Nigerian-British filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr and his brother, Nigerian rapper Tec of the Show Dem Camp duo, Wale Davies, have won the award for ‘Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer’ at the 79th British Academy Film Awards for My Father’s Shadow.
The 2026 BAFTAs were held on Sunday at London’s Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
Written by Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr, and directed by Akinola Davies Jr. The story is set in 1993 during Nigeria’s annulled presidential elections, starring Sope Dirisu as a struggling father raising two sons. He takes them on an unexpected trip that forces the family to confront financial hardship, political unrest and long-buried secrets.
‘My Father’s Shadow’ made its world debut on May 18, 2025, at the Cannes Film Festival, and was released in Nigerian theatres on September 19, 2025, before opening in the UK & Ireland on February 6.
The film received widespread critical reviews, earning a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 85 out of 100 on Metacritic.
In November 2025, it was screened in the International Competition section of the 56th International Film Festival of India, where it won the Silver Peacock Special Jury Award.
Also at the ceremony, Nigerian-British actress Wunmi Mosaku won the ‘Supporting Actress’ category for her role as Annie in Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, marking her second win of the award.
Meanwhile, ‘One Battle After Another’ walked away from the ceremony as the biggest winner of the night, being named Best Film, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director after leading with 14 nods,
Full list of the 2026 BAFTAs winners
Best Film
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
Director
- Yorgos Lanthimos – Bugonia
- Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
- Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
- Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
- Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
- Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Outstanding British Film
- 28 Years Later
- The Ballad Of Wallis Island
- Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
- Die My Love
- H Is For Hawk
- Hamnet
- I Swear
- Mr Burton
- Pillion
- Steve
Leading Actress
- Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
- Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
- Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
- Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
- Emma Stone – Bugonia
Leading Actor
- Robert Aramayo – I Swear
- Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
- Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
Supporting Actress
- Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
- Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
- Carey Mulligan – The Ballad Of Wallis Island
- Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
- Emily Watson – Hamnet
Supporting Actor
- Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
- Paul Mescal – Hamnet
- Peter Mullan – I Swear
- Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
- Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Film Not In The English Language
- It Was Just An Accident
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sirāt
- The Voice Of Hind Rajab
Animated Film
- Elio
- Little Amélie
- Zootropolis 2
Children’s & Family Film
- Arco
- Boong
- Lilo & Stitch
- Zootropolis 2
Adapted Screenplay
- The Ballad Of Wallis Island – Tom Basden, Tim Key
- Bugonia – Will Tracy
- Hamnet – Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell
- One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
- Pillion – Harry Lighton
Original Screenplay
- I Swear – Kirk Jones
- Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
- The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
- Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Documentary
- 2000 Meters To Andriivka
- Apocalypse In The Tropics
- Cover-Up
- Mr Nobody Against Putin
- The Perfect Neighbor
Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer
- The Ceremony – Jack King (director, writer), Hollie Bryan (producer), Lucy Meer (producer)
- My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr. (director), Wale Davies (writer)
- Pillion – Harry Lighton (director, writer)
- A Want In Her – Myrid Carten (director)
- Wasteman – Cal Mcmau (director), Hunter Andrews (writer), Eoin Doran (writer)
Ee Rising Star Award (Voted For By The Public)
- Robert Aramayo
- Miles Caton
- Chase Infiniti
- Archie Madekwe
- Posy Sterling
Original Score
- Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
- Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
- Hamnet – Max Richter
- One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
- Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
Sound
- F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta
- Frankenstein – Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitallie, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoem
- One Battle After Another – Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor
- Sinners – Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco
- Warfare – Mitch Low, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner
Cinematography
- Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
- Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji
- One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
- Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
- Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso
Costume Design
- Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
- Hamnet – Malgosia Turzanska
- Marty Supreme – Miyako Bellizzi
- Sinners – Ruth E. Carter
- Wicked: For Good – Paul Tazewell
Editing
- F1 – Stephen Mirrione
- A House Of Dynamite – Kirk Baxter
- Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
- One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
- Sinners – Michael P. Shawver
Casting
- I Swear – Lauren Evans
- Marty Supreme – Jennifer Venditti
- One Battle After Another – Cassandra Kulukundis
- Sentimental Value – Yngvill Kolset Haga, Avy Kaufman
- Sinners – Francine Maisler
Production Design
- Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau
- Hamnet – Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
- Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk, Adam Willis
- One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino
- Sinners – Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne
Special Visual Effects
- Avatar: Fire And Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Eric Saindon
- F1 – Ryan Tudhope, Keith Alfred Dawson, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington
- Frankenstein – Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell
- How To Train Your Dragon – Christian Mänz, Francois Lambert, Glen Mcintosh, Terry Palmer
- The Lost Bus – Charlie Noble, Brandon K. McLaughlin, David Zaretti
British Short Film
- Magid / Zafar – Luis Hindman, Sufiyaan Salam, Aidan Robert Brooks
- Nostalgie – Kathryn Ferguson, Stacey Gregg, Marc Robinson, Kath Mattock
- Terence – Edem Kelman, Noah Reich
- This Is Endometriosis – Georgie Wileman, Matt Houghton, Harriette Wright
- Welcome Home – Freckles Huiju Park, Nathan Hendren
British Short Animation
- Cardboard – J.P. Vine, Michaela Manas Malina
- Solstice – Luke Angus
- Two Black Boys In Paradise – Baz Sells, Dean Atta, Ben Jackson
