'The King's Speech' leads British Academy Award nominees

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The British equivalent of the Oscars, the Orange British Academy Film Awards or BAFTA, revealed its nominations on Monday, January 17. The King's Speech takes the lead with nods in 14 categories, giving the home team the advantage.

Black Swan came in second with 12, Inception received nine, and 127 Hours and True Grit both got eight nominations. The Social Network, which has won US critics' awards and earned a Golden Globe for Best Picture, took six nominations.

The King's Speech received nominations in every eligible category but visual effects. The film, about King George VI's sudden ascension to the throne and triumph over a stutter, received nods for direction by Tom Hooper, acting for Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, plus screenplay, music, cinematography, editing, production design, costumes, sound, makeup and hair.

The Best Film category lists The King's Speech, The Social Network, Black Swan, Inception and True Grit.

Outstanding British Film has The King's Speech competing with Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, Mike Leigh's Another Year, Christopher Morris's Four Lions and Nigel Cole's Made in Dagenham.

Best Director pits Hooper, Boyle and Christopher Nolan for Inception against Americans Darren Aronofsky for the ballet thriller Black Swan and David Fincher for The Social Network.

Among the BAFTA choices that differed from US nominations: Javier Bardem was nominated for Leading Actor for Biutiful, True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld was nominated in the leading category, not for a supporting role, and Barbara Hershey received a supporting actress nod for Black Swan.

The Fighter's Melissa Leo, who won the Critics' Choice and Golden Globe, was not nominated for supporting actress, with Amy Adams getting the nod instead.

The nominees for a Film Not in the English Language are Biutiful, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I Am Love, Of Gods and Men or The Secret in Their Eyes.

The Orange Rising Star Award, voted for by the public, will be between Gemma Arterton ( Clash of the Titans), Andrew Garfield ( The Social Network), Tom Hardy ( Inception), Aaron Johnson ( Nowhere Boy, Kick-Ass), and Emma Stone ( Easy A).

RC