Empire Magazine, the world’s biggest film and entertainment brand, has unveiled the nominations for the Three Empire Awards, which will take place on 19 March at a brand new venue – Camden’s Roundhouse. The iconic awards show will celebrate the best in film and TV, voted for by fans, held at a star-studded event attended by some of the biggest and best-loved names in entertainment.
The awards continue to celebrate the diverse and rich talent within the film industry. Last year the Empire Awards was notable in celebrating diversity, and this year is no different. The fans have spoken and leading the field this year are Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (nine nominations) and Arrival (seven nominations), closely followed by Oscar favourite La La Land (five nominations). Other contenders in the Best Film category, which is sponsored by Sky Movies, include Hunt For The Wilderpeople and Deadpool. British film is also celebrated with I, Daniel Blake and Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them receiving nods across the categories.
The Best Actress category, which is sponsored by Three, is looking strong, with Amy Adams being given a nod for her stellar performance in Arrival. She battles it out with Natalie Portman (Jackie), Felicity Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Ruth Negga (Loving) and Oscar favourite Emma Stone (La La Land). For Best Actor, which is also sponsored by Three, Ryan Reynolds is nominated for his superhero performance in Deadpool, alongside a strong group of lead actors including Ryan Gosling (La La Land), Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) and British talent Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) and Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them).
British filmmaking talent is once more recognised in the coveted Best British Film category, which is sponsored this year by The Hollywood Reporter. The nominations include: High Rise, I, Daniel Blake, The Girl With All The Gifts, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and Eddie the Eagle. The Best Comedy category honours Ghostbusters, which has proved popular with the fans, alongside Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Deadpool, The Nice Guys and The Greasy Strangler.
There is a wealth of new talent in the best newcomers categories. Best Male Newcomer includes:
Julian Dennison (Hunt For The Wilderpeople), Lewis MacDougall (A Monster Calls), Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake) and Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War). The Best Female Newcomer category boasts such talent as Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Sennia Nanua (The Girl With All the Gifts) , Sasha Lane (American Honey), Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake) and Angourie Rice (The Nice Guys).
Small-screen drama is celebrated in the Best TV category, sponsored by Magic Radio, with these shows battling it for supremacy: Game Of Thrones, Stranger Things, The Night Manager, Sherlock and Westworld.
Best Director, which is sponsored by VUE entertainment, features talented female director Andrea Arnold (American Honey) alongside Taika Waititi (Hunt For The Wilderpeople), Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake) and Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).
Voting closes on Friday 24 February, and the Empire Awards 2017 winners will be announced at a star-studded ceremony at The Roundhouse, Camden on Sunday March 19.
Empire’s Editor-In-Chief Terri White comments: “This year has once again seen the fans out in force to vote for their favourite films in the Three Empire Awards. Which is why we are the only awards ceremony in the world to recognise Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story alongside La La Land and Arrival! There are none more passionate about film than the Empire audience and we’re expecting some big surprises when we honour the winners on the 19th March.”
The nominations for this year’s Three Empire Awards cover films released within the period 31st January 2016 to 31st January 2017.
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Full list of 2017 Nominations
Best Male Newcomer
Julian Dennison (Hunt For The Wilderpeople) – Vertigo
Lewis MacDougall (A Monster Calls) – eOne
Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) – Disney
Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake) – eOne
Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War) – Disney
Best Female Newcomer
Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) – Universal
Sennia Nanua (The Girl With All The Gifts) – Warner Bros.
Sasha Lane (American Honey) – Universal
Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake) – eOne
Angourie Rice (The Nice Guys) – Icon
Best Sci-fi/Fantasy
Arrival – eOne
A Monster Calls – eOne
Doctor Strange – Disney
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Disney
10 Cloverfield Lane – Paramount
Best Comedy
Hunt For The Wilderpeople – Vertigo
Deadpool – Twentieth Century Fox
The Nice Guys – Icon
The Greasy Strangler – Picturehouse
Ghostbusters – Sony
Best Horror
Under The Shadow – Vertigo
The Witch – Universal
Green Room – Altitude
The Conjuring 2 – Warner Bros.
Don’t Breathe- Sony
Best Thriller
Victoria – Curzon
Jason Bourne – Universal
Nocturnal Animals – Universal
Hell Or High Water – Studiocanal
Captain America: Civil War – Disney
Best British Film
High Rise – Studiocanal
I, Daniel Blake – eOne
The Girl With All The Gifts – Warner Bros.
Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them – Warner Bros.
Eddie The Eagle – Twentieth Century Fox
Best Actor
Ryan Gosling (La La Land) – Lionsgate
Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) – Studiocanal
Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) – Fox
Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) – Disney
Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them) – Warner Bros.
Best Actress
Natalie Portman (Jackie) – eOne
Felicity Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) – Disney
Amy Adams (Arrival) – eOne
Ruth Negga (Loving) – Universal
Emma Stone (La La Land) – Lionsgate
Best Director
Taika Waititi (Hunt For The Wilderpeople) – Vertigo
Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) – eOne
Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake) – eOne
Andrea Arnold (American Honey) – Universal
Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) – Disney
Best Film
Hunt For The Wilderpeople – Vertigo
Arrival – eOne
La La Land – Lionsgate
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Disney
Deadpool – Twentieth Century Fox
Best TV Series
Game of Thrones – Sky
Stranger Things – Netflix
The Night Manager – BBC
Sherlock – BBC
Westworld – Sky