Following an outcry over the lack of diversity in last year's nominees and an overhaul of its rules and regulations, the EE British Film Academy Awards on Tuesday unveiled a far more inclusive field of nominees, including record nods for female directors and a leading seven nominations for Chloe Zhao's “Nomadland” and Sarah Gavron’s “Rocks." Much like previous Academy Awards controversies, last year's nominations by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts spawned a #BaftasSoWhite hashtag and were denounced for their all-male directing nominees and all-white acting nominees.
Director Steve McQueen said the BAFTAs — Britain's equivalent of the Oscars — risked irrelevancy. After winning for his performance in “Joker,” Joaquin Phoenix