hosted the Filmmaker Awards with the BFI since 2022, a four-year run of collaboration. The brand's film relationship dates to 1930, when founder Gabrielle Chanel traveled to Hollywood to dress leading actresses of the era and turn them into style icons, an early example of luxury fashion integrating with cinematic talent development on a global stage.

Who won the 2025 prize?

Harry Lighton claimed the 2025 BFI & Chanel Filmmaker Award for Pillion, a BDSM comedy starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling. Pillion went on to win a British Independent Film Award in the same calendar year, marking the strongest recent example of the Chanel-backed prize producing follow-up recognition.

Which celebrities attended Wednesday's event?

Sebastian Croft, currently starring in BBC's Celebrity Traitors, attended the Claridge's ceremony. Married couple Douglas Booth and Bel Powley appeared together as guests of the program. Patrick Gibson of 007 First Light and Jay Lycurgo of Steve completed the celebrity contingent spotted at the awards.