hello and welcome to our special oscar nominations programme on bbc news. i'm martine croxall and we are just minutes away from learning who has been shortlisted for this year's academy awards. film criticjason solomons is with me. we'll be discussing the likely contenders and bring you all the nominations as they are announced in los angeles. so, jason. let's talk through some of the frontrunners for this year” of the frontrunners for this year's awards and it seems that for the first time in a couple of years there isn't a film poised to sweep the boards? a couple of years ago, we were here with la la land with loads of nominations. i don't think we have a film that is the frontrunner in such a way. that makes the race all the more exciting this year. but i do think we will see three films coming to the front and one of them will be roma, without a doubt. many are tipping it to be the first ever film ina tipping it to be the first ever film in a foreign language to win best

picture. it is certainly rare that it is nominated in best picture. i think it is an absolute masterpiece. it is about the film—makers memories of growing up in mexico in the 19705. it is funny and wistful and powerful in political and everything that you expect from a film that really captured the spirit of mexico city, told from the point of theo of the maid who brought the director. i think that will come away with seven 01’ think that will come away with seven or eight nominations. a very personal piece. i think another film that will very popular is a star is born. i think we will also see wonderful outpouring of respect for bradley cooper. this is the first time he has directed a film. he performs on it. lady gaga will probably be nominated for best

original song. i think we will see a lot of love for that film. it is a classic hollywood tail and hollywood loves nothing more. i think britain will be very well represented in a film called the favourite, which stars olivia colman as our own queen anne. let's have a look at those two in action. i am ready for the russian ambassador. who did your make—up? russian ambassador. who did your make-up? do you like it? you look like a badger. are you going to cry? well, what do you think you look like? a badger. do you really think

you can meet the russian delegation looking like that? no. iwill manage it. go back to your rooms. thank you. did you just look at me? did you? look at me! how dare you, close your eyes! funny, sad, bawdy, it's got everything. it is the badger quote. what are the key themes we should be looking out for this time? i think we will see diversion lyrical diversity in action. i think it will really change this year. the oscars will be nominated by tracy ellis ross, the daughter of diana ross, and a pakistani born comic

actor and we will see films like black panther blackkklansman. diversity takes a while to filter through but i think we will see that this time. in terms of women involved in film—making, has not changed? i think you might be disappointed if you're looking for female directors. in the next few minutes, we are going to be hearing who is in the running for the 91st academy awards. we are going to take you straight to los angeles life now andjoin you straight to los angeles life now and join the presentation of this yea rs and join the presentation of this years nominations. good morning. we are so excited to

announce this years oscar nominees but i have a confession. i have actually never watch the announcements alive before. this is the second time in my life i have gotten out early for oscar nominations. the first time was last year when i watched this broadcaster see if my wife and i were going to get nominated. i was wearing this exact same outfit. i have been steaming it in the shower. that is a little trick for you guys. by the way, we did get nominated. little trick for you guys. by the way, we did get nominatedlj little trick for you guys. by the way, we did get nominated. i know, it was very exciting. let's not keep anyone else waiting. it is very early in the morning

right now. very early. i have not had coffee. i think i can guess why they picked me to do this one. it is for achievement in costume design. iamona i am on a solid eight minutes of sleep right now, which is perfect for me. anymore is too much. here are the nominees for achievement

sound mixing. what did you have for breakfast? i'll tell you after this. now the nominations for achievement in sound editing. i had cereal.

i wonder if there is some kind of record we can break. best animated short film. when my alarm went off this morning, it's out like i had been punched in the face. it was me! i punched you.

i had four alarms that went off this morning. when the first one went off, i screamed at the top of my lungs. do you love dogs? i do, i love all animals.

i told them, instead of 5:20am, i said what about 5:15am, and they said, that is too early!|j said what about 5:15am, and they said, that is too early! i will go about 1130! do you mind if i take this one? go ahead. idid get i did get up at 1:30am, but i fell asleep lips... if the table is set, i can't wait to find out what happens next. if the table is set, i can't wait to

find out what happens nextlj if the table is set, i can't wait to find out what happens next. i never made it to a dream. you are so lucky. my seven minutes was rough! we still have more nominee announcements. we will be back at 5:30am and 30 seconds. that is not enough for me to have a wardrobe change. we will be right back. very early in the morning, i think we have gathered. we have a tally sheet. we are trying to keep up with who has got what. very exciting, early frontrunners, the favourite with li—macro nominations —— four nominations. i am also delighted to see black panther with four

nominations already and blackkklansman nominations already and blackkkla nsman with three. nominations already and blackkklansman with three. that is exciting with richard e grant getting a nomination. he is so well like. yes, the film is not out here at the moment. it will be out on fabbri the first. he plays a sort of new york dandy, set in the 19905, who befriends a miserable writer who cannot get her new book published and she resorts to drink. he becomes the best friend enabling her in a bar. it is a perfect richard e grant performance. you are friends with julia something. performance. you are friends with julia something. she died. she did? maybe she didn't die, maybe she moved back to the suburbs. i get

confused with those two. she got married and had twins. better to have died! indeed! i havejust coming from having my teeth bleached, how do they look? why would you do that? teeth are a dead giveaway. can i buy you a drink, even though you are the posh writer? he is utterly charming, isn't he? that is what you want from him. richard e grant has never won or been nominated for awards at all. it is so shocking. he is in his 60s. people love this part. it is very funny and he brings a real texture to this film. it is out on fabbri the first for uk audiences. it is one of our favourites. can he win the first for uk audiences. it is one of ourfavourites. can he win in that category? i think it is just a i°y that category? i think it is just a joy for him to be nominated. he deserves it for his career, in a way. greenberg is anotherfilm

deserves it for his career, in a way. greenberg is another film that uk audiences have not seen. that has a couple of nominations. that is a film to watch out in these oscar nominations. this film is about an unlikely friendship, taking root as they travel across the segregated southin they travel across the segregated south in 19605 america. they travel across the segregated south in 1960s america. we have about a minute i think until we get the next set of announcements. what are we looking out for? here are the big ones? we have actor in a leading role, actress and a leading role, animated feature film. look out for some family favourites. they will definitely feature. we have foreign language coming up and we have original song, which we could have lady gaga winning. and other popular films like bohemian rhapsody, that has done such great business around the world. i think we will definitely see a reward for that. it'll be fascinating to see which

one comes in a bid. people will be delighted that black panther will be nominated, they were going to get a popular oscars category, but they don't need to. time now for the second set of nominations, including the big price, best picture. —— big prize. for those just joining the big price, best picture. —— big prize. for thosejust joining us, good morning, it is still very early. and to the rest of you, welcome back. now for the rest of the announcements, for best foreign language film. how is my posture? flawless, i

should try to recreate it. for best documentary short subject... nicely done. i insisted that one should be at the end of the run. for best documentary feature... if you think this is good, you

should see me at 2.00, that is when i really hate my stride. here are the nominees for achievement in production design. —— hit my stride. i had bananas for breakfast. no peanut butter? serial? protein of any kind? no. 0k. for achievement in

cinematography... here we go. for achievement in visual effects... iam very i am very impressed i could read all these, i could not spell my name right now, i'm sure. here are the

nominees... oh, that is yours. here are the nominees for achievement in make—up and hair style. are the nominees for achievement in make-up and hair style. yes, better you do this one. only three in that category. it is a guilt thing. keep going. here are the nominees for best animated feature film. all those movies are great. for original song... well done. thank you. here are the

nominees for adapted screenplay. it is exciting that we get to do this. it's exciting for everybody listening! almost everyone. can i ta ke listening! almost everyone. can i take this one? brings back fond memories. yes, this is all you, go. here are the nominees for original screenplay. i even to sleep after this are just have your day? i'm probably going to go work out. i'm lying! now for a

performance by an actor in a leading role. iam going i am going to work out probably first three or four hours, pull—ups, push lambs. here we go.|j first three or four hours, pull—ups, push lambs. here we go. i don't believe you! for a performance by an actress in a leading role... dreamsjust coming

dreams just coming true out here. here are the nominees for achievement in directing. iam going i am going to work out, i don't know why you think i'm lying. the final one, let's do this together. and finally, here are the films selected

as best picture nominees. wow! wow! congratulations to all the nominees. congratulations, thank you eve ryo ne nominees. congratulations, thank you everyone forjoining us, and watch the 91st oscars february 24. we did it! they can get some sleep now. a quick calculation here, i think our kick boxer exercise has worked quite well, because recently agreeing on the numbers. what have you got? i've got the favourite out in front on ten, but tied with roma, so they got a couple more than i thought it might get. you have also got a star is born tied ornate lamination is that vice, and then green booklet five. but i'm delighted for black panther which has seven nominations.

i don't know, i might have got so excited that spike lee finally got a nomination for director. look at those directors, you have got spike lee has never been nominated as a director before, even though he is the great directors for the last 30 yea rs. the great directors for the last 30 years. you have got pawel pawlikowski from poland. yorgos lanthimos from greece. alfonso cuaron from mexico, it and we see reflected in these nominations, film isa reflected in these nominations, film is a global process. richard e grant is a global process. richard e grant is nominated in supporting role, was filmed with melissa mccarthy, can you ever forgive me? richard is joining us here on the phone. congratulations, i thought you were watching. thank you. i wasjust in a re sta u ra nt watching. thank you. i wasjust in a restaurant with my daughter, absolutely overwhelmed. beyond

everything i could ever have dreamt or imagined, my 62nd year, i have beenin or imagined, my 62nd year, i have been in show business for four decades, and never thought anything like this would happen. i am just literally levitating. congratulations, you should certainly order of the finest wines known to humanity to celebrate that, richard. tell us a bit about the party got nominated for. he is hiv positive, he has also a coke dealer and petty thief who works in collusion with a little late for joe, who melissa mccarthy plays. i hear she hasjust joe, who melissa mccarthy plays. i hear she has just been joe, who melissa mccarthy plays. i hear she hasjust been nominated as well, so i am absolutely thrilled for her. it is a story of friendship and loneliness in new york in the early 19905, between these two people. it is so surprising,

richard, for those of us who have watched you that you have not been nominated for awards before, but this film already changing that even though we haven't yet seen it in the uk. yeah, absolutely astonishing. something that took 26 days to shoot, and literally i feel like my world has come upside down about how much it has changed everything. i am incredibly grateful. it was written and directed by and starring and producing a majority of female crew, so producing a majority of female crew, so that in itself seems so absent from the zeitgeist until recently, so from the zeitgeist until recently, so i'm thrilled to be a part of it. have you wondered what it was like to go through this awards process, having viewed from afar, and thinking that is good to be me? what is it like now that it is you been nominated at the baftas and the oscars? it feels almost like it is happening to somebody else. ijust have to take a deep breath and say,

this is actually happening to me! have to take a deep breath and say, this is actually happening to mam is because you have been working as you say years, do you think this can change your career? are you are quite established now, you're quite unflappable, nothing much can change after this, or can it? oh, no, you're recognition, power, money, decreases the older you get, so the fact that this has all happened, when i have just finished shooting on the final star wars film as well withjj abrams, on the final star wars film as well with jj abrams, if you on the final star wars film as well withjj abrams, if you had said anything like this was good to happen in my sixth decade, would have said you need your head right. lam have said you need your head right. i am absolutely astonished. we are delighted for you. we hope you have your flight booked and reality sinks in and you can enjoy this glorious period before the actual night.

richard e grant, congratulations for your nomination and thank you very much for talking to us. the remainder of the best films. we interrupted a good lunch there! she sounded stunned, didn't he? but it is not surprising to us, though, who enjoyed it... if you see this performance when it is out in the uk on february one, you're going to see absolutely right. and it is the reward for that longevity of korea as well. best picture, eight nominations. bit of a surprise, they are allowed to nominate up to ten. what we are seeing in the eighth that could get selected as i think a very strong selection of films. two films with black in the title, black panther and serve. that is part of the campaign to get black faces onto the campaign to get black faces onto the screen and to respond to the

criticism from a couple of years ago. —— black panther and blackkklansman. ago. —— black panther and blackkkla nsman. the ago. —— black panther and blackkklansman. the notion of an oscar film has changed, blackkklansman. the notion of an oscarfilm has changed, and blackkklansman. the notion of an oscar film has changed, and you blackkklansman. the notion of an oscarfilm has changed, and you can see that here, roma, set in the mexican language and starring to mexican language and starring to mexican actresses people won't have heard of. she is training to be a schoolteacher, and alfonso cuaron found her in a dentist and in 1000 people she saw for auditions. she is a complete delight. she is extraordinary, and i think we might have a record breaker because alfonso cuaron has got ten nominations —— the film has ten, and i think alfonso cuaron has been nominated for six of those, as the director, cinematography,

production, screenwriting, he was everywhere in that film. it is about film has memory. a superb crowning achievement. we have mentioned the favourite has ten nominations, one of them for best picture, and we have got tony mcnamara, one of the screenwriters from the favourite on the film tells now. tony, congratulations, bathed in the moment! pretty amazing moment. i don't suppose you expecting it to go this far when you are approached by the greeks director to help you write a story that had been taking 20 years. he had read the script, and he wanted to reinvent the period movie. so he brought me in and he andl movie. so he brought me in and he and i then worked on it for six years together, and we just made it

a comedy, and we wanted it to feel contemporary. he is a very visionary quy: contemporary. he is a very visionary guy, and he and ijust spent years together writing and writing and hoping we could get the movie made. now it is made with these amazing actors, that is really great. do you think being australian, that helps you sex up and change this traditional stodgy british period drama? i think because he is greek andl drama? i think because he is greek and i must relent, we are not steeped in british tradition, so we did not ever feel steeped in british tradition, so we did not everfeel like... have steeped in british tradition, so we did not ever feel like... have the time we did not even know the bills we re time we did not even know the bills were breaking, we just wanted to make it fresh, a period movie, sol think it did help. while we understood british culture, because in australia you get a lot of these things and you grew up with bbc shows, it is a different culture and a much younger sort of culture in a

way. not referential, which is part of the joy of it. and of course you are writing some really strong roles for women, which will go down well with a lot of the audience. yeah, that was from the start, yorgos wanted three women, and that was what we set out to do. we fought for that all the time. they had to be imperfect, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and you could take sides with them and sometimes you are a poll by them. so that was how we viewed writing those characters. and you are lucky to get the amazing characters. —— actors. and you are lucky to get the amazing characters. -- actors. and all three of them have been nominated, olivia colman, rachel weisz at emma stone. how was it hearing them speaking the words, especially olivia colman, now a favourite for that role that she

won using your works? we have had three weeks rehearsal, as soon as we we re three weeks rehearsal, as soon as we were in there, i heard the three of them saying these words we had written, it was extraordinary. they are just so pitch perfect comic actors. as well as great dramatic actors. as well as great dramatic actors. they could just land every punch line that is even close to funny. tony, we are delighted for you and thank you for speaking to us. you and thank you for speaking to us. tony mcmahon, screenwriter with the favourite, best of luck at the oscars. we are now going to our correspondent in los angeles, probably as bleary eyed as the two. the nominations. a very miserable of applause for a number of films which got a lot of nominations each. yes, some big set of nomination here, black panther, the favourite, vice, roma, really standing out. some interesting diversity in the sorts of films that are being nominated

and having success. a film like roma and having success. a film like roma a few years ago probably wouldn't have been able to make it to this level, filmed in black and white, presented for an english audience in subtitles, you start watching the film and think, and to have a hard time with this. but once you engage with that film, it is a beautiful piece of work from alfonso cuaron. so it is well nominated. it black panther wins, would be the first animated feature to win in that major category. there is diversity here in terms of the characters on screen, here in terms of the characters on screen, you we re here in terms of the characters on screen, you were just talking about the favourite, but i think one thing that will be seized upon the fact that will be seized upon the fact that the best directors list features an entirely mail list of names. although there was some diversity there and where those directors come from and what those films are about, that is an all—male list once again, and i think there will be questions asked about where the female directors are, where

those films are, where the recognition is for films that are being made by women. dan, thank you. we'll talking about bohemian rhapsody, and in particular rami malek nominated for actor in a leading role for playing freddie mercury. yeah, one of the stones that people were worried about, it isa that people were worried about, it is a popularfilm, so that people were worried about, it is a popular film, so would that people were worried about, it is a popularfilm, so would it be that people were worried about, it is a popular film, so would it be a hit with critics and the academy? and of course it has been hugely accessible around the world, and very successful with the academy, five nominations. obviously in sound, it is about sound and capturing the sound of queen, nothing we forget how popular queen still are around the world. everyone knows the lyrics. it is not exactly the story of freddie mercury, except you have got the brilliant performance from rami malek, like an action man figure in one of his outfits playing freddie mercury. but here's mercurial, a magnetic performance, one of the most magnetic pop stars we have ever had. let's have a look at a clip. slumped

to the speed. come on. i want you to cla p to the speed. come on. i want you to clap on the third beat. what's going on? you would know if you were on time. i want to give the audience a song that they can perform. so what can they do? he stamps, claps. imagine thousands of people doing this in unison. what's the lyric? #we # we will, we will rock you #. the genesis of a song that you know so the genesis of a song that you know so well, and when i feel i have known on alive, but once upon a

time, it didn't exist. yes, a slightly cheesy film, but... plenty of info that. exactly, and the oscars are struggling to remain releva nt. oscars are struggling to remain relevant. people are asking what people have seen on netflix and amazon prime. and now the oscars have to say, what are you seeing at the cinema? and i think this set of awards is living that conversation on. people are talking about the union rhapsody, and have you seen blachklansman union rhapsody, and have you seen blachkla nsman which is union rhapsody, and have you seen blachklansman which is out on dvd now? we are now going to speak to paul lambert, we have seen four for first man. —— four nominations. paul lambert, we have seen four for first man. -- four nominations. we tried to be as realistic as possible. working with the other heads of the department was millions of additional. we tried to make of

living as realistic as possible, just so the audience could feel what it actually felt like to go into space. paul, congratulations. where did you do the effects? were you in la, or that some of it done here in the uk? some of the initial tests we re the uk? some of the initial tests were done in the uk, but it was shot in atlanta and in florida. we actually went down to cape canaveral and shot footage down there, but a lot of the work was done up in vancouver, canada. it is one of those films about space, you think of the need space films we have seen before. this one is back to basics, almost like a blind robin car. exactly, it was to try to show how perilous it was to actually go up there. we visited the kennedy space

ce ntre there. we visited the kennedy space centre and saw the original gemini brocket, and it just centre and saw the original gemini brocket, and itjust looked like a tin can, attached one of the biggest rockets in history to this tin can fly out into space. it certainly gave me that film. thank you very much, paul lambert who art and visual effects for first man. we have got the nominations, and not too long to wait, not very long till the big night. that is it from the bbc‘s oscar nominations programme. jason solomons, film critic, thank you so much for taking us through. my you so much for taking us through. my pleasure. it has been a great way of looking at those nominations. the ceremony takes place in los angeles on the 24th of february. it is chilly, time to hunker down.

plenty of sunshine today to tempt you outside, and some lovely wintry landscapes to be enjoyed thanks to oui’ landscapes to be enjoyed thanks to our weather watchers for the great images we have been sent. tomorrow, another chilly day, more sunshine to, but more wintry showers as well. at the moment, quite if you showers piling into the north and west of the uk. -- piling into the north and west of the uk. —— quite a few showers. and a bit more of an organised line moving through, too. through this afternoon, across parts of the north west of england on the midlands and central southern england, some heavier snow and dad are quite low levels for the showers really do set up. the showers will thin out somewhat for the north west of

scotla nd somewhat for the north west of scotland and northern ireland and the next few hours. but we will watch the slide quite closely as we get into the early evening, because it could mean a difficult mixture of rain, sleet and snow crossing the south—east just in rain, sleet and snow crossing the south—eastjust in time for the evening rush hour. that may cause some transport disruption. generally, skies were clear from most others overnight, still some snow showers across north wales, fading into the midlands. a few more for scotland and northern ireland. possibly our coldest nights so far, and some rural spots in scotland could be —8 —9. ice could be a risk anywhere. tomorrow looks good, a lot of sparkling sunshine, in north—westerly breeze. showers due and further between them today. maybe some heavier ones moving into the far east across kent through wednesday morning, and more coming afternoon across the north west of scotland. a few for northern ireland and perhaps for wales as well. look out for some freezing fog across

central scotland, temperatures could be freezing at best. a bit of cloud thickening towards the west, we have a one front that wants to move on from the end of the week. so for thursday, more cloud across northern ireland and western scotland, and a slightly milder take things, snow at first turn to rain, temperatures back up to 67 celsius. elsewhere, cold with a decent amount of sunshine. a warm weather front end for friday and then briefly and some mild air. her temperature is returned to average values for the end of the week, but make the most of that, cold again from the weekend. hello. you're watching afternoon live. i'm simon mccoy. today at 2: fears for premier league striker emiliano sala, who was on a light aircraft which is missing over the channel islands. it is possible that the aircraft has diverted somewhere else, but we are continuing a search if in the unfortunate event it has

actually ditched into the sea. mps opposed to theresa may's eu withdrawal deal put forward their rival plans for brexit. the duke of cambridge interviews the award—winning broadcaster and naturalist sir david attenborough. tell everyone here, how urgent is that crisis now? it