Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist lead with seven nominations each at the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards

The UK’s leading film critics have unveiled the nominations for the 45^th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, with Sean Baker’s Anora and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist each securing seven nominations. The announcements were made in London on 19^th December 2024, spotlighting a diverse array of talent and cinematic achievements from the past year. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on 2nd February 2025 at the May Fair Hotel.

Following closely behind the frontrunners, Edward Berger’s Conclave and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance each received six nominations, while Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez garnered five. Other films such as Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap also featured prominently with four nominations each.

The Film of the Year category is notably competitive, featuring a mix of genres and styles with nominees including All We Imagine as Light, La Chimera, Nickel Boys and Nosferatu, among others. The acting categories are equally packed with talent; the Actress of the Year contenders include Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Hard Truths and Nicole Kidman for Babygirl, while the Actor of the Year shortlist boasts names like Adrien Brody for The Brutalist and Timothée Chalamet for A Complete Unknown.

This year’s event will be hosted by esteemed critic Mark Kermode. The awards are decided by the 210-member Film Section of the Critics’ Circle, the UK’s oldest and most prestigious critics’ organisation, which includes critics from major media outlets across the country. Films are eligible for nomination if they have been released in UK cinemas or on premiere streaming services from mid-February 2024 to mid-February 2025.

The ceremony will not only celebrate this year’s best films but also honour actress Zoe Saldaña with the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation for her role in Emilia Pérez. Saldaña expressed her gratitude, noting, “I’m honoured and thrilled to receive the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation from the London Film Critics’ Circle, a group I greatly admire and respect.”

The London Critics’ Circle Film Awards continue to highlight the vibrant and diverse talents within the film industry, both from the UK and internationally, creating anticipation for what promises to be an exciting and closely-watched ceremony.

The editorial unit

London Critics’ Circle Film Awards will be announced on 2^nd February 2025.