Nuclear Win — ‘Oppenheimer’ Bags 7 BAFTA Nods, Including Best Picture

"Oppenheimer" - the 2023 biopic focusing on the Manhattan Project, the development of the atomic bomb, the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the dawn of the nuclear age - won seven prizes at the 77th British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) on Sunday night (Feb. 18).

Among the awards include Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.).

The film's BAFTA accolades cemented its front-runner status for the Oscars this March, the Associated Press reported.

Films that were runners-up for the most BAFTAs were "Poor Things" with five awards, the Holocaust drama "The Zone of Interest" with three, and "The Holdovers" with two.

Murphy said he was grateful to play Oppenheimer - dubbed the father of the atomic bomb - who he described as a "colossally knotty, complex character."

Nuclear Win — ‘Oppenheimer’ Bags 7 BAFTA Nods, Including Best Picture — *(Photo: John Phillips/Getty Images)*

"Oppenheimer" was Nolan's first BAFTA win. He noted in his acceptance speech that nuclear weapons were "a nihilistic subject," which, he perceived, the film did cinematic justice.

"Thank you for taking on something dark," he told the film's producers.

Full List, Analysis of BAFTA Nominees, Winners

The following is the list of BAFTA 2024 nominees and winners:

Best film

Oppenheimer (winner)
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Poor Things

Outstanding British film

The Zone of Interest (winner)
All of Us Strangers
How To Have Sex
Napoleon
The Old Oak
Poor Things
Rye Lane
Saltburn
Scrapper
Wonka

Best film not in the English language

The Zone of Interest (winner)
20 Days In Mariupol
Anatomy of a Fall
Past Lives
Society of the Snow

Best Animated Film

The Boy and the Heron (winner)
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Elemental
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Documentary

20 Days In Mariupol (winner)
American Symphony
Beyond Utopia
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie
Wham!

Best British Short Animation

Crab Day (winner)
Visible Mending
Wild Summon

Best British Short Film

Jellyfish and Lobster (winner)
Festival of Slaps
Gorka
Such a Lovely Day
Yellow

Best Director

Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan (winner)
All of Us Strangers - Andrew Haigh
Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet
The Holdovers - Alexander Payne
Maestro - Bradley Cooper
The Zone of Interest - Jonathan Glazer

Best Leading Actor

Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer (winner)
Bradley Cooper - Maestro
Colman Domingo - Rustin
Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers
Barry Keoghan - Saltburn
Teo Yoo - Past Lives

Best Leading Actress

Emma Stone - Poor Things (winner)
Fantasia Barrino - The Color Purple
Sandra Hüller - Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan - Maestro
Vivian Oparah - Rye Lane
Margot Robbie - Barbie

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr - Oppenheimer (winner)
Robert De Niro - Killers of the Flower Moon
Jacob Elordi - Saltburn
Ryan Gosling - Barbie
Paul Mescal - All of Us Strangers
Dominic Sessa - The Holdovers

Best Supporting Actress

Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers (winner)
Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
Claire Foy - All of Us Strangers
Sandra Hüller - The Zone of Interest
Rosamund Pike - Saltburn

Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall (winner)
Barbie
The Holdovers
Maestro
Past Lives

Best Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction (winner)
All of Us Strangers
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Outstanding Debut by a British writer, director, or producer

Earth Mama (winner)
Blue Bag Life
Bobi Wine: The People's President
How To Have Sex
Is There Anybody Out There?

Original Score

Oppenheimer (winner)
Killers of the Flower Moon
Poor Things
Saltburn
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Make-up and Hair

Poor Things (winner)
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Napoleon
Oppenheimer

Best Costume Design

Poor Things (winner)
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer

Best Production Design

Poor Things (winner)
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest

Best Sound

The Zone of Interest (winner)
Ferrari
Maestro
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer

Best Cinematography

Oppenheimer (winner)
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Editing

Oppenheimer (winner)
Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Casting

The Holdovers (winner)
All of Us Strangers
Anatomy of a Fall
How To Have Sex
Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Special Visual Effects

Poor Things (winner)
The Creator
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon

BAFTA Fellowship

Samantha Morton

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema

June Givanni

EE Bafta Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)

Mia McKenna-Bruce (winner)
Phoebe Dynevor
Ayo Edebiri
Jacob Elordi
Sophie Wilde

In terms of nomination win-loss ratio, "Oppenheimer" had a whopping seven awards out of 13 nominations, which was the most for this year's competition. However, it fell short of the nine trophies won by the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in 1971.

Meanwhile, "Poor Things" won five out of 11 nominations, "The Zone of Interest" with three out of nine, and "The Holdovers" with two out of seven.

Out of the major nominees, "Anatomy of a Fall" won best original screenplay, "American Fiction" won best-adapted screenplay,

Other winners include "The Boy and the Heron" (best-animated film), "20 Days In Mariupol" (best documentary), "Crab Day" (best British short animation), "Jellyfish and Lobster" (best British short film), "Earth Mama" (outstanding debut by a British writer, director, or producer).

However, nominees from the films "Barbie," "Maestro," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Past Lives" - who also have multiple nominations in the upcoming Oscars - were sidelined in this year's BAFTAs.