Tarik Salehs political thriller Eagles of the Republic swept six Guldbagge awards at the evening gala in Stockholm, including best film. Several winners and guests voiced criticism against Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand for choosing not to attend. The event at Cirkus proceeded without major surprises but highlighted strong acting performances.
The 2026 Guldbagge Awards took place at Cirkus in Stockholm on January 19, marking a triumph for Tarik Salehs Eagles of the Republic, the third standalone film in his Cairo trilogy. The movie secured six awards: best film, best screenplay (Tarik Saleh), best male lead (Fares Fares), best costume design (Virginie Montel), best makeup (Saara Räisänen), and best visual effects (Peter Hjorth et al.). According to SVTs Hannes Fossbo, the gala was free of upsets, though Jessica Grabowskys award for best female lead in Rörelser was deemed the evenings most deserved.
Maria Eriksson-Hecht won best direction for her debut Kevlarsjäl, a brotherly drama about crime. Anki Lidén took best female supporting for Hemmet, while Torkel Petersson won best male supporting for Kevlarsjäl. The audience award went to Filmen om Siw by Stina Gardell, with Siw Malmkvist herself presenting a prize and joking about dictatorships: No dictator on our streets! I get so Trump-y then.
Veronica Maggio, nominated for 7 steg in two categories, left empty-handed. Im clearly disappointed, she told TT. The gala was overshadowed by criticism of Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand (M), who skipped the event for the Gastronomiska akademiens ceremony. Lena Endre urged her: Shape up and criticized the governments culture cuts. Tarik Saleh said: Choosing not to come shows she doesnt care. Its sad. Fares Fares was blunter: We dont need that culture minister. Ylva Swedenborg, recipient of the honorary award, highlighted film underfunding, with some working unpaid.
Despite political undertones, critics like Malin Krutmeijer called the gala impersonal and toothless, emphasizing strong acting over controversies.
