The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2021, celebrating the very best in film of the past year.
A total of 50 feature films received nominations. Highlights include:
Seven nominations for Nomadland and Rocks
Six nominations for The Father, Mank, Minari and Promising Young Woman
Five nominations for The Dig and The Mauritanian
Four nominations for Another Round, Calm With Horses, Judas and the Black Messiah, News of the World and Sound of Metal
Three nominations for His House, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Soul and The Trial of the Chicago 7
Two nominations for Greyhound, Limbo, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Saint Maud and The White Tiger
One nomination for each of the following feature films: Ammonite, Babyteeth, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Clemency, Collective, County Lines, Da 5 Bloods, David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet, Dear Comrades!, The Dissident, Emma., The Forty-Year-Old Version, Hillbilly Elegy, Les Misérables, The Midnight Sky, Moffie, Mogul Mowgli, Mulan, My Octopus Teacher, The One and Only Ivan, One Night in Miami…, Onward, Pieces of a Woman, Pinocchio, Rebecca, The Social Dilemma, Tenet and Wolfwalkers
The following British short films were nominated: Eyelash, Lizard, Lucky Break, Miss Curvy, The Present, The Fire Next Time, The Owl and the Pussycat, and The Song of a Lost Boy.
In a first for BAFTA, four women have been nominated in the Director category. Three of the nominated directors are also nominated for Film Not in the English Language.
Supporting new talent is at the heart of BAFTA’s remit and four of the five nominated films in Outstanding Debut are also nominated across other categories. This year, first-time nominees account for four of the six nominated Directors and 21 of the 24 nominees in the performance categories.
Highlighting a strong year for British talent, the Outstanding British Film category has increased from six to 10 nominations, three of which are also nominated for Best Film.
The nominations were announced by Aisling Bea and Susan Wokoma at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said:
The last year has seen the Covid-19 pandemic impact everyone, and the film industry is no exception. I would like to thank all those who have supported us and enabled BAFTA to continue to celebrate the very best work in film, from our members who embraced the changes we made to the voting process to the distributors for ensuring that many more films were available for online viewing. Film has always held an essential place in our culture but I think we can all agree that it has been even more important during this time. I very much look forward to celebrating the incredible talent of all our nominees on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April.
The nominees for the EE Rising Star Award were announced on 3 March as Bukky Bakray, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Morfydd Clark, Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù and Conrad Khan. The award is voted for by the British public and presented to an actress or actor who has demonstrated exceptional talent and has begun to capture the imagination of the UK public.
This year, the EE British Academy Film Awards will be celebrated across the weekend of 10 and 11 April. Two shows, recognising the very best in film of the past year, will be broadcast virtually from London’s Royal Albert Hall. The first show, celebrating the craft of film, will be broadcast on Saturday 10 April on BBC Two and BBC Two HD. The show on Sunday 11 April will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC One HD. Both programmes will be broadcast in all major territories around the world.
In the past year, BAFTA undertook a wide-ranging Review, signalling the beginning of a significant cultural shift within the organisation. The changes introduced for the Film Awards are the first phase in an ongoing process of levelling the playing field for all entered films.