Musicals, horror and Donald Trump stand to scoop awards at the 2025 BAFTAs – while the future of the Oscars hangs in the balance.
The 78th British Academy Film Awards are now just one month away, with 42 films up to grab a wide rang of gongs and with final votes set to open next Wednesday, 22 January, to determine the winners. At the top of the list for the 2025 ceremony is Papal drama Conclave – which stars Ralph Fiennes as a Cardinal who is horrified to uncover a litany of scandals relating to candidates to take on the role of the Pope.
While Conclave has been nominated in 12 categories – including Best Film, Best Director and a Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination for Fiennes – musical drama Emilia Pérez is close behind with 11 nominations in total. Bewitching musical Wicked has also received a high number of nominations with seven – as have the films Anora and Dune: Part Two.
War drama The Brutalist has nine nominations, Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown and comedy-drama Kneecap both have six nods, while horror films Nosferatu and The Substance have both received five nominations. The spectre of returning US President Donald Trump also lingers over the ceremony as The Apprentice – a story about his early life – has been nominated for three awards – with Sebastian Stan standing to win Best Actor, Jeremy Strong up for Best Supporting Actor, and the casting team all hoping to take home awards.
Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said in a statement on Wednesday: “The 42 films nominated today span a fantastically broad spectrum of genres with enormous breadth in creative expression; from the most intimate character pieces to epic societal commentaries via genre-bending dramas, musicals and comedies.
“The film industry has delivered in spades once again. We look forward to acknowledging this amazing body of work at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards. With just over a month to go, we encourage film fans everywhere to watch as many films as possible – there really is something for everyone. And, depending where in the world you live, please tune in on 16 February to BBC One, iPlayer, BritBox, and many other platforms worldwide.”
And Sara Putt, Chair of BAFTA, added: “From a total of 235 films entered, we are delighted to announce 42 extraordinary and creatively ambitious films that have been nominated. The skills on display from creative and technical practitioners across the board are phenomenal. I look forward to celebrating the many talented people in front of and behind the camera at the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2025 ceremony on 16 February.”
While it is full steam ahead for the BAFTAs, the Oscars have been revealed to be at risk for cancellation due to the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires. The glitzy film event traditionally takes place in Hollywood – but fires are decimating the city of Los Angels, leaving some thinking it would be in “bad taste” to allow the awards to go ahead.
“The board’s main concern at this time is to not look like they are celebrating while many Los Angelenos are dealing with heartbreak and unimaginable loss,” a source told the Sun. “And certainly, even if the fires went out in the next week, the reality is that the city is still hurting and will be dealing with that pain for months. So the hierarchy decided that the focus will be support and fundraising when the right opportunities present themselves.”
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