It’s not surprising that British productions have an advantage here. Of the six films nominated in Best British Film, three of them did far better here than either any other film or than expected. The Favourite was the nominations leader, even without the British Film citation. It made it into every conceivable category. Bohemian Rhapsody took six non-British Film nominations, which is a strong sign of its Oscar performance. Stan & Ollie was a bit more obscure and while it only picked up two nominations outside of British Film, the Best Actor nomination was the most significant, Steve Coogan topping even co-star John C. Reilly who was thought to be a fringe contender for that category at the Oscars.

Aside form helping Bohemian Rhapsody at the Oscars, here are a couple of other surprise inclusions/exclusions that could change the Oscar conversation. If Beale Street Could Talk did about as poorly as could have been expected picking up a mere two nominations for Original Music and Adapted Screenplay. Not even frontrunner Regina King could crack the icy grip of Supporting Actress where Margot Robbie took the spot expected to go to her. That might have been a result of the British/Queen Elizabeth I factor, but I wonder. Pawel Pawlkowski made it into the Best Director list over DGA nominee Peter Farrelly, a poor sign for Green Book. Willem Dafoe’s chances are no almost certainly zero while Ethan Hawke took a hit, losing his expected slot to Coogan. Best Actress saw a surprise inclusion of Viola Davis who was long thought dead in the competition who took the spot of someone like Toni Collette, Nicole Kidman, Regina Hall, or even hometown fave Emily Blunt. A Star Is Born was a huge player in the nominations, but supporting actor Sam Elliott couldn’t make the cut. Sam Rockwell, who’s been hanging out just outside the top five candidates got a bit of a boost here. Cold War also showing up in Original Screenplay (one of four strong-standing nominations), deprived Paul Schrader of yet another opportunity to assert his once-frontrunner status. There also isn’t much unusual about Adapted Screenplay, though First Man making an appearance here along with a strong showing in support, means it could still end up surprisingly strong at the Oscars.

I’m sure there are other notable inclusions/exclusions, but those are the big ones.

Nominations Tallies

(12) The Favourite
(7) Bohemian Rhapsody, First Man, Roma, A Star Is Born
(6) Vice
(5) BlacKkKlansman
(4) Cold War, Green Book
(3) Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Mary Poppins Returns, Mary Queen of Scots, Stan & Ollie

The Nominations

Best Film

BlacKkKlansman
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born

Best Animated Film

Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Director

BlacKkKlansman – Spike Lee
Cold War – Pawel Pawlikowski
The Favourite – Yorgos Lanthimos
Roma – Alfonso Cuaron
A Star Is Born – Bradley Cooper

Best Actor

Christian Bale – Vice
Steve Coogan – Stan & Ollie
Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born
Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen – Green Book

Best Actress

Glenn Close – The Wife
Olivia Colman – The Favourite
Viola Davis – Widows
Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali – Green Book
Timothée Chalamet – Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman
Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell – Vice

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams – Vice
Claire Foy – First Man
Margot Robbie – Mary Queen of Scots
Emma Stone – The Favourite
Rachel Weisz – The Favourite

Best Original Screenplay

Cold War
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
Vice

Best Adapted Screenplay

BlacKkKlansman
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
First Man
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star Is Born

Best Original Music

BlacKkKlansman
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns
A Star Is Born

Best Editing

Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
First Man
Roma
Vice

Best Cinematography

Bohemian Rhapsody
Cold War
The Favourite
First Man
Roma

Best Production Design

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Favourite
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma

Best Costume Design

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots

Best Makeup & Hair

Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Mary Queen of Scots
Stan & Ollie
Vice

Best Sound

Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Mission: Impossible
A Quiet Place
A Star Is Born

Best Special Visual Effects

Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First Man
Ready Player One

Best Film Not in the English Language

Capernaum
Cold War
Dogman
Roma
Shoplifters

Best Documentary

Free Solo
McQueen
RBG
They Shall Not Grow Old
Three Identical Strangers

Best British Film

Beast
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
McQueen
Stan & Ollie
You Were Never Really Here

Best British Short Animation

I’m OK
Marfa
Roughhouse

Best British Short Film

73 Cows
Bachelor, 38
The Blue Door
The Field
Wale

Outstanding British Debut

Apostasy – Daniel Kokotajlo (Writer/Director)
Beast – Michael Pearce (Writer/Director), Lauren Dark (Producer)
A Cambodian Spring – Chris Kelly (Writer/Director/Producer)
Pili – Leanne Welham (Writer/Director), Sophie Harmon (Producer)
Ray & Liz – Richard Billingham (Writer/Director), Jacqui Davies (Producer)

Rising Star Award (Previously Announced)

Jessie Buckley
Cynthia Erivo
Barry Keoghan
Lakeith Stanfield
Letitia Wright

British Academy of Film & Television Arts Data

Year Founded: 1947
First Awards: 1959 (60)