Arriving five days before Oscar nominations are the British Academy Film Awards – commonly known as the BAFTAs. On January 6th, the long lists in each category were revealed. There were major surprises like Avatar: The Way of Water not being in the list of 10 for Best Film consideration (same goes for its maker James Cameron in Director). Perhaps the biggest shock was Steven Spielberg being omitted from the Directing race. That’s partly why I have The Fabelmans generating a grand total of 1 nomination.
This is a show that isn’t afraid to go their own way. In 2021, while all 5 Best Film contenders were also BP contenders with the Academy, none of the six Best Actress hopefuls scored an Oscar nod (I doubt that happens again). Only two of the six Actor nominees got the Academy’s consideration.
You know the drill. For each competition, I’m giving you my picks (nominees can be between 4 and 10 and mostly 5 and 6 depending on the race) and a runner-up. Let’s go!
Best Film
All Quiet on the Western Front, The Banshees of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tár, Triangle of Sadness
Runner-Up: Top Gun: Maverick
Director
Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Alice Diop (Saint Omer), Todd Field (Tár), Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin), Charlotte Wells (Aftersun)
Runner-Up: Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
Actress
Cate Blanchett (Tár), Viola Davis (The Woman King), Ana de Armas (Blonde), Lesley Manville (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Runner-Up: Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Actor
Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front), Paul Mescal (Aftersun), Bill Nighy (Living)
Runner-Up: Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick
Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Hong Chau (The Whale), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness), Lashana Lynch (The Woman King), Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)
Runner-Up: Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), Woody Harrelson (Triangle of Sadness), Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brad Pitt (Babylon), Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Micheal Ward (Empire of Light)
Runner-Up: Ben Whishaw, Women Talking
Original Screenplay
Aftersun, The Banshees of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tár, Triangle of Sadness
Runner-Up: The Fabelmans
Adapted Screenplay
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Living, She Said, Women Talking
Runner-Up: The Whale
Outstanding British Film
Aftersun, The Banshees of Inisherin, Blue Jean, Brian and Charles, Empire of Light, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Living, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, The Wonder
Runner-Up: Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Outstanding Debut a British Writer, Director, or Producer
Aftersun, Blue Jean, Emily, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Wayfinder
Runner-Up: Donna
Film Not in the English Language
All Quiet on the Western Front, Argentina, 1985, Decision to Leave, EO, The Quiet Girl
Runner-Up: RRR
Animated Film
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Turning Red
Documentary
All That Breathes, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, The Ghost of Richard Harris, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song, Moonage Daydream
Runner-Up: Navalny
Casting
Aftersun, The Banshees of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Triangle of Sadness
Runner-Up: All Quiet on the Western Front
Cinematography
All Quiet on the Western Front, Athena, Empire of Light, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick
Runner-Up: The Banshees of Inisherin
Costume Design
Babylon, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Elvis, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
Runner-Up: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Editing
All Quiet on the Western Front, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Moonage Daydream, Top Gun: Maverick
Runner-Up: Aftersun
Make Up and Hair
Amsterdam, Babylon, The Batman, Elvis, The Whale
Runner-Up: All Quiet on the Western Front
Original Score
Babylon, The Banshees of Inisherin, Empire of Light, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Women Talking
Runner-Up: The Batman
Production Design
Avatar: The Way of Water, Babylon, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Empire of Light
Runner-Up: All Quiet on the Western Front
Sound
All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Batman, Elvis, Top Gun: Maverick
Runner-Up: Thirteen Lives
Special Visual Effects
Avatar: The Way of Water, The Batman, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Top Gun: Maverick
Runner-Up: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
That equates to these movies garnering these numbers in nominations:
11 Nominations
The Banshees of Inisherin
8 Nominations
Everything Everywhere All at Once
7 Nominations
All Quiet on the Western Front
6 Nominations
Aftersun, Elvis
5 Nominations
Babylon, Empire of Light, Tár, Triangle of Sadness
4 Nominations
Top Gun: Maverick
3 Nominations
Avatar: The Way of Water, The Batman, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Living, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, The Whale
2 Nominations
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Blue Jean, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Moonage Daydream, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, The Woman King, Women Talking
1 Nomination
All That Breathes, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Amsterdam, Argentina, 1985, Athena, Blonde, Brian and Charles, Decision to Leave, Emily, EO, The Fabelmans (!), Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, The Ghost of Richard Harris, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Quiet Girl, Saint Omer, She Said, Turning Red, Wayfinder, The Wonder
I’ll have a recap up Thursday!