Conclave and Emilia Perez dominate BAFTA 2025 nominations, showcasing genres from thrillers to musicals. With 12 and 11 nods respectively, they lead a dynamic year for international cinema and prestigious contenders. The event will take place on February 16 at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Conclave and Emilia Perez on Wednesday led the shortlist of films unveiled vying for recognition at Britain’s BAFTA awards, as the race for Oscars glory gathers pace.
Conclave, a fictionalized account of high-stakes horse-trading in the Vatican after the death of a pope, earned 12 nominations, while the surreal narco-thriller musical Emilia Perez followed with 11. Both will compete for the coveted Best Film award at next month's ceremony.
Epic immigrant drama The Brutalist, which received nine nominations, including for Best Film, Wicked (seven), and Dune: Part Two (seven), were the other leading contenders.
Unexpected hit Kneecap, a docu-fiction about three Belfast upstarts who rap in the Irish language, racked up six awards, including for Original Screenplay and Outstanding British Film.
French director Jacques Audiard's Mexico-set Emilia Perez and The Brutalist were the big winners at the Golden Globes earlier this month, and both appear strong contenders for top awards at the Oscars on March 2.
However, this year's awards season is seen as highly unpredictable. An international crop of movies is considered potential big winners in Hollywood and at the BAFTAs, the highlight of the annual British film calendar held two weeks earlier.
Hosted by Scottish actor David Tennant, the event will take place on February 16 at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Cannes favorite Anora and Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown will also battle for the Best Film BAFTA in the British capital.
Meanwhile, the Director award pits Audiard against Edward Berger (Conclave), Sean Baker (Anora), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two), and Coralie Fargeat (The Substance).
Karla Sofia Gascon, the star of Emilia Perez, who is transgender, will compete with Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun) for Best Actress recognition.
The Leading Actor award will see Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Hugh Grant (Heretic), and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) all compete.
With AFP
Comments