The closest kin to the Academy Awards there is, the British Academy of Film & Television Arts will give out its prizes this Sunday. It will be broadcast, but will be shown on a time delay meaning winners will be revealed long before it actually airs for anyone.

BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM & TELEVISION ARTS AWARDS

Best Film

The Big Short (Tripp)
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Revenant (Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Spotlight (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Three of the bigger Oscar contenders for Best Picture are here and a victory by any of them could sway the conversation towards the eventual Best Picture winner. Both The Big Short and Spotlight are distinctly American stories. However, Spotlight deals with a universal theme of investigative journalism, so the American setting won’t likely come into play. If BAFTA should go for The Big Short, then I wouldn’t doubt if the Academy followed suit. If The Revenant manages the victory then the DGA will likely have prophesied the eventual Oscar winner. Spotlight needs this award to stay in the game and I suspect that it will.
Peter J. Patrick: BAFTA of late has tried to be a predictor of the Oscars, so this is how I think they’ll go.
Thomas LaTourette: The Revenant seems to be the movie of the moment, and that will probably help propel it to a win. Without a corresponding Oscar nod, Carol has no chance. The Big Short is probably a little too American for their tastes. Bridge of Spies is a more reserved film, and more the type they honor, but I think it will be lost in the shuffle. Spotlight, even without a directing nod, would have the best chance of pulling the upset, but it will be hard to beat The Revenant right now.

Best Animated Film

Inside Out (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Minions (RU:Peter)
Shaun the Sheep Movie (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Without Anomalisa, only the British Shaun the Sheep Movie could stop the Inside Out juggernaut and I really don’t think it will.
Peter J. Patrick: Nothing beats Inside Out this year.
Thomas LaTourette: Inside Out has been such a juggernaut that its winning ways should continue here, even over their own Shaun the Sheep Movie.

Best Director

Adam McKay – The Big Short (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies
Todd Haynes – Carol
Ridley Scott – The Martian (Tripp, RU:Peter)
Alejandro G. Inarritu – The Revenant (Wesley, Peter, Thomas, RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: With only two Oscar nominees on tap, it’s hard to think they won’t pick one of them. I give the edge to DGA winner Inarritu, but a win by McKay could presage a surge at the Oscars.
Peter J. Patrick: This is another category where BAFTA will likely want to predict Oscar unless they go completely rogue and award non-Oscar nominee Scott.
Thomas LaTourette: Inarritu, following his success at the DGAs, should easily triumph here. Any of the rest could come in second, and I chose McKay for The Big Short simply because his has the most active direction in it.

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston – Trumbo
Matt Damon – The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl (RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: The only way this doesn’t go to DiCaprio is if the British Bias pulls in Michael Fassbender, a very unlikely outcome.
Peter J. Patrick: This is another opportunity to anticipate Oscar.
Thomas LaTourette: Leonardo DiCaprio will easily win here over local boy Eddie Redmayne.

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett – Carol
Brie Larson – Room (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Peter)
Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn (Peter, RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Maggie Smith – The Lady in the Van
Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl (RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: I could say that this is the place to see the British Bias in effect, but Saoirse Ronan grew up in Ireland, not Northern Ireland like Fassbender. It’s still likely that if anyone can topple Brie Larson it is she.
Peter J. Patrick: Home girl Ronan wins over Larson who will take the consolation prize of Rising Star.
Thomas LaTourette: Like at the SAGs and Golden Globes, Brie Larson will triumph for Room, with Saorise Ronan probably coming in second.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale – The Big Short
Benicio Del Toro – Sicario
Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation (Wesley, Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight
Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies (Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: While I’d like to say that Mark Rylance will win being the only British Oscar nominee of the bunch, but Idris Elba is on a roll and, to show up the Academy for not having nominated him, I suspect that the hometown advantage may help him. Rylance really needs this victory to be seen as an Oscar contender, but if Elba wins, his chances may be dashed. Of course, a surprise win by Mark Ruffalo could send this race in a whole new direction.
Peter J. Patrick: The battle of the Brits should end in Elba’s favor.
Thomas LaTourette: Two of the nominated Brits stand the strongest chance of winning here, but not just because they are British. Mark Rylance, a huge London stage actor, has received great notices for his work in Bridge of Spies. That has not always carried over to wins for him, but it should here. If he goes home empty handed, then the likely winner would be SAG winning Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation.

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara – Carol (Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Julie Walters – Brooklyn
Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs (RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Alicia Vikander had a big year and with two nominations, I don’t see why BAFTA won’t honor her. She’ll win at the Oscars in this category as well, just not for the same film.
Peter J. Patrick: With an additional nod for Best Actress, this is Vikander’s to lose.
Thomas LaTourette: I will give the edge to Rooney Mara as she has the larger role in Carol than Alicia Vikander has in Ex Machina. If Vikander had been nominated for The Danish Girl, she might have stood a better chance of winning. I think this will be a close race.

Best Original Screenplay

Bridge of Spies (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)
Ex Machina (Tripp)
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Spotlight (Wesley, Peter, Thomas, RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Spotlight seems like a safe choice, even if it’s an American-centric film.
Peter J. Patrick: This is Spotlight‘s to lose – it won’t.
Thomas LaTourette: Spotlight should triumph here, which is likely its only win of the night. I would give Bridge of Spies a slight edge over Inside Out for pulling off the upset.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Big Short (Wesley, Thomas, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Brooklyn (Peter, Tripp)
Carol (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Room
Steve Jobs

Wesley Lovell: In what is sure to be a sign of a strong Oscar campaign, The Big Short should win. If it loses, especially to Carol or Steve Jobs, the film might be in trouble overall. Even America/Ireland-set Brooklyn could sneak in for the win.
Peter J. Patrick: The homegrown talent takes it.
Thomas LaTourette: The more wordy The Big Short will probably eke out a win over Carol, but BAFTA showed Carol a lot of love and it could pull off the upset win.

Best Original Music

Bridge of Spies (Peter, RU:Tripp)
The Hateful Eight (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Peter)
The Revenant (RU:Wesley)
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: While the Brits aren’t as sentimental as the Oscars, I think Ennio Morricone is just too legendary to ignore.
Peter J. Patrick: This one’s just a hunch.
Thomas LaTourette: Old master Ennio Morricone will likely win for his return to westerns for his Hateful Eight score. His closest competition is probably another old master, John Williams, for his return to the Star Wars franchise.

Best Editing

The Big Short (Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road (Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
The Martian (Peter)
The Revenant (RU:Peter)

Wesley Lovell: While BAFTA didn’t show much love to Mad Max, it could easily give it the award here. Anything else might be a sign of a stronger show of support for the film than previous estimated.
Peter J. Patrick: Let’s mix it up a little.
Thomas LaTourette: In a close race, The Big Short may edge out Mad Max for the win.

Best Cinematography

Bridge of Spies (Peter)
Carol (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Mad Max: Fury Road (RU:Thomas)
The Revenant (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas)
Sicario (RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: I’m going to stick with the film I think will capture the Oscar and the ASC award this year, but don’t count any of the others out.
Peter J. Patrick: At least one category has to have an upset, this one may be it.
Thomas LaTourette: The Revenant should easily win another award in this category, as the cinematography is mentioned by all who see it. Mad Max’s frenetic work is probably the main competition.

Best Production Design

Bridge of Spies (Wesley, Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Carol (RU:Peter)
Mad Max: Fury Road (Thomas, RU:Wesley)
The Martian (Peter)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: I’d love to see BAFTA recognize Mad Max, which might give it an Oscar boost, but the Cold War America and Berlin recreations should be like catnip for these folks even if Carol would additionally be more deserving.
Peter J. Patrick: This one is a toss-up between exquisite tastefulness and ingenuity. Ingenuity should win out.
Thomas LaTourette: The post apocalyptic Mad Max will triumph over the 1950s of Bridge of Spies.

Best Costume Design

Brooklyn (RU:Peter)
Carol (Peter, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Cinderella (Wesley, Tripp, RU:Thomas)
The Danish Girl (RU:Tripp)
Mad Max: Fury Road

Wesley Lovell: It’s hard not to go with the Oscar frontrunner here. Ultimately, I think it will be one of the two films featuring Cate Blanchett to pick up the prize.
Peter J. Patrick: This should go to one of the two films celebrating early 1950s styles.
Thomas LaTourette: Cate Blanchett’s gowns of Carol should triumph over the gowns she wore in Cinderella.

Best Makeup & Hair

Brooklyn (Peter)
Carol
The Danish Girl (Tripp, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)
Mad Max: Fury Road (Wesley, Thomas, RU:Tripp)
The Revenant (RU:Wesley)

Wesley Lovell: Mad Max would seem like the perfect choice, but one never knows with this group of voters.
Peter J. Patrick: It depends on what they’re looking for here.
Thomas LaTourette: The amount of work done for Mad Max will take it to the winner’s circle. The Revenant, or more likely The Danish Girl, will provide the strongest competition.

Best Sound

Bridge of Spies (Peter)
Mad Max: Fury Road (Wesley, Thomas, RU:Tripp)
The Martian (RU:Peter)
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Tripp, RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: This will come down to the battle of the tech giants, either Mad Max or Star Wars with The Martian playing spoiler.
Peter J. Patrick: Probably not, but here’s hoping the not so obvious prevails.
Thomas LaTourette: Mad Max will best Star Wars here, only to have those roles reversed in the visual effects category.

Best Special Visual Effects

Ant-Man
Ex Machina (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Mad Max: Fury Road (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
The Martian
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: As I suspected as Mad Max rolled through the critics awards, Star Wars is just the more obvious visual effects spectacle.
Peter J. Patrick: The obvious should prevail here.
Thomas LaTourette: The more traditional work of Star Wars will beat out Mad Max.

Best Foreign Language Film

The Assassin (Thomas, RU:Peter)
Force Majeure (Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Theeb (Tripp)
Timbuktu (Peter, RU:Wesley)
Wild Tales

Wesley Lovell: Force Majeure was the biggest critical success of these titles, so I give it the edge.
Peter J. Patrick: With Oscar favorite Son of Saul not in contention, I think they’ll go with the French/Mauritanian co-production.
Thomas LaTourette: Three of these films were up for last year’s Oscars, so I think the more recent The Assassin will stand the best chance of winning.

Best Documentary

Amy (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Cartel Land (RU:Thomas)
He Named Me Malala (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Listen to Me Marlon (RU:Wesley)
Sherpa

Wesley Lovell: Have to go for the leader of the pack.
Peter J. Patrick: The critically acclaimed Amy should prevail here.
Thomas LaTourette: Amy should easily win, with the DGA-winning Cartel Land providing the most competition.

Best Short Animation

Edmond (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Manoman (Thomas, RU:Peter)
Prologue (Wesley, Peter)

Wesley Lovell: Prologue is an Oscar nominee, so I give it the edge, but I’m not familiar with the other two, so it’s really anyone’s guess.
Peter J. Patrick: Maybe yes, maybe no.

Best Short Film

Elephant (Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Mining Poems or Odes (RU:Thomas)
Operator (Peter)
Over
Samuel-613 (Wesley)

Wesley Lovell: I don’t know any of these films and I haven’t seen any of them, so this is strictly a guess since there isn’t an Oscar nominee in the bunch.
Peter J. Patrick: This one’s another wild guess.

Best British Film

45 Years
Amy
Brooklyn (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
The Danish Girl
Ex Machina (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Although the voters can distinguish Ireland from Northern Ireland, Brooklyn is classified a British film, which gives it an edge as it’s the most acclaimed fictional film on this list. Ex Machina or 45 Years could emerge victorious in an upset.
Peter J. Patrick: This should go to one of the two most popular British films of the year.

Rising Star Award

Bel Powley
Brie Larson (Peter, Thomas, RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
Dakota Johnson
John Boyega (Wesley, Tripp)
Taron Egerton (RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: The Rising Star Award is voted by the public, which means John Boyega, who stars in the blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens will likely triumph over the other contenders, though fans of Fifty Shades of Grey could boost Dakota Johnson’s cred. I think, however, that enough voters will pick BAFTA and Oscar nominee Brie Larson over Johnson.
Peter J. Patrick: This is voted on by the public so anything is possible but I think Larson will take this as her consolation prize for losing Best Actress to Ronan.

Best Debut of a British Writer, Director or Producer

Alex Garland – Ex Machina (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Debbie Tucker Green – Second Coming (RU:Thomas)
Naji Abu Nowar, Rupert Lloyd – Theeb (RU:Tripp)
Sean McAllister, Elhum Shakerifar – A Syrian Love Story (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter)
Stephen Fingleton – The Survivalist

Wesley Lovell: Alex Garland won the feature debut award at the DGA, I don’t see why he would lose out here, especially against one film that has a single other BAFTA nomination and three more that have none.
Peter J. Patrick: This is Garland’s to lose – he won’t.