Jackson to take on US heavyweights at Baftas

Peter Jackson may be up for his second Bafta in a row. Last year's best director award-winner at Britain's answer to the Oscars is nominated in the category this year for the second instalment in his Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers.

His opening chapter, The Fellowship of the Ring, won the best film Bafta last year and the second is nominated in nine categories.

But the front-runners at next month's awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, are two all-American giants: the musical Chicago and Martin Scorsese's epic Gangs of New York.

Each garnered 12 nominations today for awards including best film and best direction.

Close behind the front-runners is The Hours, the drama adapted by British writer David Hare from a novel by Michael Cunningham and directed by Stephen Daldry, the man behind Billy Elliot.

Despite widespread comment on the poor showing by British films this year, Daldry said yesterday he was thrilled by the 11 nominations for The Hours.

Nicole Kidman, nominated for best actress, said: "It's wonderful that four of the actors from the film were nominated. This acknowledges the tremendous talent of Stephen Daldry and David Hare. It was a joy to work with all of them on such rich material."

Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Hours and The Two Towers are joined by Roman Polanski's The Pianist in the race for best film honours. The same films will also compete for the David Lean award for achievement in direction.

But a wider range of movies get a chance in other categories. Dirty Pretty Things, a thriller about illegal immigrants in Britain, wins an original screenplay nomination for Steven Knight, one of the co-creators of television's Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, with Peter Mullan also in the running with his screenplay for The Magdalene Sisters, about unmarried mothers and the Catholic church.

Michael Caine and Daniel Day-Lewis will slug it out against Nicolas Cage and Jack Nicholson for best actor, with a relative unknown, Adrien Brody, the fifth nominee.

Catherine Zeta-Jones's venture into song and dance in Chicago earns her a best supporting actress nomination against competition from Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep.

Alfred Molina faces Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Christopher Walken and Chris Cooper for best supporting actor.

The Baftas will be presented in London on February 23, with Stephen Fry as host.

The nominations include:

Best film: Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Two Towers, The Pianist.

Best director: Rob Marshall (Chicago), Martin Scorsese (Gangs of New York), Stephen Daldry (The Hours), Peter Jackson (The Two Towers), Roman Polanski (The Pianist).

Best actor: Adrien Brody (The Pianist), Nicolas Cage (Adaptation), Michael Caine (The Quiet American), Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York), Jack Nicholson (About Schmidt).

Best actress: Halle Berry (Monster's Ball), Salma Hayek (Frida), Nicole Kidman (The Hours), Meryl Streep (The Hours), Renee Zellweger (Chicago).

Best supporting actor: Chris Cooper (Adaptation), Ed Harris (The Hours), Alfred Molina (Frida), Paul Newman (Road To Perdition), Christopher Walken (Catch Me If You Can).

Best supporting actress: Toni Collette (About A Boy), Queen Latifah (Chicago), Julianne Moore (The Hours), Meryl Streep (Adaptation), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago).

Outstanding British film: Bend It Like Beckham, Dirty Pretty Things, The Hours, The Magdalene Sisters, The Warrior.

Best original screenplay: Y Tu Mama Tambien, Dirty Pretty Things, Gangs of New York, The Magdalene Sisters, Hable Con Ella.

Best adapted screenplay: About A Boy, Adaptation, Catch Me If You Can, The Hours, The Pianist.

Best music: Catch Me If You Can, Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Pianist.

Best foreign language film: Y Tu Mama Tambien, Cidade de Deus, Devdas, Hable Con Ella, The Warrior.

Best cinematography: Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Two Towers, The Pianist, Road To Perdition.

Best special effects: Gangs of New York, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, The Two Towers, Minority Report, Spider-Man.

Best production design: Chicago, Gangs of New York, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, The Two Towers, Road To Perdition.

- INDEPENDENT