With the BAFTA film awards ceremony taking place this weekend and the British Academy’s 2020 crop of nominees having already sparked a debate over the snubbing of black acting talent and female directors, some U.K. celebrities have joined Time’s Up U.K. to present their own nominations list.
The move, says Time’s Up U.K., is part of a campaign to celebrate the women and people of color who “should have been nominated” for a BAFTA this year.
Carey Mulligan, among those to take part, said she would have nominated Hustlers director Lorene Scafaria, while Gemma Arterton said she “loved Booksmart,” and couldn’t believe it didn’t get any nominations in the acting or directing categories. “Same goes for The Nightingale and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”
Elsewhere, Yesterday star Himesh Patel gave a best supporting actress nomination for Parasite‘s Lee Jung Eun and best supporting actor nod to The Farewell‘s Tzi Ma, director Amma Asante said her pick for best actress in a leading role was Queen & Slim‘s Jodie Turner-Smith, while Joely Richardson’s sole nomination was for her own mother, Vanessa Redgrave, for her role in Mrs. Lowry & Son.
British Black List founder and Time’s Up U.K. Women of Color Group co-chair Akua Gyamfi offered an impressive list of nominees, including Lupita Nyong’o (Us), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Daniel Kaluuya (Queen & Slim), Damson Idris (Farming), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Farming), Mati Diop (Atlantique) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind).
“The awards season is upon us and while there are some great films and outstanding performances nominated, there have been glaring omissions,” same Dame Heather Rabbatts, Time’s Up U.K. chair. “The lack of diversity both at the Golden Globes and now at the BAFTAS has been the subject of criticism from across the media and from talent. It could be said that the debate itself is a manifestation of all the work Time’s Up U.K. and others have been doing to raise this issue to the forefront. But we all know this is a long and difficult journey.”
Rabbatts said she wanted to ensure that the BAFTA awards didn’t pass without the movement raising the profile of those whose “endeavors and performances” didn’t land them a nomination, so would be launching a social media campaign that would “highlight those who are absent” while not taking away from those who had been nominated.
“We congratulate all of those nominated and we all know the hard work and total commitment to achieve this accolade. But alongside, there are others who should be standing on that carpet. We really hope you will join with us in celebrating the rich and diverse roster of talent before us. This ‘invisibility’ is even more shocking given the choices which were available and the strength of films and performances where black talent was apparent this year.”
