The Last of Us pips Grand Theft Auto V to most nominations in Bafta awards

The Last of Us Part II was delayed for a second time in April 2020 (Naughty Dog)

Grand Theft Auto V may be the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, but it now has a competitor in the form of The Last of Us after the action-adventure hit secured the most nominations in the Bafta awards.

The dark survival drama has proved to be a huge hit for its gripping storyline and will go head-to-head with GTA V, along with Super Mario 3D World, Tearaway and Papers Please in the highly-coveted Best Game category.

Produced by California-based developers Naughty Dog - who also made Playstation classic Crash Bandicoot - The Last of Us was the fastest-selling PS3 title of 2013, selling 3.4 million copies worldwide in just three weeks, according to Sony. The storyline sees a man and a girl travel across America in a post-apocalyptic setting, with the title earning rave reviews from all around the gaming industry.

The Bafta Awards will take place at the Tobacco Dock in London on 12 March. (bafta.org)

As a result of its success on a commercial level, The Last of Us stunned many by scooping 10 nominations - including best game, game design and artistic achievement - putting them one ahead of closest rival Grand Theft Auto V, which managed nine nominations. Lesser known PS Vita title Tearaway, from Guildford-based studio Media Molecule, is next in with eight.

This year's ceremony will take place on 12 March at the Tobacco Dock in London and will be hosted by comedian Dara O'Briain for a sixth year, with 17 categories containing a total of 43 titles nominated for the awards.

Traditionally the award ceremony has been an industry-only evening, but as part of gaming’s growing importance to British culture, BAFTA is looking to broaden the awards appeal and significance by planning a more public-facing event this year, with public entry allowed for the first time in its 10-year history.

A full list of the nominations is available to view on the Bafta website.