This year’s BAFTA film nominations feature the usual mixture of expected nods and surprising snubs. Leading the pack is the unlikely hit of last summer, Oppenheimer (with 13 nominations), expected to win in both Best Picture and Best Director among many other categories. This would award British-American director, Christopher Nolan, with his first competitive BAFTA win after being nominated 5 times previously for films such as Dunkirk and Inception. Gaining traction throughout this awards season is The Holdovers, which secured its expected nominations (including Paul Giamatti, quickly becoming the safe bet to win Best Actor) but also picked up unexpected nods for Director (Alexander Payne) and Supporting Actor (Dominic Sessa). Saltburn is also generating a lot of online buzz which has translated into a surprising 5 nominations for Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, and Rosamund Pike (in the acting categories), alongside recognition for Outstanding British Film and Original Score. Given BAFTAs proclivity for recognising British work in major categories, it isn’t yet clear whether these nominations will be mirrored across the pond in next week’s Oscar nominations.

The most notable snubs can be found in the nominations for Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon. Longlisted for 15 potential nominations (a tie for the most ever), Barbie ultimately received just 5, missing out on Best Picture and Director, despite the former being an all-but guaranteed frontrunner for this year’s Oscars. Killers of the Flower Moon received a respectable 8 nominations but was completely shut-out of the lead acting categories. Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance hasn’t been as widely-beloved as his previous work but Lily Gladstone is still the favourite to win the Best Actress Oscar in March.

However, nothing is guaranteed just yet. Over the past 6 years, the winner of the BAFTA award for Best Picture has gone on to win the Best Picture Oscar just once (Nomadland in 2021). As far as campaigning is concerned, it’s all still to play for.