LONDON – Paul Thomas Anderson’s gripping action thriller “One Battle After Another” has emerged as a frontrunner in this year’s British Academy Film Awards. The film, known for its political undertones, has garnered an impressive 14 nominations, including recognition for five members of its talented cast.
Hot on its heels, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” a vampire epic infused with bluesy overtones, has secured 13 nominations. Close behind are Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare-inspired family drama “Hamnet” and Josh Safdie’s unique ping-pong journey, “Marty Supreme,” each earning 11 nominations.
The coveted Best Film category features a diverse lineup, including “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners,” and the Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value.”
In the Best Leading Actor category, Robert Aramayo is recognized for his portrayal of a man with Tourette’s syndrome in the biopic “I Swear.” He joins a competitive field alongside Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke for “Blue Moon,” Michael B. Jordan for “Sinners,” and Jesse Plemons for “Bugonia.”
The competition for Best Leading Actress is equally fierce, with Jessie Buckley’s performance in “Hamnet” leading the charge. She is up against 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.”
Additionally, “One Battle After Another” features standout supporting performances from Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn, all of whom have been acknowledged with nominations.
The Associated Press was recognized in the best documentary category with a nomination for Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing Ukraine war portrait “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” co-produced by the AP and PBS Frontline.
The winners will be announced at a Feb. 22 ceremony in London hosted by actor Alan Cumming. The U.K. prizes — officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards — often provide clues about who will triumph at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held this year on March 15.
This year, unusually, Oscar nominations were announced first, with “Sinners” securing a record 16 nominations, followed by 13 for “One Battle After Another.”
The British academy has recognized several performers overlooked by the Oscars, including supporting actor nominees Paul Mescal for “Hamnet” and Odessa A’zion for “Marty Supreme.”
The BAFTAs also have a distinctly British accent, with a separate category of best British film. Its 10 nominees include “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” “Pillion,” “I Swear” and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.”
Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,500 members of the U.K. academy of industry professionals, with one – the Rising Star Award – selected by public vote from a shortlist of nominees. This year’s rising star contenders are Infiniti, Aramayo, “Sinners” star Miles Caton and British actors Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling.
Like other major movie awards, Britain’s film academy has introduced changes in recent years to increase diversity. In 2020, no women were nominated as best director for the seventh year running, and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting performer categories were white. The voting process was changed to add a longlist round before the final nominees are selected.
Zhao is the only female nominee in the best director category, alongside Anderson, Safdie, Cooger, Yorgos Lanthimos for “Bugonia” and Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value.” Across all categories including documentaries and shorts, 25% of the directing nominees are women.
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