BBC Edits Out Akinola Davies’ Free Palestine BAFTA Speech

At Sunday’s BAFTA Film Awards, My Father’s Shadow filmmakers Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. won Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. It was a milestone moment in the film’s steady rise from Cannes to the British awards stage. But attention quickly shifted from the win itself to what viewers at home did not hear.

During his acceptance speech, Akinola Davies Jr. dedicated the award to “all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children,” expanding his remarks to include “the economic migrant” and “the conflict migrant,” as well as “those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide.” He ended with a call to “archive your loved ones” and a closing line that named Nigeria, London, the Congo, Sudan, and “free Palestine.”

That final portion did not air on the BBC broadcast.

Instead, the edited version showed Davies Jr. thanking his family and his brother, Wale, for “nurturing this spark.” Viewers watching live on television did not hear the references to migration, occupation, genocide, or Palestine.

According to Deadline, a BBC spokesperson said the ceremony runs for three hours but must be reduced to two hours for broadcast. According to the broadcaster, “The same happened to other speeches made during the night, and all edits were made to ensure the programme was delivered to time.” The BBC added that full speeches would be available on BAFTA’s YouTube channel.

The explanation is procedural. Award shows are routinely trimmed for time, and acceptance speeches are often shortened. Yet the context around this particular edit has raised questions.

Last week, Deadline reported that the BBC had prepared for politically charged moments during the ceremony. The broadcaster was said to be wary of a repeat of last year’s controversy, when it live-streamed Glastonbury act Bob Vylan chanting “death to the IDF,” which drew national backlash. Against that backdrop, any removal of overt political messaging, particularly references to Palestine, is likely to be scrutinised.

It is not clear whether Davies Jr.’s remarks were singled out because of their content or simply fell within standard runtime cuts. The BBC maintains that other speeches were also edited. What remains uncertain is how those edits were determined and whether politically sensitive lines were more likely to be removed.

There is also the question of visibility. Would this have drawn the same level of attention if the filmmakers were not Nigerian-born creatives whose film has been framed around migration and identity? Or if the speech had referenced a different geopolitical conflict? In a cultural climate where statements on Gaza and Palestine have led to professional consequences for some artists, omissions are rarely viewed as neutral.

For the Davies brothers, the win stands regardless of the edit. My Father’s Shadow continues its awards run, and the full speech is publicly accessible online. But the broadcast version has reopened a familiar debate about the boundaries of political expression on major stages, and about who ultimately decides what makes it to air.

Watch the full speech:

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