As the American people rest after making their voices heard at the People’s Choice Awards, and celebrities gear up for the drunken soirée that is the Golden Globes, the Brits have popped in, apologized profusely for interrupting, and announced the BAFTA nominations.
While there’s plenty of crossover with American awards season frontrunners, the comedy-loving British Academy of Film and Television Arts proved particularly fond of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, which leads the pack with 11 nominations. Birdman and The Theory Of Everything follow with 10 nominations apiece, The Imitation Game earned nine nods, and Boyhood was well-represented in major categories, but ended up with only five nominations in total.
Still, even the unfailingly polite British film industry wasn’t above issuing some major snubs. Selma was completely shut out of the nominations, despite the critically acclaimed turn from its British star David Oyelowo. Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken was similarly absent from all categories. And while Mr. Turner is up for some technical awards, its much-praised star Timothy Spall was shut out of the Best Actor race.
The good news is, it’s a remarkably strong year for the Outstanding British Film category, which fills its ranks exclusively with British stories (which is not always the case). Awards season juggernauts The Imitation Game and The Theory Of Everything face off against smaller fare including ’71, Paddington, Under The Skin, and Pride. The winners will be announced on February 8, when Stephen Fry hosts the awards ceremony.