Jessie Buckley tipped for victory at Bafta film awards

Irish actress Jessie Buckley is tipped for victory at the Bafta film awards on Sunday.

Buckley has proved unbeatable through the awards season so far for her performance as Shakespeare’s wife Agnes Hathaway – historically known as Anne – in Hamnet.

The big-screen adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel about the family life of William Shakespeare and the death of their young son, helmed by Chloe Zhao, broke the record for the most nominations for a female-directed film in Bafta history, with 11.

The nominations include best film, outstanding British film and best director for Zhao.

Paul Mescal, who plays Shakespeare, is nominated for best supporting actor, while co-star Emily Watson is nominated for best supporting actress.

One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s film about a washed-up revolutionary searching for his missing teenage daughter, leads the nominations with 14 nods, including best film, best director and best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio.

Chase Infiniti is nominated for best actress in the same film, despite her snub by the Academy, while Teyana Taylor is nominated for best supporting actress and both Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro are nominated for best supporting actor.

Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s historical crime drama turned horror, is the second-most nominated film with 13 nods.

Starring Michael B Jordan as twins, it made history as the first film to have 16 Oscar nominations.

Jordan is nominated in the best actor Bafta category for his performance as Smoke and Stack Moore, twins who return to 1930s Mississippi to start a juke joint.

The film is also recognised in the best film category, as well as best director, and best supporting actress for British-Nigerian star Wunmi Mosaku.

Marty Supreme, starring Timothee Chalamet as an ambitious table tennis player, ties with Hamnet with 11 nominations, including best actor, best film and best director for Josh Safdie.

There is also recognition for British films including I Swear, the real story of a man with Tourette’s growing up in 1980s Scotland, which landed five nominations including outstanding British film, best actor for Robert Aramayo and best supporting actor for Peter Mullan.

Singer Jessie Ware will perform during the In Memoriam section of the ceremony,  where guests pause to remember those in the industry who have died over the past year.

The Bafta film awards will be hosted by Alan Cumming at the Royal Festival Hall on February 22.

The ceremony will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm.