We report significantly enhanced critical current densities (J c) and flux pinning forces (F p) in applied magnetic fields for YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) films with embedded Ba 2 YNbO 6 (BYNO) nanorods. The films were grown by pulsed laser deposition with a target consisting of YBa 2 Cu 3 O y with five molar per cent additions of BaNbO y and Y 2 O 3. With this composition, deposited films were found to contain a high density of BYNO nanorods that frequently traversed the entire thickness of the film (up to 1 µm), depending upon the deposition conditions. Enhanced J c performance occurs primarily for applied field orientations near the c-axis of the YBCO, which is nominally along the growth direction of the BYNO nanorods. The threading nanorod density of one film of the present work was measured by plan-view transmission electron microscopy to be 710–850 nanorods µm− 2. For approximately 1 µm thick films, typical J c (75.6 K, sf) and values were∼ 4.5 MA cm− 2 and 1.3–1.5 MA cm− 2, respectively. For a 0.5 µm thick film, was achieved, and values of F p in excess of 30 and 120 GN m− 3 were achieved at 75.5 K and 65 K, respectively.