The 2025 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) nominations have been unveiled, and as expected, they’ve sparked considerable chatter in the film community. While perhaps not as robust an indicator of Academy Award outcomes as their American counterparts, the BAFTAs undeniably hold sway in the cinematic award circuit. This year, leading the nominations are Edward Berger’s Conclave and Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez.
Conclave, a thrilling dive into the Vatican corridors of power, reigns with twelve nominations. The film earned nods for Best Film, Best Director, and acting accolades, notably for Ralph Fiennes (Leading Actor) and Isabella Rossellini (Supporting Actress). Rossellini’s nomination is particularly significant as her first BAFTA nod. Corroborating Variety’s insights, half of the nominated actors are making their BAFTA debut, underscoring a trend toward recognizing fresh talent.
Close on Conclave‘s heels is Emilia Pérez, capturing eleven nominations. This genre-blending narrative, peppered with Audiard’s directorial flair, has positioned Karla Sofía Gascón (Leading Actress), Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldaña (both Supporting Actress) for awards. Menu highlights for Best Film include The Brutalist with nine nominations, Anora snagging seven, and A Complete Unknown coming in with six, showcasing a diverse competition landscape.
Curiously absent from the Best Film lineup is Wicked, a film with notable public buzz that secured seven total nominations, including nods for Ariana Grande (Supporting Actress). Meanwhile, the Irish-language comedy Kneecap received six nominations and sparked conversation by being classified as an Outstanding British Film, a distinction the creators might cheekily contest given their unique cultural identity.
The BAFTAs also publicized their Rising Star Award nominees, casting a spotlight on new and burgeoning talent. This year’s selection sees commendable representation from HBO’s Industry, boasting two current and one former cast member amongst the nominees. The list comprises Marisa Abela, Jharrel Jerome, David Jonsson, Mikey Madison, and Nabhaan Rizwan. Voting for this award remains in the public’s hands, showcasing a democratic approach to measuring promising industry talent.
Set for February 16 and to be hosted by David Tennant, the 2025 BAFTA ceremony promises a captivating night. As Academy watchers attempt to decode these nominations for future Oscar implications, they will undoubtedly humor the crossover essence of international cinematic accolades.
Closing Credits
In summarizing these BAFTA nominations, it’s clear the British Academy is embracing both well-established narratives and daring innovations in filmmaking. Divergent languages, compelling storylines, and new faces pepper the contenders, reflecting a robust cinematic landscape post-pandemic. These nominations not only epitomize excellence but forecast an intriguing awards season as the industry anticipates the ceremony’s revealing outcome on February 16. Keep your eyes peeled, as these BAFTA choices might just set the stage for global recognition.
BEST FILM
- “Anora” — Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, Sean Baker
- “The Brutalist”
- “A Complete Unknown” — Fred Berger, Alex Heineman, James Mangold
- “Conclave” — Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman
- “Emilia Pérez”
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
- “Bird” — Andrea Arnold, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Lee Groombridge
- “Blitz” — Steve McQueen, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Anita Overland
- “Conclave” — Edward Berger, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, Peter Straughan
- “Gladiator II” — Ridley Scott, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, David Scarpa, Peter Craig
- “Hard Truths” — Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe
- “Kneecap” — Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
- “Lee” — Ellen Kuras, Kate Solomon, Kate Winslet, Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, John Collee, Lem Dobbs
- “Love Lies Bleeding” — Rose Glass, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman, Wereonika Tofilska
- “The Outrun” — Nora Fingscheidt, Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan, Amy Liptrot
- “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek, Mark Burton
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
- “Hoard” — 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), also produced by Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge
- “Sister Midnight” — Karan Kandhari (Director, writer)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
- “All We Imagine as Light” — Payal Kapadia, Thomas Hakim
- “Emilia Pérez” — Jacques Audiard
- “I’m Still Here” (“Ainda Estou Aqui”) — Walter Salles
- “Kneecap” — Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney
- “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” — Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei
BEST DOCUMENTARY
- “Black Box Diaries” — Shiori Ito, Hanna Aqvilin, Eric Nyari
- “Daughters” — Natalie Rae, Angela Patton
- “No Other Land” — Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
- “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” — Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, Lizzie Gilliett, Robert Ford
- “Will & Harper” — Josh Greenbaum, Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum
BEST ANIMATED FILM
- “Flow” — Gints Siibalodis, Mat?ss Kaža
- “Inside Out 2” — Kelsey Mann, Mark Nielsen
- “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek
- “The Wild Robot” — Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann
BEST CHILDREN’S & FAMILY FILM
- “Flow” — Gints Siibalodis, Mat?ss Kaža
- “Kensuke’s Kingdom” — Kirk Hendry, Neil Boyle, Camilla Deakin
- “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek
- “The Wild Robot” — Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann
BEST DIRECTOR
- “Anora” — Sean Baker
- “The Brutalist” — Brady Corbet
- “Conclave” — Edward Berger
- “Dune: Part Two” — Denis Villeneuve
- “Emilia Pérez” — Jacques Audiard
- “The Substance” — Coralie Fargeat
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
- “Anora” — written by Sean Baker
- “The Brutalist” — written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
- “Kneecap” — written by Rich Peppiatt, story by Rich Peppiatt, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
- “A Real Pain” — written by Jesse Eisenberg
- “The Substance” — written by Coralie Fargeat
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
- “A Complete Unknown” — screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
- “Conclave” — screenplay by Peter Straughan
- “Emilia Pérez” — screenplay by Jacques Audiard
- “Nickel Boys” — screenplay by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
- “Sing Sing” — screenplay by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
- Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
- Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths”
- Mikey Madison, “Anora”
- Demi Moore, “The Substance”
- Saoirse Ronan, “The Outrun”
BEST LEADING ACTOR
- Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
- Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
- Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
- Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
- Hugh Grant, “Heretic”
- Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Selena Gomez, “Emilia Pérez”
- Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
- Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
- Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Last Showgirl”
- Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
- Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Yura Borisov, “Anora”
- Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
- Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing”
- Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
- Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
- Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”
BEST CASTING
- “Anora” — Sean Baker, Samantha Quan
- “The Apprentice” — Stephanie Gorin, Carmen Cuba
- “A Complete Unknown” — Yesi Ramirez
- “Conclave” — Nina Gold, Martin Ware
- “Kneecap” — Carla Stronge
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
- “The Brutalist” — Lol Crawley
- “Conclave” — Stéphane Fontaine
- “Dune: Part Two” — Greig Fraser
- “Emilia Pérez” — Paul Guilhaume
- “Nosferatu” — Jarin Blaschke
BEST EDITING
- “Anora” — Sean Baker
- “Conclave” — Nick Emerson
- “Dune: Part Two” — Joe Walker
- “Emilia Pérez”– Juliette Welfling
- “Kneecap” — Julian Ulrichs, Chris Gill
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
- “Blitz” — Jacqueline Durran
- “A Complete Unknown” — Arianne Phillips
- “Conclave” — Lisy Christl
- “Nosferatu” — Linda Muir
- “Wicked” — Paul Tazewell
BEST MAKE UP & HAIR
- “Dune: Part Two” — Love Larson, Eva Von Bahr
- “Emilia Pérez” — Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier, Jean-Christophe Spadaccini, Romain Marietti
- “Nosferatu” — David White, Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton
- “The Substance” — Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, Frédérique Arguello, Marilyne Scarselli
- “Wicked” — Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, Sarah Nuth
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
- “The Brutalist” — Daniel Blumberg
- “Conclave” — Volker Bertelmann
- “Emilia Pérez” — Camille, Clément Ducol
- “Nosferatu” — Robin Carolan
- “The Wild Robot” — Kris Bowers
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
- “The Brutalist” — Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia
- “Conclave” — Suzie Davies, Cynthia Sleiter
- “Dune: Part Two” — Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau
- “Nosferatu” — Craig Lathrop
- “Wicked” — Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales
BEST SOUND
- “Blitz” — John Casali, Paul Cotterell, James Harrison
- “Dune: Part Two” — Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Gareth John, Richard King
- “Gladiator II” — Stéphane Bucher, Matthew Collinge, Paul Massey Danny Sheehan
- “The Substance” — Valérie Deloof, Victor Fleurant, Victor Praud, Stéphane Thiébaut, Emmanuelle Villard
- “Wicked” — Robin Baynton, Simon Hayes, John Marquis, Andy Nelson, Nancy Nugent Title
BEST SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
- “Better Man” — Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs
- “Dune: Part Two” — Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Gerd Nefzer, Rhys Salcombe
- “Gladiator II” — Mark Bakowski, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny, Pietro Ponti
- “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” — Erik Winquist, Rodney Burke, Paul Story, Stephen Unterfranz
- “Wicked” — Pablo Helman, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Anthony Smith
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
- “Adiós” — José Prats, Natalia Kyriacou, Bernardo Angeletti
- “Mog’s Christmas” — Robin Shaw, Joanna Harrison, Camilla Deakin, Ruth Fielding
- “Wander to Wonder” — Nina Gantz, Stienette Bosklopper, Simon Cartwright, Maarten Swart
BRITISH SHORT FILM
- “The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing” — Theo Panagopoulos, Marissa Keating
- “Marion” — Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine, Marija Djikic
- “Milk” — Miranda Stern, Ashionye Ogene
- “Rock, Paper, Scissors” — Franz Böhm, Ivan, Hayder Rothschild Hoozeer
- “Stomach Bug” — Matty Crawford, Karima Sammout-Kanellopoulou
EE RISING STAR AWARD (Voted for by the public)
- Marisa Abela
- Jharrel Jerome
- David Jonsson
- Mikey Madison
- Nabhaan Rizwan
