Bafta 2025 film nominations: Key numbers and trends
The british academy of film and television Arts (Bafta) 2025 film nominations have been announced, offering an intriguing mix of familiar patterns and new milestones. Here, we delve into the key statistics and trends shaping this year’s nominations across nationality, gender, ethnicity, and more.
Nationality: A diverse but limited representation
The acting nominations for 2025 showcase a modest range of nationalities, with Australian, part-French, Irish, Italian, Spanish, part-Romanian, and Russian nominees joining those from the UK and the United States.
However, UK actors account for only 21% of the 24 acting nominees across the four acting categories—matching the same low proportion seen in 2023 and 2024, and well below the 32% average since 2000. The UK’s highest representation occurred in 2002, when 60% of acting nominations were for British talent.
This year, no UK performers have been nominated for best supporting actor, repeating the trend seen in 2022 and 2024. Felicity Jones is the lone British contender in the Best Supporting Actress category, earning a nod for her role in The Brutalist.
In the best actor category, Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) and Hugh Grant (Heretic) represent the UK, while Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard truths) carry the British flag in the best actress category. Notable absentees include Marisa Abela (Back to black), Daniel Craig (Queer), and Kate Winslet (Lee), all of whom were shortlisted but failed to secure nominations.
Gender: Women still underrepresented
This year’s nominations highlight the persistent gender disparity in the best director category. Only one woman, coralie fargeat (The substance), has been nominated, mirroring the trend from 2023 and 2024. This stands in stark contrast to 2021, when women outnumbered men in the category, and 2022, when half of the nominees were female.
Female directors overlooked this year include Ellen Kuras (Lee), Alice Rohrwacher (La chimera), and Nora Fingscheidt (The outrun). Historically, only three women have won the Best Director Bafta: Kathryn Bigelow (The hurt locker, 2010), Chloe Zhao (Nomadland, 2021), and Jane Campion (The power of the dog, 2022).
The gender gap extends to the best cinematography category, where no women have been nominated, repeating the trend from 2024. In contrast, Mandy Walker (Elvis, 2023) and Ari Wegner (The power of the dog, 2022) were the sole female nominees in preceding years.
Ethnicity: Mixed progress
This year’s acting nominations feature five non-white nominees, making up 21% of the total. While this marks a decline from 25% in 2024 and a record 38% in 2023, it remains above the 13% average since 2000 and significantly better than the all-white lineup of 2020.
The best actress category is the most ethnically diverse, with two non-white nominees: Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths). Meanwhile, history has been made with Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez), who becomes the first transgender nominee in Bafta history.
First-time nominees: A growing trend
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Of the 24 acting nominees, 14 are first-timers, an increase from 11 last year and matching the number in 2023. The Best Director category also welcomes three first-time nominees: Sean Baker (Anora), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), and Coralie Fargeat (The Substance).
Most-nominated films: Conclave leads the pack
Conclave leads this year’s nominations with 12 nods, followed by Emilia Perez with 11. The Brutalist received nine nominations, while Anora, Dune: Part two, and wicked each earned seven.
While Conclave fell just short of oppenheimer’s 13 nominations last year and all Quiet on the Western Front’s 14 in 2023, it remains a strong contender. Notably, neither of those films dominated the awards night, with each securing seven wins.
Conclusion
The Bafta 2025 film nominations highlight ongoing challenges in achieving greater representation across gender, nationality, and ethnicity while also marking significant milestones like Karla Sofia Gascon’s historic nomination. With Conclave and Emilia Perez leading the race, this year’s awards promise a mix of predictable outcomes and potential surprises.
