British stars lead fresh charge in Oscar nominations

Tom Holland’s dog interrupted Benedict Cumberbatch's acting

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Leading the nominations list are Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Garfield, Olivia Colman, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Kenneth Branagh. Cumberbatch, 45, received a nod for his role as a cruel rancher in Jane Campion’s western The Power Of The Dog, a film which leads the pack with 12 nominations. But he will face stiff competition from frontrunner Will Smith, nominated for his turn as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.

They are both nominated alongside fellow Brit Garfield for his part as Rent playwright Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick…Boom!, Javier Bardem for his role in Being The Ricardos and Denzel Washington in The Tragedy Of Macbeth.

Colman, who won the 2019 best actress Oscar for The Favourite, has landed her second nomination in that category as a mother reflecting on her past in The Lost Daughter.

Reacting to another nomination, Olivia said: “Oh my god yes. I’m SO EXCITED!!!’’

She is up against, among others, Kristen Stewart for her performance as Diana, Princess of Wales in Spencer. Dame Judi and Ciaran Hinds won nominations for roles in Sir Kenneth’s autobiographical Belfast.

The black-and-white film has also landed the filmmaker best director and best original screenplay nominations, while the film is also in the running for best picture.

Sir Kenneth said his parents and grandparents would have been “overwhelmed”.

The surge of nominations is reminiscent of Colin Welland’s cry “The British are Coming” as he collected his Oscar for writing Chariots of Fire in 1982. Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi won 8 the next year.

But controversy is brewing. While 2021 had the most ethnically diverse acting nominations in Oscars history, this year only four of the 20 nominees non-white. The 94th ceremony takes place in Los Angeles on March 27.

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