Even though Denzel Washington’s Gladiator II performance is the highlight of the movie, it’s possible that he ended up going down with the ship. While the movie was nominated for Best British Film, it only received two other nominations, in technical categories, for Best Sound and Special Visual Effects.

As Shakespeare wrote, “Life is but a walking shadow,” and Denzel Washington is the poor player who continues to be heard no more, at least in the eyes of BAFTA. With over 65 film credits, nine Academy Award nominations (including two wins) and more than 270 accolades across a 45-year career,

Gladiator II star Denzel Washington, Wicked, Kneecap, Sing Sing breakout Clarence Maclin, Queer lead Daniel Craig, and The Substance star Margaret Qualley were among the biggest snubs and surprises after the 78th annual BAFTA Awards nominations were announced on Wednesday.

The nominations for the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards are in, and as always, they have their fair share of snubs and surprises. At the top of the list of snubs this year are “Wicked,” which missed out on the best film category,

In fact, Washington has never been nominated for a BAFTA. Considering his career took off in the 1980s and he's won two Oscars and three Golden Globes as well as being nominated at the Emmys and the Grammys, it is quite remarkable.

The BAFTA nominees were announced this morning but there was no recognition for high profile movies such as Queer, Challengers, Babygirl, and Paddington In Peru. Meanwhile, musical Wicked was shut out of the Best Film and Best Director categories.