BAFTA nominations 2024: Oppenheimer wins battle with Barbie as shortlist announced

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2 years ago

January 18, 2024

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Barbie might have won the battle of the box office, but Oppenheimer leads the BAFTAs race – picking up 13 nods for this year’s awards.

British filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s epic, which explores the true story of the first atomic bomb, is shortlisted for gongs including best film and best director, as well as acting awards for stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr.

It is followed by the critically acclaimed Poor Things, which has 11 BAFTA nominations. Star Emma Stone, who plays a young woman resurrected from the dead with the mind of an infant, is nominated for best actress – like Murphy, she is fresh from a Golden Globe win – while the film is also in the running for best film and outstanding British film.

Nominations in full:
The films and stars in the running this year

Barbie, the biggest film of 2023, has five nominations, including best actress for Margot Robbie and supporting actor for Ryan Gosling, but is notably missing from the best film and director categories for filmmaker Greta Gerwig, who surprised the world with her feminist take on the world’s most famous doll when the film was released in the summer.

She receives a nod instead for best original screenplay, while the film is also shortlisted for best costume design and best production design.

Anatomy Of A Fall (seven nods), The Holdovers (seven nods) and Killers Of The Flower Moon (nine nods) make up the rest of the nominees in the best film category, while acting nominees also include Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, for Maestro, and Robert De Niro for Killers Of The Flower Moon.

British films, including All Of Us Strangers and Saltburn, have fared well, with six and five nods respectively. Saltburn has acting nods for Irish star Barry Keoghan and British actress Rosamund Pike, while Paul Mescal and Claire Foy are in the running for their performances in All Of Us Strangers.

Films shortlisted alongside Poor Things for outstanding British film include How To Have Sex, Napoleon, Wonka and Rye Lane.

First and second ever nominations for one actress

In the acting categories, German actress Sandra Huller receives both her first and second ever nods – for best actress for Anatomy Of A Fall and best supporting actress for Zone Of Interest. She is one of 11 nominees, from 23 in total, to be shortlisted for the first time – along with Murphy for Oppenheimer.

Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple), Colman Domingo (Rustin), Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), Jacob Elordi (Saltburn), Vivian Oparah (Rye Lane) and Teo Yoo (Past Lives) are also first-time nominees.

In the directing category, four of the six are first-time director nominees: Jonathan Glazer (The Zone Of Interest), Andrew Haigh (All Of Us Strangers), Alexander Payne (The Holdovers), and Justine Triet (Anatomy Of A Fall). They are up against Nolan and Cooper, who directed and starred in Maestro – meaning five of the six nominees are male.

‘The most talked about films of the year’

The nominations for the Rising Star Award, which recognises up-and-coming talent and is voted for by the public, were announced ahead of the full shortlist – and feature Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor, Saltburn’s Elordi, The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri, and Mia McKenna-Bruce and Sophie Wilde – stars of the films How To Have Sex and Talk To Me respectively.

Previous winners – including Tom Hardy, Kristen Stewart and Daniel Kaluuya – have gone on to become household names.

Barbie misses out – and other stars also notable by their absence

Six months after their joint release date created the Barbenheimer phenomenon and gave the box office a boost, Barbie and Oppenheimer have continued to be talked about in the same breath as nominees and winners throughout the start of awards season.

But that’s changed with today’s BAFTA nominations – Oppenheimer, about the creator of the atomic bomb, has received more than double the nods given to the smash hit about the beloved children’s toy.

But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. There has long been a gap between the taste of cinema-goers and industry awards voters.

Barbie’s Golden Globes wins earlier this month were for best song for Billie Eilish and Finneas’s What Was I Made For?, and for cinematic and box office achievement – two categories not even recognised by BAFTA.

And Barbie won’t be the only one feeling somewhat snubbed by today’s shortlist. Killers Of The Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone, predicted to be a frontrunner for best actress at the Oscars, didn’t make the cut with BAFTA – and co-star Leonardo DiCaprio was also notable by his absence.

But the good news is that despite a tricky year for the film business, with cinema chains struggling and strikes shutting production down for months, today’s nominations showcase a range of quality films – the industry may be down, but it’s certainly not out.

BAFTA chief executive Jane Millichip said the “films and talented people nominated represent some of the most talked about films of the year, the most critically acclaimed, and films yet to be released and discovered by audiences”.

‘Our mad, special film got recognition’: Stars react to nominations

Oppenheimer star Murphy said he “couldn’t be happier” to see so many of his collaborators recognised, Nolan in particular. “Working on the film was an experience I’ll never forget,” he said.

Colman Domingo, who is nominated opposite Murphy for the best actor prize for Rustin, about the man who helped Martin Luther King Jr and others organise the 1963 March on Washington, said he was in “tremendous company”.

Saltburn star Pike, who plays the mother of a wealthy Oxford student who invites a less privileged friend back to his family estate for the summer, said there was “something uniquely special” about a BAFTA nomination.

“It happened once before,” she said, referring to her nomination for best actress in 2015, for her performance in Gone Girl. “I thought realistically it might never happen again.”

She continued: “I am proud to be nominated in this group of varied and powerful supporting actresses. And overjoyed that Jacob and Barry and our mad, special film got recognition. Bliss Bliss Bliss.”

Molly Manning Walker, writer and director of How To Have Sex, said it was “nothing short of a dream” to be shortlisted.

The film, her directorial debut, tells the story of three British teenage girls on a rites-of-passage holiday in Malia, where they find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent and self-discovery. “It’s hard to imagine that a year ago, when editing the film, it would take us on this incredible journey,” she said.

Poor Things star Stone, who is also a producer, released a statement along with director Yorgos Lanthimos and their fellow producers Ed Lowe and Andrew Guiney, saying they were delighted by the nominations.

“It’s particularly gratifying that BAFTA has recognised the work of our many talented UK-based heads of department across cinematography, costume design, make-up and hair, original score, production design and special visual effects,” they said.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, nominated for best supporting actress for her performance in The Holdovers, said her career started in London’s West End so to be BAFTA nominated was “truly dreamlike”.

Danielle Brooks, nominated in the same category for The Color Purple, a new musical film version of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, said she was grateful that the story had brought her “this amazing moment”.

The winners will be announced at the BAFTAs ceremony on 18 February, with David Tennant hosting this year.

Entertainment

Top Boy and Eddington actor Micheal Ward granted bail as he appears in court on rape charges

Published

8 hours ago

August 28, 2025

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Top Boy and Eddington actor Micheal Ward granted bail as he appears in court on rape charges

BAFTA-winning actor Micheal Ward has been granted bail after appearing in court charged with two counts of rape.

The 27-year-old, who appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court this morning, is also accused of two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.

The offences relate to one woman and are reported to have taken place in January 2023.

Ward, who starred in the popular British series Top Boy and was awarded BAFTA‘s rising star honour in 2020, spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth during a short court hearing.

He did not enter any pleas and was granted conditional bail until a further hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 25 September.

In a statement issued after the charges were announced last month, Ward denied them “entirely” and said he had co-operated with police throughout their investigation.

The actor’s film credits include Blue Story, The Old Guard and Empire of Light, as well as the current Hollywood Western Eddington.

He was also twice nominated for BAFTA’s best supporting actor prize.

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Entertainment

Banksy’s piranhas police box put in protective storage ahead of museum display

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1 day ago

August 27, 2025

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Banksy's piranhas police box put in protective storage ahead of museum display

A Banksy artwork, where a glass police box looks like a tank of piranhas, has been moved into protective storage ahead of its display at the London Museum’s new location.

The artwork made headlines last summer when it featured as part of the street artist’s animal-themed collection in the capital, which concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift up a shutter on the entrance to London Zoo.

The piranhas piece is now in the care of the London Museum and will be kept in secure storage before it becomes accessible to the public as part of a permanent display at the museum’s Smithfield location, which is opening in 2026.

The police box had stood in Ludgate Hill since the 1990s before it was painted to resemble a fish tank.

The box was temporarily relocated by the City Of London Corporation to Guildhall Yard, where thousands of visitors viewed it from behind safety barriers, after Banksy confirmed he was responsible for the artwork.

It was later moved to Guildhall’s South Ambulatory.

Banksy’s London animals collection was made up of nine works including a rhino seemingly mounting a silver Nissan Micra, two elephant silhouettes with their trunks stretched out towards each other, and three monkeys that appeared as though they were swinging on a bridge.

Some of the works, which also included a howling wolf on a satellite dish, were removed, covered up or vandalised, after being painted across the city from 5 to 13 August 2024.

Chris Hayward, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, said: “Banksy stopped Londoners in their tracks when this piece appeared in the Square Mile – and now, we’re making it available to millions.

“By securing it for London Museum, we’re not only protecting a unique slice of the City’s story, but also adding an artwork that will become one of the museum’s star attractions.”

Brendan Barns, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s culture, heritage, and libraries committee, said: “Banksy’s Piranhas are already part of City legend – and soon, they’ll be part of London’s story, too.

“Moving this piece into the care of London Museum guarantees that millions of people will be able to enjoy it, alongside an extraordinary collection that celebrates the capital’s creativity and diversity.”

Glyn Davies, head of curatorial at London Museum, added: “With the arrival of Banksy’s Piranhas, our collection now spans from Roman graffiti to our first piece of contemporary street art.

“This work by one of the world’s most iconic artists now belongs to Londoners, and will keep making waves when it goes on show next year in the Museum’s new Smithfield home.”

London Museum’s London Wall site opened in 1976 and closed in December 2022 in preparation for the move to Smithfield.

London Museum Docklands remains open.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift announces engagement to boyfriend Travis Kelce

Published

1 day ago

August 27, 2025

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Taylor Swift announces engagement to boyfriend Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift has announced she is getting married to her NFL star boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

The pop star and Kansas City Chiefs tight end shared the news in a joint post on Instagram, with the caption: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

The announcement was liked more than 1.7 million times just over 30 minutes after it was posted.

Swift and Kelce started their relationship in 2023, after the three-time Super Bowl winner said on his podcast New Heights that he tried and failed to meet the singer at her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.

Rumours grew that the couple were dating after Swift was spotted at a number of Chiefs games. On her seventh time in the stands, she brought her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, along.

Kelce told the Wall Street Journal in November 2023: “There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was, in her corner [who said]: ‘Yo! Did you know he was coming [to the Eras Tour]?’

“I had somebody playing Cupid… She told me exactly what was going on and how I got lucky enough to get her to reach out.”

Earlier this month, Swift appeared on Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, and announced her 12th album, titled The Life Of A Showgirl.

Speaking to Kelce and his brother Jason, Swift said it was inspired by the Eras Tour – and also talked about his attempt at meeting her two years ago.

While she said his plan to give her his number on a friendship bracelet was a “wild, romantic gesture,” she joked he “didn’t do any proper logistical planning” and thought he would be allowed backstage.

“Because he knows the elevator lady, he thought he could talk to her about just getting down to my dressing room,” she added. “That’s how it works in 1973.”

The new album, which will be released on 3 October, marks her first release since she took back control over her entire back catalogue from private equity firm Shamrock Capital.

Sky News culture and entertainment reporter Gemma Peplow said after her globe-trotting tour and a swathe of re-releases over recent years, the new album cemented Swift’s reputation “as the hardest-working star in pop”.

Despite rumours he would retire after losing this year’s Super Bowl, Kelce will play for the Kansas City Chiefs again this season.

He told GQ magazine his on-field performances “slipped a little bit” as he started acting, and added: “I’m just saying that my work ethic is such that I have so much pride in how I do things that I never want the product to tail off, and I feel like these past two years haven’t been to my standard.”