Baftas 2015 nominations: Benedict Cumberbatch vs Eddie Redmayne in battle of the biopics

The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game look set to win big at Britain's equivalent of the Oscars

Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game are both nominated at the Bafta Film Awards

The battle of the British science biopics will commence at the Bafta Film Awards in February, as Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch go head-to-head for the leading actor gong.

The Theory of Everything, in which Redmayne plays Stephen Hawking, and The Imitation Game, in which Cumberbatch plays celebrated mathematician and Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing, have both also been nominated in the categories for best film and adapted screenplay.

Grand Budapest Hotel won the most nominations, scooping 11 nods including best film and best director for Wes Anderson who has been nominated a number of times but never won.

The Hawking biopic won ten nominations and the Turing biopic was given a total of nine nods. Birdman also has ten nominations. Boyhood and Whiplash are each nominated five times. Mr. Turner, Nightcrawler and Interstellar received four nominations and Pride has three nods.

Felicity Jones, who plays Hawking’s wife in The Theory of Everything, has been nominated for the leading actress gong. She is up against fellow Brit Rosamunde Pike for her performance in Gone Girl, as well as Reese Witherspoon, Amy Adams and Julianne Moore.

 

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who helmed Birdman, Boyhood director Richard Linklater, James Marsh for The Theory of Everything, and Damien Chazelle for Whiplash are also competing in the best director category. Birdman and Boyhood were also nominated in the best film category.

Ralph Fiennes in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel

Steve Carrell and Mark Ruffalo both received a nod for their supporting roles in Foxcatcher. Ethan Hawke will compete against them for his turn in Boyhood, as will JK Simmons (Whiplash) and Edward Norton (Birdman).

Keira Knightley, who appeared in The Imitation Game, is up against Imelda Staunton (Pride) for the best supporting actress gone. They are up against Emma Stone, Rene Russo and Patricia Arquette.

The battle for best British film sees the Hawking biopic face competition from '71 - a drama set in Belfast in the early years of the troubles - and Paddington which starred Ben Whishaw and Nicole Kidman and was based on author Michael Bond's books about the marmalade sandwich-loving bear. Also nominated was Pride - based on the real-life alliance between gay rights activists and striking miners in the 1980s - and science fiction thriller Under The Skin.

Stephen Fry, who will be hosting the Bafta Film awards for the tenth time on 8 February 2015, announced the nominees this morning along with The Hunger Games actor Sam Claflin.