LONDON — The British Academy Film Awards ceremony on Sunday features a dramatic showdown between two cinematic powerhouses: the politically charged thriller “One Battle After Another” and the blues-infused epic “Sinners.” These films lead the nominations race for the prestigious EE BAFTA Film Awards, setting the stage for an intense competition that could foreshadow outcomes at the upcoming Academy Awards.
With 14 nominations each, both films dominate categories including Best Picture and multiple acting honors. However, the Shakespearean family tragedy “Hamnet” emerges as a potential dark horse, captivating British film industry voters with its emotionally resonant narrative, authentic English setting, and powerful performances in Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel.
The nominations landscape shows Guillermo del Toro’s reimagined “Frankenstein” and Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” securing eight nominations each, while the ping-pong odyssey “Marty Supreme” collected 11 nominations alongside “Hamnet.”
As a reliable predictor of Oscar success, the BAFTAs offer crucial insights into the March 15 Academy Awards race. “Sinners” currently leads Oscar nominations with a record-breaking 16, followed by “One Battle After Another” with 13.
The ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall will feature celebrity attendees including Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close, and Ethan Hawke. Scottish actor Alan Cumming, host of the U.S. version of “The Traitors,” promises to balance “celebration and mischief” as ceremony host.
Notable directing contenders include Paul Thomas Anderson (“One Battle”), Josh Safdie (“Marty Supreme”), Ryan Coogler (“Sinners”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Bugonia”), Joachim Trier (“Sentimental Value”), and Zhao (“Hamnet”). Zhao could make history as the first female director to win two BAFTAs if she triumphs.
In the acting categories, Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”) leads the Best Actor field against Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”), Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”), Jesse Plemons (“Bugonia”), and Robert Aramayo (“I Swear”). Jessie Buckley stands as Best Actress favorite for her portrayal of Agnes Hathaway in “Hamnet,” competing against Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Chase Infiniti, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone.
The Associated Press received recognition in the documentary category for Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing Ukraine war portrait “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” co-produced with Frontline PBS.
Most awards are determined by 8,500 U.K. academy professionals, while the Rising Star award remains the sole publicly voted category. NBCUniversal Entertainment chairwoman Donna Langley will receive the BAFTA fellowship, the academy’s highest honor.
The ceremony airs on BBC in the U.K. at 1900GMT and on E! in the U.S. at 2000EST.