THE FANS HAVE SPOKEN - NOMINATIONS REVEALED FOR THE EMPIRE AWARDS, 2017

Empire Magazine have recently unveiled the nominations for the Empire Awards, which will take place on the 19th of March, 2017, at a brand new venue: The Camden's Roundhouse. The iconic awards show will celebrate the best in film and TV, voted for by fans and held at a star-studded event attended by some of the biggest and best-loved names in the industry.





Last year the Empire Awards was applauded for celebrating diversity in film, and this year things will be no different. The fans have spoken, so leading the field for 2017 are films such as -- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (nine nominations), Arrival (seven nominations), which is closely followed by 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 as well as Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, both receiving nods from across the board.

The Best Actress category, which is sponsored by Three, is looking strong, real strong, with Amy Adams being given the thumbs up for her stellar performance in Arrival. She battles it out with Natalie Portman (Jackie), Felicity Jones (Rogue One), Ruth Negga (Loving), and 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 that include 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).

While we're talking about the Brits, British film-making talent is once more recognized 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 honors Ghostbusters, which has proved divided among the fans, alongside Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Deadpool, The Nice Guys, and The Greasy Strangler.

There's also been a wealth of new talent on display in 2017, and this is especially highlighted in the nominations given for the Best Male Newcomer, which includes: Julian Dennison (Hunt For The Wilderpeople), Lewis MacDougall (A Monster Calls), Riz Ahmed (Rogue One), Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake) and Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War). Where as 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 hasn't been forgotten, not in the Best TV category, sponsored by Magic Radio, with these shows battling it out for supremacy: Game Of Thrones, Stranger Things, The Night Manager, Sherlock, and Westworld. Whilst the Best Director category, 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).

In a statement she released to the press, Terri White, who's the Editor-In-Chief of Empire Magazine, said: “This year has once again seen the fans out in force to vote for their favorite films in the Three Empire Awards. Which is why we are the only awards ceremony in the world to recognize 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 honor the winners on 19th March.”

For a full list of nominations please click here.