German-language war epic All Quiet On The Western Front leads this year’s BAFTA race – while Irish talent also shines in the acting categories.
An adaptation of the 1929 novel about the First World War, All Quiet On The Western Front is up for 14 awards including best director, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, best film not in the English language, and the big one – best film. It joins Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon as the joint most nominated foreign film in the history of the awards.
Dark comedy The Banshees of Inisherin and sci-fi comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once follow in the BAFTAsrace with 10 nods each, while Elvis Presley biopic Elvis has nine, and Tar, starring Cate Blanchett as composer-conductor Lydia Tar, has five. The five most nominated also make up the full nominations list for best film.
Image: Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in Elvis. Pic: Warner Bros
In the acting categories, six Irish stars are up for awards: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon, for The Banshees Of Inisherin; Paul Mescal, for Aftersun; and Daryl McCormack – who is also nominated for the previously announced rising star prize– for Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.
Emma Thompson (Good Luck To You, Leo Grande), Bill Nighy (Living), Carey Mulligan (She Said), Eddie Redmayne (The Good Nurse) and Micheal Ward (Empire Of Light) make up the British stars in the running in the acting categories.
Other stars to receive nods include Viola Davis (The Woman King), Danielle Deadwyler (Till), and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once).
First time nominees feature heavily this year, with 14 of the 24 nominees in the performance categories making their BAFTA debut – including Ana De Armas (Blonde), Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Austin Butler (Elvis), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), and Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once), as well as Farrell and Mescal.
Elsewhere, blockbuster releases such as The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way Of Water also received a number of nominations in the technical categories, and nominees for outstanding British film include Empire Of Light, The Swimmers and See How They Run, alongside Aftersun, The Banshees Of Inisherin, Living and Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.
Image: Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. Pic: Lionsgate/ Nick Wall
In the best director category, four of the six nominees – Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King), Todd Field (Tar), Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and Edward Berger (All Quiet On The Western Front) – are shortlisted for the first time. They are up against Martin McDonagh (The Banshees Of Inisherin) and Park Chan-wook (Decision To Leave).
While only one female director is nominated, the outstanding debut category – recognising writing, directing or producing – is made up entirely of female nominees, including Aftersun writer and director Charlotte Wells, and Good Luck To You, Leo Grande writer Katy Brand.
The nominees for the rising star award, the only award voted for by the public, have already been revealed as Aimee Lou Wood, Emma Mackey, Naomi Ackie, Sheila Atim and McCormack.
In total, some 215 nominees represent 45 films, from independent debuts to blockbusters, voted for by BAFTA’s 7,500 voters.
‘A uniquely British perspective’
Image: (L to R) Sophie Kauer as Olga Metkina and Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tar in Tar. Pic: Florian Hoffmeister/Focus Features
BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar said the range of films nominated offers a “uniquely British perspective on this year’s best films from around the world”.
Following controversy over a lack of diversity in previous years, Anna Higgs, chair of the organisation’s film committee, said the 2023 nominations show that BAFTA’s “ongoing work to level the playing field continues to have a positive impact”.
She continued: “I’m delighted to see an all-women list in our outstanding debut category, as well as so many first-time nominees across the board.”
The BAFTA film awards will take place on Sunday 19 February at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with actor Richard E Grant hosting the ceremony and presenter Alison Hammond hosting a new access-all-areas segment.
BAFTA initially said All Quiet On The Western Front had become the most nominated foreign language film ever, but later corrected this as 2000’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon also received 14 nominations.
An American Idol TV executive and her husband have been found dead in their LA home.
Robin Kaye was a music supervisor on the long-running reality TV series.
The bodies of the 70-year-old and her husband Thomas were discovered after officers conducted a welfare check at their home.
Both had died from gunshot wounds.
Image: Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas. Pic: Facebook
Detectives say Raymond Boodarian has been arrested in connection with their deaths.
It is alleged the 22-year-old had burgled their property while they were away on 10 July – killing the couple upon their return.
According to Los Angeles Police, there were “no signs of forced entry or trouble” at the property.
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Ms Kaye was an industry veteran – and had previously worked on shows including Lip Sync Battle and The Singing Bee, as well as several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
In a statement, an American Idol spokesperson said: “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her.
“Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
Huge steel fences have been erected to prevent ticketless fans from watching the Oasis reunion tour in Manchester.
Liam and Noel Gallagher will resume their sold-out run of shows – their first since 2009 – with a performance at Heaton Park tonight, and two more on Saturday and Sunday.
While tens of thousands bought tickets for Oasis’sfirst two shows last weekend, crowds gathered to glimpse the large screens above the stage in the distance – in an area dubbed “Gallagher Hill” by some on social media.
Image: People walk past a temporary security fence erected ahead of concerts by Oasis in Heaton Park on 1 July. Reuters file pic
Manchester City Council has now said more steel fences have been erected around parts of the park to prevent ticketless fans from watching the gigs, and to protect nature in the park.
“After taking stock of how the first two nights went, additional measures have now been deemed necessary and will be in place for the next three concerts,” it said.
“The erection of the fencing has a dual purpose – both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there.
“The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”
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The fences will cover a large area of the hill within the park’s cattle field, which is being developed as a new woodland area with around 300 young trees planted.
The council added that there would be no facilities for people without a ticket, and said the event area is “double-walled with solid high security fencing all the way round”.
More than 2,000 event security staff and police officers will also be on duty around the site “to ensure both the safety and wellbeing of ticket-holders and that only those who have tickets access the concert”, it said.
John Hacking, the council’s executive member for employment, skills and leisure, also said in a statement that “unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place”.
He added: “Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead.
“The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time.
“We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy, whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”
MasterChef presenter John Torode will no longer work on the show after an allegation he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld, the BBC has said.
His co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week after claims of inappropriate behaviour.
On Monday, Torode said an allegation he used racist language was upheld in a report into the behaviour of Wallace. The report found more than half of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated.
Torode, 59, insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident involving him and he “did not believe that it happened,” adding “racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.
Image: John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic: PA
In a statement on Tuesday, a BBCspokesperson said the allegation “involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace”.
The claim was “investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin”, they added.
“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.
“We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.
“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”
Australian-born Torode started presenting MasterChef alongside Wallace, 60, in 2005.
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A statement from Banijay UK said it “takes this matter incredibly seriously” and Lewis Silkin “substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018”.
“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the TV production company added.
“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”
Earlier, as the BBC released its annual report, its director-general Tim Davie addressed MasterChef’s future, saying it can survive as it is “much bigger than individuals”.
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Speaking to BBC News after Torode was sacked, Mr Davie said a decision is yet to be taken over whether an unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired.
“It’s a difficult one because… those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part – it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show,” he added.
“I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we’ll communicate that in due course.”
Mr Davie refused to say what the “seriously racist term” Torode was alleged to have used but said: “I certainly think we’ve drawn a line in the sand.”
In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.