HOLLYWOOD - Martin Scorsese's period epic Gangs of New York and the musical Chicago led the way Monday with 12 nominations each for the Orange British Academy Film Awards, also known as the BAFTAs. The drama The Hours followed close behind with 11 nods.The three films will compete for best film, along with Peter Jackson's fantasy sequel The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which received nine nominations, and Roman Polanski's The Pianist, which got seven.
Battling it out for best actress are Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep for The Hours, Salma Hayek for Frida, Halle Berry for Monster's Ball and Renee Zellweger for Chicago.
The Pianist star Adrien Brody, meanwhile, is taking on some veterans for best actor, including Michael Caine for The Quiet American, Jack Nicholson for About Schmidt, Daniel Day-Lewis for Gangs of New York and Nicolas Cage for Adaptation.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets received only three nods in technical categories, which is more than you can say for the James Bond actioner Die Another Day, which failed to get a single nomination.
The winners will be announced Feb. 12--one month before the Academy Awards--at an awards ceremony hosted by comedian Stephen Fry.
Here is a list of the film nominations:
Best film
Chicago
Gangs of New York
The Hours
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Pianist
Best British film
(Alexander Korda award for the outstanding British film of the year)
Bend It Like Beckham
Dirty Pretty Things
The Hours
The Magdalene Sisters
The Warrior
Best director
(David Lean award for achievement in direction)
Rob Marshall - Chicago
Martin Scorsese - Gangs of New York
Stephen Daldry - The Hours
Peter Jackson - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Roman Polanski - The Pianist
Best actor in a leading role
Adrien Brody - The Pianist
Nicolas Cage - Adaptation
Michael Caine - The Quiet American
Daniel Day-Lewis- Gangs of New York
Jack Nicholson - About Schmidt
Best actress in a leading role
Halle Berry - Monster's Ball
Salma Hayek - Frida
Nicole Kidman - The Hours
Meryl Streep - The Hours
Renee Zellweger - Chicago
Best actor in a supporting role
Chris Cooper - Adaptation
Ed Harris - The Hours
Alfred Molina -Frida
Paul Newman - Road to Perdition
Christopher Walken - Catch Me If You Can
Best actress in a supporting role
Toni Collette - About a Boy
Queen Latifah - Chicago
Julianne Moore - The Hours
Meryl Streep - Adaptation
Catherine Zeta Jones - Chicago