24/02/2015 - The Hobbit, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Kingsman score four nominations

The always irreverent and public facing, as opposed to industry facing, Empire Awards are now 20 years old and as always are voted for entirely by the cinema going public. Leading the nominations this year is The Imitation Game [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile], receiving votes in six of the 11 categories, including: Best Actor; Best Actress; Best Director; Best Thriller; Best British Film, and Best Film. Other contenders with four nominations apiece are UK box office champions: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and Kingsman: The Secret Service [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Following a successful year for British acting talent in other awards shortlists, British stars dominate Best Actor and Actress, taking four out of the five nominations in each category. For Best Actress, Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow) are joined by Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), whilst Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) will shoot it out with British talent Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) for the Best Actor award.

The awards will be presented on March 29.

The Nominees 

Best Newcomer — Male
Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood)
Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Daniel Huttlestone (Into The Woods)
Jack O’Connell (Unbroken)
Dan Stevens (The Guest) 

Best Newcomer — Female
Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Carrie Coon (Gone Girl)
Essie Davis (The Babadook)
Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy/Oculus)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) 

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Dawn of the Planet Of The Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile]
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Horror
Annabelle
The Babadook
The Guest
Oculus
Under the Skin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jonathan Glazer
film profile] 

Best Comedy
22 Jump Street
The Grand Budapest Hotel [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile]
The Inbetweeners 2
The Lego Movie
Paddington [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile]

Best Thriller
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Locke [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best British Film
The Imitation Game
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Paddington
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin 

Best Actor
Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies)
Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) 

Best Actress
Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow)
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) 

Best Director
Peter Jackson (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Christopher Nolan (Interstellar)
Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) 

Best Film
Boyhood
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Imitation Game
Interstellar