A skittish BBC has censored a speech from BAFTA winner Akinola Davies Jr. Ending his acceptance speech with “free Palestine”, Davies Jr had expressed solidarity with all people who have to leave their countries and who suffer genocide.
Because the BBC had left a racist slur elsewhere in its BAFTA coverage, critics highlighted how its editorial inconsistency showed its “hierarchy of racism“.
BBC censorship of a prominent Black voice
Akinola Davies Jr and his brother Wale Davies won the best debut BAFTA for their film My Father’s Shadow. And Davies Jr had previously told the BBC that the production was so important because “there’s an absence of my story” in popular discourse.
The BBC, however, clearly thought viewers shouldn’t hear what he had to say at the BAFTA award ceremony.
The state propaganda outlet cut Davies Jr’s comments about migration, genocide, and Palestine in its coverage. As Far Out Magazine explained:
during the television broadcast of the annual ceremony – that runs roughly 30 minutes behind the actual event – the political remark was seamlessly cut.
Free Palestine Cut, The N-Word Aired: Racist Priorities Exposed
Convenient how the BAFTA & the BBC can surgically cut Akinola Davies Jr’s “Free Palestine” yet broadcast the N-word. There’s a hierarchy of racism there.
And the apology, “Sorry if anyone was offended” IF? The… pic.twitter.com/LeDvfgrNWR
— Save Our Citizenships
(@LetsStopC9) February 23, 2026
BAFTA itself put out the full comment. And it spread widely online too:
Akinola Davies at the BAFTAs “To all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children, to the economic migrant, the conflict migrant, those under occupation… those experiencing genocide, you matter… for Nigeria, London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine” pic.twitter.com/YQuZUTU3yy
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) February 23, 2026
@GMB
The BBC cutting “Free Palestine” from Akinola Davies Jr at the Baftas, but then broadcasts a racial slur, is all you need to know.#gmb pic.twitter.com/haFR04OZKE— Martin Burslam
(@NeonLuvBar) February 23, 2026
The BBC had made a clear choice to censor Davies Jr’s words, despite acknowledging online the applause he had received for his message:
The BBC cut Akinola Davies Jr’s BAFTA speech in its broadcast. But it did mention his “Free Palestine” finish, along with other comments, in its online newsfeed.https://t.co/9D87HT8rFx pic.twitter.com/0F6w6M5pXk
— Ed Sykes (@OsoSabioUK) February 23, 2026
A spokesperson for the BBC argued that it had to make choices in order to fit coverage of the live three-hour event into a two-hour slot. But the outlet’s efforts to avoid political comments (particularly those going against the line of the British state) have been clear.
Film as a bridge to help process collective trauma
Co-winner Wale Davies insisted after receiving the award that:
film gives us the opportunity to create a more inclusive world
“To live this human experience is a political one.”
Akinola Davies Jr & Wale Davies, winners of best British debut at the #EEBAFTAs for My Father’s Shadow, respond to a question about the political responsibilities of high-profile film creatives. pic.twitter.com/KutquqPu2O
— Screen International (@Screendaily) February 22, 2026
And photographer Misan Harriman called the BAFTA winners:
a new vanguard of storytellers that the world needs now more than ever
My Father’s Shadow is a seminal love letter to Nigeria, as never seen before, written by sons of the soil with grace and intention. Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr represent a new vanguard of storytellers that the world needs now more than ever. It was my honour to observe… pic.twitter.com/UhGw6DMqO0
— Misan Harriman (@misanharriman) February 23, 2026
Davies Jr had previously spoken of the experience of British-Nigerians, lamenting that:
As a community we don’t really talk about collective grief or collective trauma.
This film presents a bridge for both generations to connect and for people to understand what their parents went through.
My Father’s Shadow explores family life during times of political repression and unrest.
In his BAFTA acceptance speech, Davies Jr had said:
To all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children. To the economic migrant, the conflict migrant, those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide. You matter. Your stories matter more than ever. Your dreams are an act of resistance.
To those watching at home: archive your loved ones, archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever. For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan. Free Palestine!
Featured image via the Canary
By Ed Sykes
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