The British Academy Film Awards 2020

Joker, The Irishman, Once upon a Time in Hollywood and 1917 are the titles you’ll hear mentioned most tonight: they’ve racked up an impressive 40 nominations between them including best film. Also nominated in that category is the acclaimed Parasite, a darkly comic Korean film that is one of the few foreign-language films ever to be up for a best picture Oscar.

It’s hard to predict winners this year, although surely Joaquin Phoenix (nominated but overlooked three previous times) must get recognised for his mesmerising Joker? Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson is in with a good chance of going home with a bronze mask – she’s nominated twice, as is Margot Robbie.

However, outstanding British film is trickier. How do you choose between a technically dazzling war film, a grainy paean to Cornish fishermen, a rockin’ Elton John biopic, an intimate Syrian video diary, a slice of social realism and a sumptuous papal bromance?

It should be a splendid evening, especially with the reliably witty Graham Norton – who is making his British Academy Film Awards hosting debut – at the helm.