Nigerian stars shine at 2026 BAFTA film awards [Full Winners List]

 

Nigerian talents made a powerful statement at the 79th edition of the British Academy Film Awards, held Sunday at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Among the standout winners were Wunmi Mosaku and the Nigerian-produced film My Father’s Shadow.

Mosaku secured the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Sinners, further cementing her status as one of the most accomplished African actors working across British and international cinema. This victory adds to her previous BAFTA success, having won the same category in 2017 for Damilola, Our Loved Boy.

Also earning major recognition was My Father’s Shadow, directed by Nigerian brothers Akinola Davies Jr. and Wale Davies. The film claimed the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer award, underscoring the growing global influence of Nigerian storytelling.

Set in Lagos during the 1993 election crisis, the drama follows a father and his two sons navigating political unrest in the city. The film previously gained international acclaim as the first Nigerian production selected for the official lineup at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered in the Un Certain Regard section.

Ceremony Highlights

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