The 2024 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced, with the papal thriller Conclave emerging as the frontrunner with 12 nominations. The film, centered on political scheming among cardinals electing a new pope, secured nods for best film, best director for Edward Berger, and best leading actor for Ralph Fiennes. Isabella Rossellini also received a supporting actress nomination for her role as a nun in the adaptation of Robert Harris’s novel.
Following closely behind, Emilia Perez earned 11 nominations. The Spanish-language film blends musical and crime genres, with Zoe Saldana playing a lawyer who helps a Mexican cartel leader, portrayed by Karla Sofia Gascon, fake his death and transition into a woman. Gascon is up for best leading actress, while Saldana and Selena Gomez, who plays the drug lord’s wife, are nominated for supporting actress. French director Jacques Audiard also received a best director nomination.
Musicals made a strong showing this year. Wicked, the much-anticipated adaptation of the Broadway hit, received seven nominations, although it was absent from the best film category. The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as the iconic singer, garnered six nominations, while Kneecap, a film about an Irish hip-hop trio, also secured six nods.
For best film, A Complete Unknown will compete against The Brutalist, a historical drama featuring Adrien Brody as a Hungarian immigrant rebuilding his life in post-war America, which earned nine nominations. Also in the running are Emilia Perez, Conclave, and Anora, a drama about a young exotic dancer entangled with the son of a Russian oligarch.
Horror films also gained significant recognition. Gothic horror Nosferatu and The Substance, a body horror film starring Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, each received five nominations. Moore competes in the best leading actress category alongside Gascon, Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Mikey Madison (Anora), Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun), and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths).
The best leading actor category includes Chalamet, Brody, and Fiennes, along with Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Sebastian Stan for portraying a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice, and Hugh Grant, who surprised many with his nomination for his role as a serial killer in Heretic.
With more than half of the acting nominees being first-time contenders, this year’s BAFTAs promise an exciting mix of fresh talent and industry veterans. Observers will be watching closely, as last year’s BAFTA winners aligned closely with the Oscars, hinting at potential Academy Award frontrunners.
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