The BAFTA 2025 nominations have landed, and as the season’s penultimate indicator, they’ve given us plenty to parse ahead of the Academy Awards. Leading the pack is Edward Berger’s Conclave, with an impressive 12 nominations, including Best Film and Best Director. The satirical drama about scheming cardinals jockeying for influence in a papal election has clearly struck a chord with BAFTA voters, securing a dominant position as an Oscar frontrunner.Hot on its heels is Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, a Spanish-language musical with 11 nods. The story of a cartel leader’s transformative journey as a transgender woman showcased some groundbreaking representation. Standout performances from Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofía Gascón have placed them firmly in the Oscar conversation.The acting categories brought their own surprises. Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) and Demi Moore (The Substance) lead the Best Actress field. Moore, fresh off her Golden Globe win, now looks like a serious Oscar contender, while Erivo’s first BAFTA nod lends her critical momentum. Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) and Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) anchor the Best Actor race. However, the omission of Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) and Daniel Craig (Queer) raised eyebrows, particularly given their prominence in earlier predictions.One of the season’s breakout performances belongs to Mikey Madison in Anora, a whirlwind romance that earned seven nominations, including Best Film. Madison, also up for the Rising Star Award, is carving a path as a key Oscar contender. Her co-star Yura Borisov’s supporting nod and director Sean Baker’s recognition further bolster Anora’s campaign.Another film gaining steam is The Brutalist, which explores a Hungarian architect’s post-World War II journey to America. Brady Corbet’s direction, which already secured him a Golden Globe, has earned him a first BAFTA nod, positioning the film as a dark horse for Best Picture at the Oscars.Blockbusters, often overlooked, managed respectable showings. Dune: Part Two and Wicked both landed seven nominations, proving that big-budget spectacle still has its place in awards season. However, Gladiator II underwhelmed, with just three nominations, none in the marquee categories, marking a rare stumble for Ridley Scott.The so-called “BAFTA Best Film curse” has long been a source of intrigue and frustration for awards pundits. While the BAFTAs often set the tone for the Oscars, their top prize has historically been something of a rogue element, diverging from the Academy’s final choice more often than not. Notable examples of late include The Power of the Dog, which dominated BAFTA only to lose to CODA at the Oscars, and 1917, a homegrown war epic that swept BAFTA but fell to Parasite on the global stage. This pattern, some argue, reflects BAFTA’s preference for technically masterful or British-leaning fare, while the Oscars lean toward films with broader emotional resonance. With Conclave leading this year’s BAFTA pack, the question looms: will it solidify its frontrunner status or join the storied list of films that triumph in London only to falter in Los Angeles?If history is any guide, the overlap between BAFTA and Oscar winners will likely be as close as it was last year with Oppenheimer clinching both top prizes, when both ceremonies aligned across six major categories.Here’s a full list of nominees from the BAFTAs 2025:Best FilmAnoraThe BrutalistA Complete UnknownConclaveEmilia PérezOutstanding British FilmBirdBlitzConclaveGladiator IIHard TruthsKneecapLeeLove Lies BleedingThe OutrunWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most FowlDirectorAnora Sean BakerThe Brutalist Brady CorbetConclave Edward BergerDune: Part Two Denis VilleneuveEmilia Pérez Jacques AudiardThe Substance Coralie FargeatLeading ActressCynthia Erivo WickedKarla Sofía Gascón Emilia PérezMarianne Jean-Baptiste Hard TruthsMikey Madison AnoraDemi Moore The SubstanceSaoirse Ronan The OutrunLeading ActorAdrien Brody The BrutalistTimothée Chalamet A Complete UnknownColman Domingo Sing SingRalph Fiennes ConclaveHugh Grant HereticSebastian Stan The ApprenticeSupporting ActressSelena Gomez Emilia PérezAriana Grande WickedFelicity Jones The BrutalistJamie Lee Curtis The Last ShowgirlIsabella Rossellini ConclaveZoe Saldaña Emilia PérezSupporting ActorYura Borisov AnoraKieran Culkin A Real PainClarence Maclin Sing SingEdward Norton A Complete UnknownGuy Pearce The BrutalistJeremy Strong The ApprenticeOutstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or ProducerHoard Luna Carmoon (Director, Writer)Kneecap Rich Peppiatt (Director, Writer)Monkey Man Dev Patel (Director)Santosh Sandhya Suri (Director, Writer), James Bowsher (Producer), Balthazar de Ganay (Producer)Sister Midnight Karan Kandhari (Director, Writer)Original ScreenplayAnora Written by Sean BakerThe Brutalist Written by Brady Corbet & Mona FastvoldKneecap Writer Rich Peppiatt, Story by Rich Peppiatt, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó DochartaighA Real Pain Written by Jesse EisenbergThe Substance Written by Coralie FargeatAdapted ScreenplayA Complete Unknown Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay CocksConclave Screenplay by Peter StraughanEmilia Pérez Written by Jacques AudiardNickel Boys Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn BarnesSing Sing Screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ WhitfieldFilm Not in the English LanguageAll We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia, Thomas HakimEmilia Pérez Jacques AudiardI’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui) Walter SallesKneecap Rich Peppiatt, Trevor BirneyThe Seed of the Sacred Fig Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin SadraeiAnimated FilmFlow Gints Siibalodis, Matīss KažaInside Out 2 Kelsey Mann, Mark NielsenWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard BeekThe Wild Robot Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann Published – January 16, 2025 01:06 pm IST