BAFTA Long Lists reveal potentially dire nomination slates

Every year the BAFTA long lists remind us that we are sooooo glad that Oscar doesn't do this in the major category. We really like our delusional world where voters are actually watching screeners and not just voting for the most high profile things in every category. For one, BAFTA longlists have mostly ignored non-English language films that people were feeling hopeful about in the awards race (Parallel Mothers, Drive My Car, Titane, Worst Person in the World, etc) except for in the international category. Similar the animation longlist is all big studio American stuff (with the exception of Flee). These are all clear "stay in your lane!" signs from voters. For another, they actually think films like House of Gucci is worthy all of the place and that Don't Look Up has worthy elements in all four of the acting races. Argh!

But at any rate here are the BAFTA longlists. Reminder: These are NOT nominations, just what the nominations coming on February 3rd will be drawn from. The following info is pulled directly from the BAFTA site...

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BAFTA TV Award Winners: I May Destroy You, Welcome to Chechnya

The BAFTA TV Awards were announced yesterday with Michaela Coel's critically acclaimed I May Destroy You winning Best Actress and Best Mini-Series (it had previously taken Writing, Directing, and Editing at the "Bafta Craft awards). The Crown did not fare well (hits too close to home?) and Steve MQueen's Small Axe picked up just one major prize (Supporting Actor for Malachi Kirby). In better news, Paul Mescal won Best Actor for his exquisite work on Normal People and the superb queer documentary Welcome to Chechnya, which Oscar so unwisely snubbed last season, picked up another award. The winners are listed after the jump...

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Anthony Hopkins' shocking win shouldn't have shocked anyone.

by Baby Clyde

Thank you all very much. I really did not expect this.

I watched the last 20 minutes of the 93rd Academy Awards with a sense of impending doom. The disastrous decision to cynically rearrange the final awards in the hope of ending the night on a contrived ‘high’ immediately struck me as problematic. Whilst back in the day Best Picture wasn’t always given out last, it’s been that way for nearly 50 years and changing the order this year was clearly done for one and only one reason. The emotional finale meant to honor Chadwick Boseman with a posthumous award was something the hapless producers couldn’t resist, and it infamously backfired. A slow moving, gold plated car crash ensued as Sir Anthony Hopkins was declared the winner. With no back up plan, no Zoom speeches allowed and no host to close the show the evening ground to an unceremonious halt. If only they’d asked me, the day could have been saved.

I’m not a great Oscar predictor. Every year I seem to get 17 or 18 right. Usually tripped up by the Shorts, even if I’ve watched them all --no, especially if I’ve watched them all! But this year I did manage to successfully predict both Lead acting races, despite them both supposedly being "shocks".  Best Actor was less clear, yes, but I put Hopkins in the #1 spot back in September and never moved him. I’ve been Oscar watching a VERY long time (When I started Glenn Close only had Supporting noms) and sometimes you just get a feeling about a particular race. For example, I never once thought Stallone was winning back in 2015 and I’m still puzzled when people insist Meryl’s third was a surprise as it was inevitable. I felt exactly that way this year and as the season went on (and on and on) there was plenty of evidence, I present six pieces, pointing in that direction...

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BAFTA Winners: Anthony Hopkins, Frances McDormand, and More...

by Nathaniel R

Richard E Grant accepts Best Actress on behalf of Frances McDormand

It's the last major stop before Oscar night. The BAFTAs were held over two days this weekend and the winners list is now in. It was a spread the wealth kind of year. Nomadland led with four awards including the top prize but The Father, Sound of Metal, Promising Young Woman, Soul, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom each won two statues.

We notated whether or not we correctly predicted the wins below as well just for fun...

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BAFTA predictions? Why not!

by Nathaniel R

Rather famously the BAFTAs did a gigantic overhaul of their nomination process to insure gender parity and diversity in their nominations. Many of the individual category nominations were decided by tiny juries. But for the winners the whole voting body will vote. Given that the nominations themselves were impossible to foresee perhaps the winners will be too? So lets just try our hand at divining what might come to pass.

FILM

• The Father
• The Mauritanian
• Nomadland
• Promising Young Woman
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

WILL WIN: This is actually a tough call. BAFTA has disagreed with Oscar more than we commonly think for the top category...

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