BAFTA nominations add more drama to Oscar race

Chiwetel Ejiofor (left) and Michael Fassbender are BAFTA nominees for “12 Years A Slave”

The announcement Wednesday of the nominations for the British Academy Awards — known as the BAFTAs — further ratcheted-up the 2013-14 award season races, with “12 Years A Slave” and “Gravity” leading the pack with the most nods.

Along with those two films, the BAFTA voters tapped “American Hustle,” “Captain Phillips” and “Philomena” as its best film nominees. While “Philomena” apparently edged out Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” in the best picture race, Scorsese himself was nominated for best director, while “Philomena” helmer Stephen Frears was overlooked.

In the lead actor category, nominations went to Bruce Dern (“Nebraska”), Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years A Slave”), Christian Bale (“American Hustle”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) and Tom Hanks (“Captain Phillips”). For lead actress, the contenders are Amy Adams (“American Hustle”), Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”), Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks”), Judi Dench (“Philomena”) and Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”).

In the supporting categories, Julia Roberts snared the only BAFTA nomination for “August: Osage County” as best supporting actress, joined by Oprah Winfrey (“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”), Jennifer Lawrence (“American Hustle”), Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years A Slave”) and Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”). Supporting actor nominations went to first time actor Barkhad Abdi (“Captain Phillips”), Bradley Cooper (“American Hustle”), Daniel Bruhl (“Rush”), Matt Damon (“Behind the Candelabra”) and Michael Fassbender (“12 Years A Slave”).

The BAFTA awards will be presented in London on Feb. 16.