Backlash grows over Bafta N-word controversy as Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce criticize the incident. Read more.
Bafta’s major mistake on Sunday night was one of editing—or the lack thereof. While no one could have prevented John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, from shouting the N-word as black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented an award, the organization had used its two-hour broadcast delay to remove other moments. These included Akinola Davies Jr.’s shout of “Free Palestine!” and Alan Cumming’s comparison of Zootropolis 2‘s themes (“Lies, corrupt leaders, poisoning and persecution of a race”) to contemporary America. Given that, the decision not to edit out an involuntary but deeply offensive slur from the televised broadcast seems perverse.
This is especially unfortunate because it overshadows what should have been the headline story: the #BaftasSoWhite era may finally be over. The hashtag gained traction in 2020 when no actors of color were nominated, leading Bafta to overhaul its rules, regulations, and membership. Few institutions have undertaken such radical reform—the Oscars and Golden Globes lag far behind—yet Bafta still faces frequent criticism for choices its members continue to make.
Bafta’s behind-the-scenes influence mainly applies at the longlisting stage, such as ensuring gender parity in the directing category. By the shortlists, they can only watch as members often select a group of straight white men again. (Again, this isn’t entirely their fault, as voters simply choose from what the film industry releases each year.)
Nevertheless, wins for Wunmi Mosaku as supporting actress and Ryan Coogler for original screenplay (both for Sinners), and My Father’s Shadow for outstanding British debut, signal that change is underway. More strikingly, the victory of the little-seen drama Boong for best children’s and family film—over favorites like Arco, Lilo & Stitch, and Zootropolis 2—validates the rule requiring voters to see all nominees in a category before voting.
The most triumphant example of this measure is Robert Aramayo winning the leading actor award over seven-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and favorite Timothée Chalamet. Forcing voters to watch films they might otherwise skip clearly worked for I Swear (which also won best casting). That the public was moved enough to also name Aramayo “rising star” is the best grassroots endorsement a film could hope for.
What Bafta loses in Hollywood clout, it gains in bold advocacy and genuine credibility. It may yet recover from the self-inflicted wound of leaving Davidson’s slur in the broadcast. Aramayo’s speech called for understanding and compassion regarding Davidson’s condition, however awkward the situation. Jordan and Lindo have handled the incident with grace. Perhaps now we can finally stop mentioning that Denzel Washington has never been nominated for a Bafta.
This article was amended on 23 February 2026. An earlier version incorrectly described Boong as a cartoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the article With the Nword incident Bafta has shot itself in the foot by Catherine Shoard
General Understanding
Q What is this article about
A Its about a major mistake at the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony where a clip shown during the In Memoriam segment mistakenly included the Nword causing shock and offense
Q Who is Catherine Shoard
A She is the film editor for The Guardian newspaper and the author of this critical opinion piece about the incident
Q What does shot itself in the foot mean in this context
A It means BAFTA severely damaged its own reputation and credibility through a preventable selfinflicted error
About the Incident
Q What exactly happened during the BAFTA ceremony
A During the tribute to film professionals who died in the past year a clip from the movie Boys from the Blackstuff was played where an actor clearly says the Nword It was broadcast live to millions
Q Why was that clip chosen
A The clip was meant to honor actor Bernard Hill However the specific moment selected without context or editing was deeply inappropriate for a celebratory familyfriendly awards broadcast
Q How did BAFTA and the audience react at the time
A The show continued awkwardly Host Michael J Fox was introducing the next segment and seemed unaware There was no immediate apology on air just a cut to the next item
Analysis and Consequences
Q What is Shoards main criticism of BAFTA
A She argues that this wasnt a simple technical glitch but a profound failure of judgment oversight and basic editing by multiple people who should have known better making BAFTA look incompetent and insensitive
Q What does this incident say about diversity at BAFTA
A Shoard suggests it undermines BAFTAs recent highly publicized efforts to improve diversity and inclusion It raises questions about whether those changes are deeprooted or just superficial if such a blatantly offensive mistake can slip through
Q What are the practical consequences for BAFTA
A The immediate consequences are reputational damage public outrage and having the ceremony remembered for this scandal instead of the winners It may also lead to internal
