Cold war epic battles with Artist for Bafta honours

The Iron Lady is up for four prizes, including best actress for Golden Globe winner Streep for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher and supporting actor for Jim Broadbent as Denis.

Despite being shunned at the Golden Globes, Cold War thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has 11 British Academy Film Award nominations, including best film, director, British film and leading actor for Gary Oldman.

Black-and-white silent film The Artist is the frontrunner, cementing its reputation as an awards heavyweight with 12 nominations, competing for best film, director, leading actress (Berenice Bejo) and actor (Jean Dujardin).

Hugo, Martin Scorsese’s first children’s film, has nine nominations.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Artist compete for the top prize of best film against The Help, comedy The Descendants and crime thriller Drive.

Drive’s Carey Mulligan is up for supporting actress, competing with Dame Judi Dench for My Week With Marilyn.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy producer Tim Bevan said of the nomination: “Any film is the vision of a director, and that’s particularly so with this movie, so Tomas Alfredson deserves the accolade.”

Bevan said he was not disappointed that the film had not done better at US awards. He added: “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a particularly British cultural phenomenon. It’s great that it’s being recognised at the Baftas but that it hasn’t at the Golden Globes is not surprising. The Artist seems to be the film with the momentum, and rightly so.”

Hosted by Stephen Fry, the awards take place on Sunday February 12 at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

George Harrison’s widow Olivia was said to be “delighted” that George Harrison: Living In The Material World, which she helped to produce, had been nominated in the documentary category. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it is in the running along with Senna, about the late Brazilian motor racing ace, and Project Nim, about a 1970s social experiment involving a chimpanzee.