La La Land sweeps awards season with 11 BAFTA nominations

La La Land is quick-stepping into the awards season, gaining 11 nominations for this year’s British Academy Film Awards. The fast-paced, sweet-tempered musical is not just winning hearts at home, but seems to have taken the UK by storm, dominating the British equivalent of the Oscars. Damien Chazelle’s homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood is up for best film, as well as the main technical categories, including original music, cinematography, editing, production design, costume design and sound.

The range of films is quite extraordinary. That’s what makes this year’s nominations so intriguing and interesting.

Amanda Berry, chief executive of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, speaking to BBC Breakfast

The film’s leading actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who play a couple of star-crossed lovers trying to make it in the “city of stars”, are also up for best leading actor and actress. Following the success of La La Land are Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi drama Arrival and Tom Ford’s dark thriller Nocturnal Animals - earning nine nominations each. Coming-of-age drama Moonlight has come out a little shorter than expected, picking up just four nominations, including best film and original screenplay. The 2017 Bafta Film Awards will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 12 February.

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