Nigerian talent took centre stage at the 79th British Academy Film Awards held on Sunday at the Royal Festival Hall in London, as actress Wunmi Mosaku and Nigerian-made film My Father’s Shadow emerged among the night’s winners.
Mosaku clinched the Best Supporting Actress prize for her performance in the film Sinners, reinforcing her reputation as one of the most prominent African actors working across British and international productions.
The win marks another milestone in her BAFTA journey, having previously taken the same category in 2017 for Damilola, Our Loved Boy.
Also earning recognition was My Father’s Shadow, directed by Nigerian brothers Akinola Davies Jr. and Wale Davies.
The film won Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, highlighting the growing global visibility of Nigerian storytelling.
The drama, set in Lagos during the 1993 election crisis, follows a father and his two sons as they navigate the city amid political tension.
Since its release, the film has garnered international attention, including becoming the first Nigerian production selected for the official lineup at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered in the Un Certain Regard section to critical acclaim.
Hosted by Alan Cumming, the ceremony celebrated the best films of 2025.
The night’s biggest winner was One Battle After Another, which secured six awards including Best Film and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson.
Other major honours included Leading Actress for Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, and Leading Actor plus the EE Rising Star Award for Robert Aramayo for I Swear. Supporting Actor went to Sean Penn, while Sinners also won Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler.
The wins highlight the continued rise of Nigerian creatives on the global film stage, with both Mosaku’s acting success and the recognition for My Father’s Shadow reflecting the increasing international reach of stories rooted in Nigerian experiences.
2026 BAFTAs Winners
Best Film
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best Director
Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Best Actor
WINNER: 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
Best Actress
WINNER: 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
Best Supporting Actor
Paul Mescal, Hamnet
Peter Mullan, I Swear
WINNER: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Best Supporting Actress
Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
WINNER: Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Carey Mulligan, The Ballad of Wallis Island
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Emily Watson, Hamnet
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Bugonia
Hamnet
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Pillion
Best Original Screenplay
I Swear
Marty Supreme
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
WINNER: 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
WINNER: Hamnet
I Swear
Mr. Burton
Pillion
Steve
Best Animated Film
Elio
Little Amélie
WINNER: Zootopia 2
Best Film Not in the English Language
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
WINNER: Sentimental Value
Sirāt
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Best Documentary Film
2,000 Meters to Andriivka
Apocalypse in the Tropics
Cover-Up
WINNER: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbour
Best Children’s & Family Film
Arco
WINNER: Boong
Lilo & Stitch
Zootopia 2
Best Editing
A House of Dynamite
F1
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best Casting
WINNER: I Swear
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best Production Design
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best Sound
WINNER: F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Warfare
Best Special Visual Effects
WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
How to Train Your Dragon
The Lost Bus
Best Costume Design
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Mary Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Best Makeup and Hair
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Best Original Score
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
Clare Binns
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer
Pillion
The Ceremony
Wasteman
A Want In Her
WINNER: My Father’s Shadow
Best British Short Animation
Cardboard
Solstice
WINNER: Two Black Boys in Paradise
Best British Short Film
Welcome Home Freckles
Magid / Zafar
Nostalgie
Terence
WINNER: This Is Endometriosis
EE Rising Star Award
WINNER: Robert Aramayo
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Archie Madekwe
Posy Sterling
Credit: AFP
