BAFTAS 2026 Hair: 9 best red carpet looks according to Paul Edmonds
Paul shares his celebrity hair winners from the Baftas ceremony.
Celebrities played it safe with their fashion and beauty choices at the British Academy Film Awards 2026 in London – but that’s no bad thing, says Paul Edmonds. “I was quite surprised that there weren’t more edgy looks. Even the Princess of Wales reused an old dress, but maybe it’s that thing of celebrities trying to show that they're not completely out of touch with where we are in the world right now.”
The hair fell into three main trends, Paul explains. “Quite a few people had sexy shorter hair. That was great. There was also a lot of natural hair, curly and worn down, which I thought looked good. The other key look was the ballet bun, worn very straight and very simple.”
Plus, there were some trendy men’s hair looks he also loved. All in all, the Baftas gave us lots of glam inspiration for cool cuts and elegant styles that suit a wide range of different hair types.
What were the best hair looks at the 2026 Baftas? Here, Paul talks through his 11 favourite celebrity styles from the red carpet, and shares his styling hints and product tips to help you get the look…
1. TEYANA TAYLOR’S TEXTURED PIXIE CUT
“I thought her hair looked amazing,” Paul says of One Battle After Another star Teyana Taylor’s tousled pixie crop. “People who think short hair is not sexy, they need to have a look at her hair! She looked incredible in her Burberry coat dress. I would use tongs to style a pixie cut like this, then use an oil like Shu Uemura Essence Absolue to finish it off so you get that high sheen.”
2. GRACIE ABRAM’S SOFT BIXIE CUT
Going red carpet official for the first time with actor boyfriend Paul Mescal, musician Gracie Abrams gave us a beautiful example of the bixie cut trend.
“I thought she looked amazing with her layered bixie,” Paul says. “Again, she made short hair look sexy. It looked really good tucked behind the ear with the other side worn down.” To style a soft bixie cut, he recommends Davines Oil Non Oil. “It gives a really high shine. It allows movement in there, but it's got some hold to it. And then finish off with the Sam Knight wax
3. JESSIE BUCKLEY’S SLEEK PIXIE CUT
Taking home the leading actress gong for her role in Hamnet, Jessie Buckley rocked a sleek pixie cut styled straight and swept back to one side with a couple of fringe pieces left loose. “It’s kind of a long pixie that’s been gelled,” Paul says. “It looks like a soft gel has been used on her hair, something that's smooth but pliable like the Oribe Gel Sérum.”
4. CAREY MULLIGAN’S BLUNT BOB
“Carey Mulligan's hair looked amazing,” Paul says of the former Bafta winner. “Her bob was slightly ruffled. It had a very natural kind of look that was really pretty. It's been blow dried then tonged to give it a slight wave, and they've used a dry shampoo to give it texture and volume with a powdery finish.”
5. THE PRINCESS OF WALES’S MERMAID WAVES
Tapping into the invisible perm trend, the Princess of Wales wore her long brunette hair in flowing waves.
“It’s been tonged into a natural wave rather than it being very done, which I thought worked really well with the dress,” Paul says. “To create this look, you need to rough-dry the hair and then use a spiral tong so you end up with a wave rather than a curl. Run through the waves with your fingers and maybe add a bit of texture powder in the roots to give that extra bit of lift.”
6. ODESSA A’ZION’S VOLUMINOUS CURLS
Another celebrity making a case for the modern perm is Marty Supreme star Odessa A’zion with her fabulous cascade of curls.
“They’re incredible,” says Paul, who recommends a curl mousse to create the right foundation for the look. “The hair could be naturally dried and then gone over with tongs to give it extra dimension.” Finish with lots of hair spray to fix the curls in place. “The main thing is getting the spray into the root rather than into just the ends so that you get the lift and the volume that will stay rather than dropping.”
7. EMMA STONE’S BALLET BUN
Previous Bafta best actress winner Emma Stone’s auburn hair was styled into, Paul says, a “slightly softened ballet bun with pieces left out. It makes it that little bit softer and sexier rather than it being too austere.”
To create face-framing tendrils, Paul says you need to pull most of the hair back into a bun but leave a section loose at the front. “Then gradually take bits back and pin them into the bun to create softness, so you can then work with the face and how much hair you want to leave down.”
8. KERRI WASHINGTON’S UNDONE UP-DO
American actress Kerri Washington also had her hair styled into a ballet bun with a wispy, almost wind-swept finish.
“It gives that softness around the face. It's groomed but not loaded up with products,” Paul says. “I'd probably use an oil to blow dry the hair, and then Oribe Gel Sérum would be really good because it's quite high moisture to hold the bun in place.”
9. CILLIAN MURPHY’S BOYBAND MOP
Former best actor Bafta winner Cillian Murphy gave us a grown-up version of curtain bangs with his 2026 red carpet look. “He does look like he’s from a boy band – it’s like a return to Take That!” Paul says. “I'd probably use a wax that has got a bit of stiffness to it. I would blow dry the hair with a barrel brush, then put the wax through to control it and stop it looking fluffy.”
Get award-worthy hair at Paul Edmonds London
The 2026 Baftas brought us some fabulous hair looks, from beautiful short, sexy crops to cascading waves and luxurious undone up-do’s.
If you want to make an extra at an upcoming party, wedding or black-tie event, you can trust the styling team at Paul Edmonds London to create stunning A-list looks, whatever the occasion.
Want to try a Bafta-style up-do or mermaid waves? Book a blowout or hair-up appointment at Paul Edmonds London.
