Hollywood
BAFTA names Krishnendu Majumdar as TV Committee chair
MUMBAI: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has named the newly elected chairs and deputy chairs of its Sector Committees (Film, Television and Games), who will also sit on the Academy’s Board of Trustees.
Krishnendu Majumdar has been elected as chair of the Television Committee alongside Emma Morgan, who has been elected as deputy chair.
Majumdar is an award-winning producer and director and was trained on the BBC Production Trainee scheme, the ITN News Trainee scheme and the BBC Drama Series Directors Academy. He is the co-founder of an independent production company called Me + You Productions with partner Richard Yee and is developing a slate of factual, comedy and drama projects.
On the other hand, Pippa Harris has been elected as chair of the Film Committee, having held the position of deputy chair for four years. Pippa serves alongside Marc Samuelson, who has been elected as deputy chair.
Harvey Elliott enters the second half of his two-year term as chair of the Games Committee. All Sector Committee chairs and deputy chairs are directors of the Academy, and sit on the Board of Trustees.
Anne Morrison continues as chair of the Academy for the remainder of her two-year term alongside Jane Lush, who was elected to deputy chair earlier this month.
BAFTA chief operating officer Kevin Price said, “I’m delighted to welcome three new members to our Board of Trustees as a result of our recent Sector Committee elections this month. These committees – Film, Television and Games – represent a BAFTA membership of around 7,500 industry professionals and experienced practitioners in the UK and around the world, and they help us, as an Academy, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, inspire practitioners and benefit the public.”
BAFTA’s Board of Trustees comprises:
• Chair of the Academy: Anne Morrison
• Deputy chair of the Academy: Jane Lush
• Chair, Film Committee: Pippa Harris
• Deputy Chair, Film Committee: Marc Samuelson
• Chair, Television Committee: Krishnendu Majumdar
• Deputy Chair, Television Committee: Emma Morgan
• Chair, Games Committee: Harvey Elliott
• Chair, Learning & Events Committee: Sara Putt
• Two co-opted Trustees: Medwyn Jones, Samir Shah
Samuelson, Majumdar and Morgan are new Board members in 2015.
BAFTA’s Sector Committees recommend to the Board of Trustees how best to carry out the Academy’s mission in their respective industry sectors, while the Board itself manages the business of the Academy and is the ultimate authority on its affairs.
Hollywood
Who won what at the Oscars 2026? Full winners list from the 98th Academy Awards
A night of history, high drama, and gingery wit at the 98th Academy Awards
LOS ANGELES: If the 98th Academy Awards taught us anything, it is that Hollywood still loves a tortured genius and a well-timed ginger joke. While the night was technically a coronation for Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling war drama One Battle After Another, the real battle was fought in the stalls of the Dolby Theatre as host Conan O’Brien unleashed a monologue that was part roast, part group therapy session.
The evening belonged to the cinematic heavyweights. One Battle After Another lived up to its title, clinching Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Anderson, the perennial bridesmaid of the Oscars, finally took home the big prizes, cementing his status as the industry’s favourite auteur.
In the acting categories, Michael B. Jordan made history. Winning Best Actor for his visceral performance in the supernatural thriller Sinners, he became only the fourth Black man to win the trophy. His speech was a masterclass in humility, though he spared a moment to thank his trainer for “making me look like I could actually fight a demon.”
The history books were rewritten several times over. Autumn Durald Arkapaw shattered a long-standing glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to win Best Cinematography for Sinners. Meanwhile, the newly minted Best Achievement in Casting category saw its inaugural trophy go to the ensemble of One Battle After Another.
Returning to the stage with his signature quiff and self-deprecating bite, Conan O’Brien did not hold back. He began by acknowledging the elephant in the room: his own presence.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he quipped. “Why is the ghost of a Victorian chimney sweep hosting the Oscars? It’s because AI is too expensive and I work for sandwiches.”
The controversy kicked off when he turned his sights on the Best Visual Effects nominees. Pointing at the Avatar: Fire and Ash table, he remarked:
“James Cameron has spent so much money on blue people that the actual ocean is now jealous of his budget. Jim, at some point, you have to admit this is just a very expensive aquarium hobby.”
He also took a cheeky swipe at the trend of method acting, specifically targeting Sean Penn.
“Sean stayed in character for so long that his own family had to serve him a subpoena just to get him to come to Sunday roast,” O’Brien joked, to a mix of nervous titters and Penn’s trademark stony glare.
The night was not without its “did he really say that?” moments. During a bit about the length of the telecast, O’Brien noted that the show was running so long that:
“By the time we get to Best Picture, the winner will have already been rebooted as a gritty limited series on Max.”
He also touched on the industry’s obsession with youth, pointing at a young starlet and saying:
“You’re so young that your first memory is actually a TikTok of this monologue.”
While most took it in stride, some critics on social media called the joke “typical boomer energy,” though O’Brien seemed entirely unfazed.
The full winners’ circle:
Best Picture: One Battle After Another
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Best Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Best Animated Feature: K-Pop: Demon Hunters
Best Original Song: “Golden” from K-Pop: Demon Hunters
As the curtains closed and the A-list headed for the after-parties, the mood was one of relief. Hollywood had managed to celebrate its past while poking fun at its increasingly digital future. Whether the night belonged to the war heroes of PTA or the witty barbs of a tall redhead remains a matter of debate.
