My Father’s Shadow Triumphs at 79th BAFTA Awards with Outstanding Debut Honour

The 79th edition of the British Academy Film Awards celebrated emerging and established talents alike, with My Father’s Shadow claiming the prize for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

Produced and directed by Nigerian-British filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr, the film revisits the turbulent political landscape of Nigeria during the annulled 1993 presidential election — a watershed moment in the country’s democratic history under military rule. Through an intimate and emotionally layered narrative, the project explores themes of family, loss and political upheaval.

Davies Jr conceived the story in collaboration with his elder brother, Wale Davies, as a tribute to their late father. Wale is widely known as one half of the acclaimed Nigerian music duo Show Dem Camp. The deeply personal origins of the film have resonated strongly with audiences and critics, contributing to its growing international acclaim.

Akinola Davies Jr., left, and Wale Davies pose with the award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer for 'My Father's Shadow' at the 79th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA's, in London, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.

My Father’s Shadow first garnered widespread attention following its premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, where it was praised for its poignant storytelling and evocative cinematography.

In another major win of the evening, Nigerian-British actress Wunmi Mosaku secured the Supporting Actress award for her role as Annie in the 2025 drama Sinners, further underscoring the growing global recognition of diasporic African talent within the British film industry.

Meanwhile, One Battle After Another emerged as the night’s biggest overall winner. After leading the nominations with 14 nods, the film went on to secure six awards, including Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director, cementing its dominance at this year’s ceremony.

The latest BAFTA ceremony highlighted a dynamic mix of new voices and seasoned creatives, reflecting the evolving landscape of British and international cinema.

Below is the full list of the winners in bold:

Best Film

• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another - Winner 
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners

Director

• Yorgos Lanthimos – Bugonia
• Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
• Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
• Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another -Winner
• 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  -Winner
• I Swear
• Mr Burton
• Pillion
• Steve

Leading Actress

• Jessie Buckley – Hamnet  -Winner
• 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 -Winner
• 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 -Winner
• 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 -Winner
• Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Film Not In The English Language

• It Was Just An Accident
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value -Winner
• Sirāt
• The Voice Of Hind Rajab

Animated Film

• Elio
• Little Amélie
• Zootropolis 2  -Winner

Children’s & Family Film

• Arco
• Boong -Winner
• 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  -Winner
• 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  -Winner

Documentary

• 2000 Meters To Andriivka
• Apocalypse In The Tropics
• Cover-Up
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin  -Winner
• 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)  -Winner
• 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  -Winner
• 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  -Winner

Sound

• F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta -Winner
• 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 -Winner
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso