Oscars: Mr and ex-Mrs Gary Oldman lead British charge on Hollywood's biggest night

Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in a scene from "Darkest Hour."

The list of nominations unveiled today also saw fellow Brits Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Kaluuya and Sally Hawkins on the shortlist.

But between the lines of the scripted announcement lay the recurring story arc of this awards season – the undercurrent of sexual misconduct allegations sweeping the industry.

James Franco, the latest star to stand accused, was absent from the list for his acclaimed comedy, The Disaster Artist. He was previously nominated at the 2011 Oscars for 127 Hours and hosted the ceremony with Anne Hathaway in the same year.

Daniel Day-Lewis, with Vicky Krieps, in a scene from "Phantom Thread."

Christopher Plummer, meanwhile, who replaced the disgraced Kevin Spacey in Sir Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World, found himself with a best supporting actor nomination.

He is up against Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell, both for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Florida Project’s Willem Dafoe.

Oldman, fresh from his success at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, was nominated as best actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

He and Manville, who is competing for a best supporting actress award for Phantom Thread, were married for three years from 1987 and had a son together.

Meryl Streep in a scene from "The Post."

Manville is up against Mudbound’s Mary J Blige, Lady Bird’s Laurie Metcalf, The Shape Of Water’s Octavia Spencer and Allison Janney in I, Tonya, the story of the controversial Olympic figure skater, Tonya Harding .

In the main category, the contenders for best film include Dunkirk, an epic retelling of the 1940 evacuation from France. Its auteur, London-born Christopher Nolan, is also nominated as best director.

Darkest Hour, Three Billboards, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name, Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Steven Spielberg’s The Post are also nominated as best film.

The Post’s co-star, Meryl Streep, is nominated as best actress for a record 21st time.

But it was Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water that led the pack, with 13 nominations – including Hawkins and her co-star, Richard Jenkins.

The fantasy thriller is set in 1962 Baltimore and tells of the relationship between a mute cleaning lady and an undersea creature being held in a high-security government laboratory.

Hawkins also faces Ireland’s Saoirse Ronan, I, Tonya’s Margot Robbie and Three Billboards’ Frances McDormand, who has already triumphed at the Globes and the SAGs with the role.

Kaluuya, the star of Get Out, is a first-time nominee – unlike Day-Lewis, with three Oscars already in his trophy cabinet.

Tom Hanks, Streep’s co-star in The Post, was a surprise absentee from the list, as was Steven Spielberg. Actress Jessica Chastain, star of Molly’s Game, has also been tipped for inclusion. Only the film’s writer, Aaron Sorkin, was nominated.

Other Britons to be recognised include the musician Jonny Greenwood, a member of the band Radiohead, for his original score on Phantom Thread, and Roger Deakins for his cinematography on Blade Runner 2049.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel will host the awards on March 4.