BAFTA 2018: Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water leads race with nominations in 12 categories

London: Cold War monster movie The Shape of Water led nominations Tuesday for the British Academy Film Awards, as organizers announced a new female host and promised to fight sexism and sexual misconduct in showbiz.

Guillermo del Toro’s fantastical thriller scored nominations in 12 categories, including best picture and best director, for the UK equivalent of the Oscars.

Scorching tragicomedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Winston Churchill biopic Darkest Hour gained nine nominations apiece for the prizes, considered an indicator of likely success at Hollywood’s Academy Awards.

Three Billboards writer-director Martin McDonagh said he was thrilled by the positive response to the film and its “strong and outrageous and nuanced” central character, played by Frances McDormand. The story of a mother avenging the rape and murder of her daughter won four trophies at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles on Sunday.

“You never know if a film that is as dark as this, and has as many strange shifts in tone as this, is going to connect,” McDonagh said.

Other multiple nominees include sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049 and World War II drama Dunkirk, with eight each. Figure-skating showdown I, Tonya is nominated in five categories.

The BAFTA nominations brought good news for two movies snubbed by the Golden Globes: Dunkirk. and Jordan Peele’s comedy-horror story Get Out. The British academy embraced Christopher Nolan’s visually dazzling war picture with nominations for best film and best director, among other categories. “Get Out” gained nominations for its British star, Daniel Kaluuya, and for original screenplay.

Best-picture nominees are The Shape of Water, Three Billboards, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk and lush romance Call Me By Your Name.

Best-actress nominees are McDormand for Three Billboards, Annette Bening for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Margot Robbie for I, Tonya, Sally Hawkins for The Shape of Water and Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird.

Best-actor contenders are Daniel Day-Lewis for Phantom Thread, Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour, Kaluuya for Get Out, Jamie Bell for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool and Timothee Chalamet for Call Me By Your Name.

Supporting-actor nominees include Christopher Plummer for All the Money in the World. Plummer was a last-minute replacement for Kevin Spacey, who was cut from the already-completed film following allegations of sexual misconduct.

Nominees for best director are del Toro, McDonagh, Nolan, Denis Villeneuve for “Blade Runner 2049” and Luca Guadagnino for Call Me By Your Name.

The BAFTAs differ from their U.S. counterpart in having a separate category for best British film. Nominees are Three Billboards, Darkest Hour, chilling comedy The Death of Stalin, gay rural romance God’s Own Country, period drama Lady Macbeth and ursine adventure Paddington 2.

Winners will be announced at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 18 February, two weeks before the Oscars.

The ceremony will be hosted by Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley, who is taking over from longtime master of ceremonies Stephen Fry.

The evening is likely to echo the political tone of the Golden Globes, where many attendees wore black as a statement against sexual misconduct and Oprah Winfrey made a rousing speech calling for change.

BAFTA chair Jane Lush said the British film academy was determined the disturbing recent revelations should be “a watershed moment to be a catalyst for real, lasting change.”

Nominations in the main categories for the British Academy Film Awards, announced on Tuesday:

Best film:

The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Darkest Hour Dunkirk Call Me By Your Name

Outstanding British film: Darkest Hour The Death of Stalin God’s Own Country Lady Macbeth Paddington 2 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Leading actress: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Annette Bening, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Margot Robbie, I, Tonya Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Leading actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour Jamie Bell, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

Supporting actress: Allison Janney, I, Tonya Kristin Scott Thomas, Darkest Hour Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Supporting actor:

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World Hugh Grant, Paddington 2 Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Director: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 Luca Guadagnino, Call Me By Your Name

Film not in the English language: Elle First They Killed My Father The Handmaiden Loveless The Salesman

Documentary: City of Ghosts I Am Not Your Negro Icarus An Inconvenient Sequel Jane

Animated film: Coco Loving Vincent My Life as a Courgette

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer: Gareth Tunley, Jack Healy Guttman and Tom Meeten_, The Ghoul_ Rungano Nyoni and Emily Morgan_, I Am Not a Witch_ Johnny Harris and Thomas Napper_, Jawbone_ Lucy Cohen_, Kingdom of Us_ Alice Birch, William Oldroyd and Fodhia Cronin O’Reilly_, Lady Macbeth_

Original screenplay: Get Out I, Tonya Lady Bird The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Adapted screenplay: Call Me by Your Name The Death of Stalin Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Molly’s Game Paddington 2

Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Original Music: Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk Phantom Thread The Shape of Water

Editing: Baby Driver Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Production design: Beauty and the Beast Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Shape of Water

Costume design: Beauty and the Beast Darkest Hour I, Tonya Phantom Thread The Shape of Water

Makeup and Hair: Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour I, Tonya Victoria & Abdul Wonder

Sound: Baby Driver Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Special visual effects: Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi War for the Planet of the Apes

Rising Star: Daniel Kaluuya Florence Pugh Josh O’Connor Tessa Thompson Timothee Chalamet

(With inputs from AP)