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.
