Paddington In Peru snubbed by Bafta for new family film award

The latest Paddington movie will not be nominated for a new Bafta award for children’s and family films after being left off the category’s longlist.

Paddington in Peru was the top-earning British film of 2024 at the UK box office and was expected to be a frontrunner for the new award, which is intended to “celebrate the very best films appealing to inter-generational audiences”.

However, it has been overlooked by Bafta jury members for best children’s and family film.

Paddington does have a chance of a nomination in another category, though, after being included on the longlist for best British film.

Richard Curtis’s That Christmas and Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl both made the eight-strong longlist for best children’s and family film, as did Pharrell Williams’ Lego biopic Piece By Piece, the acclaimed The Wild Robot, and Netflix’s animated fantasy Spellbound.

The third Paddington film was entered, Bafta confirmed, but did not make the cut. Despicable Me 4 and Kung Fu Panda 4 were also overlooked.

Other family-friendly hits Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 will also not be nominated for the new award because their studios did not put them up for it – although they are on the longlist for best animated film, a separate prize.

The children’s and family category is Bafta’s first new award for five years. It is open to any film that Bafta says has a “specific inter-generational appeal to children, young people and adults”.

Films with a rating of U, PG or 12A were eligible, and 19 movies were entered in total.

Bafta said the judging process was “thorough”, with jury members watching all eligible films before voting “independently and confidentially”.

Paddington in Peru will come up against the likes of Wallace and Gromit, Gladiator II and Kneecap in the catergory for outstanding British film, as well director Sir Steve McQueen’s war film Blitz and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths.

The films appearing on the most longlists overall are Spanish-lanugage musical crime comedy Emilia Pérez and British psychological drama Conclave.

Most longlisted films

• Emilia Pérez – 15
• Conclave – 14
• A Complete Unknown – 11
• The Brutalist – 11
• The Substance – 11
• Dune: Part Two – 10
• Wicked – 10

One notable absence in the best actress category is Angelina Jolie, who has been tipped for awards success for playing opera singer Maria Callas in Maria. Bafta members prefered Marisa Abela‘s portrayal of Amy Winehouse in Back to Black, which has made the longlist.

More music legends are on the best actor longlist. Kingsley Ben-Adir is recognised for playing Bob Marley in One Love, as is Timothée Chalamet for portraying Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.

Other actors longlisted for real-life characters are Jude Law for playing Henry VIII in Firebrand, and Sebastian Stan for Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice.

Gladiator II star Paul Mescal is absent from the best actor longlist, however.

The Bafta winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 16 February.