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‘Belfast’ leads AACTA International nominees ahead of ‘The Power of the Dog’, ‘Nitram’

Justin Kurzel accepts the AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film during the 2021 AACTA Awards (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for AFI)

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog have followed up their dominance of the Golden Globes nominations with the lion’s share of AACTA International Award nods.

Fourteen feature films will compete in seven film categories for the awards, with Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film leading the charge with seven nominations followed by Campion’s period drama with six, including Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee.

They will compete for Best Film alongside Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, which won eight awards at the domestic AACTAs earlier this month. The chilling crime portrait received a further four nominations from the academy, with Kurzel and Shaun Grant nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay, respectively, while Caleb Landry Jones is again up for Best Actor.

In the series categories, Succession and The White Lotus share the most nominations with three apiece. Australians from both programs are in line for awards, with The White Lotus‘ Murray Bartlett recognised in the Best Actor in a Series category, while Succession’s Sarah Snook received a Best Actress in a Series nomination.

Other Australians recognised include Nicole Kidman, who will contend the Best Actress in Film award for her portrayal of Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos, and Best Actress in a Series for her work in Nine Perfect Strangers. Cate Blanchett is also among the film nominees, named in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work on Don’t Look Up.

Elsewhere, Nine Perfect Strangers, which was produced by Made Up Stories and Blossom Films, will battle it out for Best Drama Series with Squid Game, Mare of Easttown, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Maid.

AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said it was “hugely encouraging” to see so many Australians nominated,

“We wish them the very best of luck along with all the nominees, and look forward to seeing the results early in the new year.”

The 11th AACTA International Awards will be presented virtually at 7am AEDT on Thursday, January 27.

The full list of nominees is as follows:

FILM

Best Film
• BEING THE RICARDOS
• BELFAST
• DUNE
• LICORICE PIZZA
• NITRAM
• THE POWER OF THE DOG

Best Lead Actor
• Benedict Cumberbatch – THE POWER OF THE DOG
• Caleb Landry Jones – NITRAM
• Andrew Garfield – TICK, TICK … BOOM!
• Will Smith – KING RICHARD
• Denzel Washington – THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

Best Lead Actress
• Penélope Cruz – PARALLEL MOTHERS
• Lady Gaga – HOUSE OF GUCCI
• Jennifer Hudson – RESPECT
• Nicole Kidman – BEING THE RICARDOS
• Kristen Stewart – SPENCER

Best Supporting Actress
• Caitríona Balfe – BELFAST
• Cate Blanchett – DON’T LOOK UP
• Judi Dench – BELFAST
• Kirsten Dunst – THE POWER OF THE DOG
• Sally Hawkins – SPENCER

Best Supporting Actor
• Bradley Cooper – LICORICE PIZZA
• Jamie Dornan – BELFAST
• Ciarán Hinds – BELFAST
• Al Pacino – HOUSE OF GUCCI
• Kodi Smit-McPhee – THE POWER OF THE DOG

Best Direction
• BELFAST – Kenneth Branagh
• DUNE – Denis Villeneuve
• LICORICE PIZZA – Paul Thomas Anderson
• NITRAM – Justin Kurzel
• THE POWER OF THE DOG – Jane Campion

Best Screenplay
• BEING THE RICARDOS – Aaron Sorkin
• BELFAST – Kenneth Branagh
• LICORICE PIZZA – Paul Thomas Anderson
• NITRAM – Shaun Grant
• THE POWER OF THE DOG – Jane Campion

TELEVISION

Best Drama
• MAID
• MARE OF EASTTOWN
• NINE PERFECT STRANGERS
• SQUID GAME
• SUCCESSION
• THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Best Comedy
• HACKS
• SEX EDUCATION
• TED LASSO
• THE GREAT
• THE KOMINSKY METHOD
• THE WHITE LOTUS

Best Actor in a Series
• Murray Bartlett – THE WHITE LOTUS
• Lee Jung-jae – SQUID GAME
• Ewan McGregor – HALSTON
• Jeremy Strong – SUCCESSION
• Jason Sudeikis – TED LASSO

Best Actress in a Series
• Jennifer Coolidge – THE WHITE LOTUS
• Nicole Kidman – NINE PERFECT STRANGERS
• Jean Smart – HACKS
• Sarah Snook – SUCCESSION
• Kate Winslet – MARE OF EASTTOWN