LAST UPDATE | Jan 7th 2020, 11:00 AM

IRISH ACTORS SAOIRSE Ronan and Jessie Buckely have been nominated for Bafta awards.

The EE British Academy Film Awards recognise the best in film of the past year.

The nominations have been criticised by some in the industry online over a lack of diversity, particularly in the main acting categories.

In the Leading Actress category, both Buckley and Ronan are nominated for their performances in Wild Rose and Little Women.

Also nominated in this category is Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story, Charlize Theron for Bombshell and Renée Zellweger for Judy.

The nominees for Leading Actress:

🎥 Jessie Buckley – Wild Rose
🎥 Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
🎥 Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
🎥 Charlize Theron - Bombshell
🎥 Renée Zellweger - Judy#EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/yC3qcM3OZV
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) January 7, 2020

BAFTA / Twitter

Congratulations to Jessie Buckley and Saoirse Ronan on their nominations today for a BAFTA award! 👏👏

We wish them the best of luck at next month's award ceremony.#EEBAFTAs https://t.co/qi9hOGGx04
— Tourism-Culture-Arts-Gaeltacht-Sport-Media (@DeptCulturelRL) January 7, 2020

Culture~Heritage~Gaeltacht / Twitter

A total of 39 feature films received nominations. Joker received 11 nominations and there were 10 nominations for the Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Other highlights include:

Nine nominations for 1917;
Six nominations for Jojo Rabbit;
Five nominations for Little Women, Marriage Story and The Two Popes;
Four nominations for For Sama, Parasite and Rocketman;
Three nominations for Bombshell, Judy, Le Mans ’66 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The awards will take place on 2 February at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the ceremony will be hosted by Graham Norton.

Minority Ehtnic Members, a section of trade union Equity which advises on issues of race and ethnicity in the entertainment industry, said the lack of ethnic representation in the main acting categories is “shameful”.

Congrats #EEBAFTAs nominees. But the total lack of ethnic representation in the main acting categories, in the face of overwhelming talent, is shameful. Not to mention the glaring omission of women elsewhere. It's 2020; do better. @EquityUK #BAFTAsSoWhite https://t.co/MpxAEHczjc
— Equity Race Equality Committee (@EquityREC) January 7, 2020

Minority Ethnic Members / Twitter

Bafta chief executive Amanda Berry said the lack of diversity was “disappointing” and said the organisation is “not going to stop pushing”, Sky News reports.

Chair of the Bafta film committee Marc Samuelson said this issue was “infuriating” but added that nominees are now up to about 36% female.

“It doesn’t take anything away from the issue in the acting categories but nonetheless it’s something and things are moving,” said Samuelson.

With reporting by Orla Dwyer

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