Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically themed action film, “One Battle After Another,” dominates the British Academy Film Awards race with 14 nominations announced on Tuesday. The movie has earned recognition in various categories, including acting nominations for five cast members.
Ryan Coogler’s blues-infused vampire epic, “Sinners,” follows closely with 13 nominations, while Chloé Zhao’s Shakespearean family tragedy, “Hamnet,” and Josh Safdie’s ping-pong adventure, “Marty Supreme,” each received 11 nominations.
Guillermo Del Toro’s reimagining of “Frankenstein” and the Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” both garnered eight nominations, rounding out the top contenders for both the British and Hollywood Academy Awards.
The nominees for Best Film include “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners,” and “Sentimental Value.”
Jane Millichip, the CEO of BAFTA, highlighted the significance of films such as “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” for addressing significant societal issues like activism and Black identity, as well as films exploring the complexities of family relationships.
In the Best Leading Actor category, contenders include Robert Aramayo for his role in the biographical drama “I Swear,” Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke for the Broadway biopic “Blue Moon,” Michael B. Jordan for “Sinners,” and Jesse Plemons for the dystopian tragicomedy “Bugonia.”
The leading actress category features Jessie Buckley for her portrayal of Agnes Hathaway in “Hamnet,” Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue,” Chase Infiniti for “One Battle After Another,” Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value,” and Emma Stone for “Bugonia.”
Actors from “One Battle After Another,” Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn, received nominations for their supporting roles.
The Associated Press was recognized in the Best Documentary category for Mstyslav Chernov’s powerful Ukraine war documentary, “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” a co-production with PBS Frontline.
The award winners will be announced at a ceremony on Feb. 22 in London, hosted by actor Alan Cumming. The BAFTA Film Awards often serve as a precursor to the Hollywood Academy Awards, offering insights into potential winners.
The BAFTA Awards have a distinctive British touch, including a category for Best British Film. This year’s nominees in that category include “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” “Pillion,” “I Swear,” and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.”
The BAFTA voting process involves industry professionals, with winners decided by 8,500 academy members. The Rising Star Award is the only category determined by public vote, with this year’s nominees including Infiniti, Aramayo, Miles Caton from “Sinners,” and British actors Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling.
The BAFTA Academy, like other major awards, has made efforts to enhance diversity, introducing changes to increase inclusivity. Notably, the 2020 awards faced criticism for lack of diversity among nominees, prompting adjustments to the voting process.
Chloé Zhao is the only female nominee in the Best Director category, alongside other talented directors like Anderson, Safdie, Cooger, Yorgos Lanthimos for “Bugonia,” and Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value.” In all categories, a quarter of the directing nominees are women.