THE ARTIST LEADS THE WAY AT BAFTA WITH 12 NOMINATIONS

With the BAFTA awards only a few weeks away, I am looking forward to the opportunity of watching the action from the red carpet come February 12th. The film that dominates this year's list is the recent Golden Globe-winning success The Artist which leads the field with 12 nominations including Best Film.

Announced by Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and actress Holliday Grainger, there was a highly respectable 11 nominations for the rather disappointing espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and 9 nominations for Martin Scorsese's Hugo which despite nominating him in Best Director failed to be nodded for Best Film. Scorsese himself will receive this year's BAFTA Fellowship.

The Artist and Tinker Tailor are both joined by Alexander Payne's family dramedy The Descendants, The Help and crime thriller Drive in the Best Film category while Best British Film sees Tinker Tailor up against My Week with Marilyn, Shame, We Need to Talk About Kevin and Senna. Surprisingly no love for Harry Potter, War Horse or Tyrannosaur in that category. 

 Best Actor sees Golden Globe winners George Clooney (The Descendants) and Jean Dujardin (The Artist) go head to head with Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Michael Fassbender (Shame). As for Best Actress Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) as Margaret Thatcher goes up against Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) and Viola Davis (The Help)

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) competes against Scorsese (Hugo), Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) and Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin).

The full list of nominations are below.....

Best Film
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Help
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Outstanding British Film
My Week with Marilyn
Senna
Shame
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
Richard Ayoade (Submarine)
Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur)
Joe Cornish (Attack the Block)
Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus)
Will Sharp (Black Pond)

Film Not in the English Language
Incendies
Pina
Potiche
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

Documentary
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim
Senna

Animated Film
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Arthur Christmas
Rango

Director
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive)
Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
 

Leading Actor
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Michael Fassbender (Shame)

Leading Actress
Bérénice Bejo (The Artist)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
Viola Davis (The Help)

Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March)

Supporting Actress
Carey Mulligan (Drive)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Judi Dench (My Week with Marilyn)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)
  
Original Screenplay

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Guard
The Iron Lady
Midnight in Paris

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Original Music
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Editing
The Artist
Drive
Hugo
Senna
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

Production Design
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Costume Design
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Make Up & Hair
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
The Iron Lady
My Week with Marilyn

Sound
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Special Visual Effects
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
War Horse

Short Animation
Abuelas
Bobby Yeah
A Morning Stroll

Short Film
Chalk
Mwansa the Great
Only Sound Remains
Pitch Black Heist
Two and Two

Orange Rising Star Award
Adam Deacon
Chris Hemsworth
Tom Hiddleston
Chris O'Dowd
Eddie Redmayne

BAFTA Fellowship
Martin Scorsese

The BAFTA Film Awards 2012 will be hosted by Stephen Fry from the Royal Opera House in London on Sunday, February 12. Look out for me and my dad amongst the crowd of people should we succeed in getting a wristband....