Hollywood’s award season has already warmed up the new year; the Golden Globes successfully separated favorites from potential surprises, and nominations for SAG and Critics Choice Awards have already been unveiled. Now, the British Academy Film Awards have followed suit.
While Hollywood is fighting the cataclysmic California wildfires, postponing forthcoming ceremonies and extending Academy Awards submission dates, fortunately, all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, the British Isles face no such threat. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced nominees across 26 categories, recognizing outstanding contributions to cinema.
Doctor Who actor David Tennant, last year’s host, will return to lead the ceremony. This year marks one of the most competitive lineups, with no clear frontrunners and several close races. Conclave leads with 12 nominations, followed closely by Emilia Pérez with 11. Anora director Sean Baker achieved a historic six individual nods, with three more for his cast.
Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier, Jean-Christophe Spadaccini, and Romain Marietti (Emilia Pérez)
David White, Traci Loader, and Suzanne Stokes-Munton (Nosferatu)
Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, Frédérique Arguello, and Marilyne Scarselli (The Substance)
Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, and Sarah Nuth (Wicked)
Best Original Score
Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist)
Volker Bertelmann (Conclave)
Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol (Emilia Pérez)
Robin Carolan (Nosferatu)
Kris Bowers (The Wild Robot)
Best Production Design
Judy Becker and Patricia Cuccia (The Brutalist)
Suzie Davies and Cynthia Sleiter (Conclave)
Patrice Vermette and Shane Vieau (Dune: Part Two)
Craig Lathrop (Nosferatu)
Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales (Wicked)
Best Special Visual Effects
Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, and Peter Stubbs (Better Man)
Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Gerd Nefzer, and Rhys Salcombe (Dune: Part Two)
Mark Bakowski, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny, and Pietro Ponti (Gladiator II)
Erik Winquist, Rodney Burke, Paul Story, and Stephen Unterfranz (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes)
Pablo Helman, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, and Anthony Smith (Wicked)
Best Sound
John Casali, Paul Cotterell, and James Harrison (Blitz)
Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Gareth John, and Richard King (Dune: Part Two)
Stéphane Bucher, Matthew Collinge (Gladiator II)
Valérie Deloof, Victor Fleurant, Victor Praud, Stéphane Thiébaut, and Emmanuelle Villard (The Substance)
Robin Baynton (Wicked)
Outstanding British Film
Bird
Blitz
Conclave
Gladiator II
Kneecap
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
The Outrun
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Best Film Not in English Language
All We Imagine as Light (Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi)
Emilia Pérez (Spanish)
I’m Still Here (Portuguese)
Kneecap (Irish)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Persian)
Best Animated Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Best Children & Family Film
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Best Documentary
Black Box Diaries
Daughters
No Other Land,
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper
Best British Short Film
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
Marion
Milk
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Stomach Bug
British Short Animation
Adiós
Mog’s Christmas
Wander to Wonder
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer
Luna Carmoon (Hoard)
Rich Peppiatt (Kneecap)
Dev Patel (Monkey Man)
Sandhya Suri, James Bowsher, and Balthazar De Ganay (Santosh)
Karan Kandhari (Sister Midnight)
BAFTA Rising Star Award (Public Vote)
Marisa Abela (Back to Black)
Jharrel Jerome (Unstoppable)
David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus)
Mikey Madison (Anora)
Nabhaan Rizwan (In Camera)
Among notable snubs, Denzel Washington missed out on a nomination for Gladiator II, continuing his flabbergasting streak of never being nominated by BAFTA. Daniel Craig (Queer), and Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl) and Nicole Kidman (Babygirl) were also absent from Lead Actor and Actress lists, respectively.
While Wicked failed to make the Best Film category, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, a Golden Globe-winning title, was completely shut out.
The 78th British Academy Film Awards ceremony will be held on February 16 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, with the BAFTA TV Awards scheduled separately in May.
