There are six nomination slots available in every acting category at the Baftas, one more than the Oscars, which means there is extra room for some fun surprises.
Frontrunners in the best actress race who have a strong chance at Bafta include Demi Moore (The Substance) for her role as a TV aerobics instructor whose relevance is fading, and Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez) for playing a newly transitioned woman who used to be a drug baron.
The other dead-certs are Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) for her role as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Mikey Madison (Anora), for playing a New York stripper who falls for the son of a wealthy Russian.
But there’s still a chance of a nomination for longlisters such as Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), for her performance as an irritable woman struggling with depression, and Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun) for playing a young alcoholic who returns to Scotland.
Kate Winslet (Lee) could also make it into the category for her role as journalist Lee Miller, as could Amy Adams (Nightbitch) and Nicole Kidman (Babygirl). A nomination for Marisa Abela, for Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black, would be a particular surprise.
Meanwhile, the best actor category is widely seen as fairly locked down by contenders such as Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) for his role as an architect from Budapest building a new life in the US, and Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) for his portrayal of a young Bob Dylan and the conflict between his love of folk music and rock’n’roll.
