LONDON -- It's spry versus spy as frothy silent movie "The Artist" and moody thriller "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" lead the race for the British Academy Film Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars.
"The Artist" received 12 nominations and "Tinker Tailor" 11, with each film up for best picture and director, and best actor nominations for leading men Jean Dujardin and Gary Oldman.
The other best-film nominees announced Tuesday were "The Descendants," "Drive" and "The Help."
In a diverse field not dominated by any single film, there are also multiple nominations for "Hugo," "My Week With Marilyn," "The Iron Lady" and "The Help."
The nominations are another feather in the cap of "The Artist," a black and white French film about a silent film actor's fall with the rise of talkies.
And they are a boost for "Tinker Tailor," an atmospheric adaptation of John le Carre's espionage classic that has received rave reviews but has so far been snubbed during the U.S. awards season.
The best actor contest pits Oldman and Dujardin against Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," George Clooney for "The Descendants" and Michael Fassbender for "Shame."
The best actress category includes two performers playing real-life icons - Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week With Marilyn" and Meryl Streep as former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."
The other nominees are Berenice Bejo for "The Artist," Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Viola Davis for "The Help."
The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony at London's Royal Opera House on Feb. 12. They are considered an important indicator of prospects at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles two weeks later.
In recent years, the awards, known as BAFTAs, have helped small British films gain momentum for Hollywood success.
In 2010, Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" won seven BAFTAs, including best film; it went on to take eight Oscars. Last year "The King's Speech" won seven BAFTAs and four Oscars, including best picture.
"My Week With Marilyn," the story of the movie legend's time shooting an ill-starred comedy in England, received six BAFTA nominations, including a supporting-actor nod for Kenneth Branagh, who plays Laurence Olivier.
He is up against Christopher Plummer for "Beginners," Jim Broadbent for "The Iron Lady," Jonah Hill for "Moneyball" and Philip Seymour Hoffman for "The Ides of March."
The supporting actress category features Carey Mulligan for "Drive," Jessica Chastain for "The Help," Judi Dench for "My Week With Marilyn," Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids" and Olivia Spencer for "The Help."
The multinational best-director contest pits Denmark's Nicholas Winding Refn, for the turbocharged "Drive," against France's Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Sweden's Tomas Alfredson for "Tinker Tailor," Britain's Lynne Ramsay for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Martin Scorsese of the United States for "Hugo."
The best British film category contains "My Week With Marilyn," racing documentary "Senna," sex-addiction drama "Shame," family tragedy "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."
Steven Spielberg's equine adventure "War Horse" was overlooked in the major categories but gained five nominations including cinematography, visual effects and music.
FULL LIST:
BEST FILM
THE ARTIST Thomas LangmannTHE DESCENDANTS Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim TaylorDRIVE Marc Platt, Adam SiegelTHE HELP Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael BarnathanTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges SENNA Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey SHAME Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi MorganTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno, Rory Stewart Kinnear LEADING ACTOR
BRAD PITT Moneyball GARY OLDMAN Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyGEORGE CLOONEY The DescendantsJEAN DUJARDIN The ArtistMICHAEL FASSBENDER Shame
LEADING ACTRESS
BÉRÉNICE BEJO The ArtistMERYL STREEP The Iron LadyMICHELLE WILLIAMS My Week with MarilynTILDA SWINTON We Need to Talk About KevinVIOLA DAVIS The Help
SUPPORTING ACTOR
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER BeginnersJIM BROADBENT The Iron LadyJONAH HILL MoneyballKENNETH BRANAGH My Week with MarilynPHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Ides of March
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CAREY MULLIGAN Drive JESSICA CHASTAIN The HelpJUDI DENCH My Week with MarilynMELISSA MCCARTHY Bridesmaids OCTAVIA SPENCER The Help
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
ATTACK THE BLOCK Joe Cornish (Director/Writer)BLACK POND Will Sharpe (Director/Writer), Tom Kingsley (Director), Sarah Brocklehurst (Producer) CORIOLANUS Ralph Fiennes (Director) SUBMARINE Richard Ayoade (Director/Writer) TYRANNOSAUR Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer) FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE INCENDIES Denis Villeneuve, Luc Dery, Kim McGrawPINA Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero RingelPOTICHE Francois Ozon, Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer A SEPARATION Asghar FarhadiTHE SKIN I LIVE IN Pedro Almodovar, Agustin Almodovar
DOCUMENTARY
GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD Martin ScorsesePROJECT NIM James Marsh, Simon ChinnSENNA Asif Kapadia
ANIMATED FILM
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Steven SpielbergARTHUR CHRISTMAS Sarah SmithRANGO Gore Verbinski
DIRECTOR
THE ARTIST Michel HazanaviciusDRIVE Nicolas Winding RefnHUGO Martin ScorseseTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas AlfredsonWE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY THE ARTIST Michel HazanaviciusBRIDESMAIDS Annie Mumolo, Kristen WiigTHE GUARD John Michael McDonagh THE IRON LADY Abi MorganMIDNIGHT IN PARIS Woody Allen
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE DESCENDANTS Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash THE HELP Tate TaylorTHE IDES OF MARCH George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau WillimonMONEYBALL Steven Zaillian, Aaron SorkinTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
ORIGINAL MUSIC
THE ARTIST Ludovic BourceTHE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Trent Reznor, Atticus RossHUGO Howard ShoreTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Alberto IglesiasWAR HORSE John Williams
CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE ARTIST Guillaume SchiffmanTHE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Jeff CronenwethHUGO Robert RichardsonTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Hoyte van HoytemaWAR HORSE Janusz KaminskiEDITING THE ARTIST Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel HazanaviciusDRIVE Mat NewmanHUGO Thelma SchoonmakerSENNA Gregers Sall, Chris KingTINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY Dino Jonsater
PRODUCTION DESIGN
THE ARTIST Laurence Bennett, Robert GouldHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillanHUGO Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonaldWAR HORSE Rick Carter, Lee Sandales
COSTUME DESIGN
THE ARTIST Mark BridgesHUGO Sandy PowellJANE EYRE Michael O'ConnorMY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jill TaylorTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Jacqueline Durran
MAKE UP & HAIR
THE ARTIST Julie Hewett, Cydney CornellHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 Amanda Knight, Lisa TomblinHUGO Morag Ross, Jan ArchibaldTHE IRON LADY Marese LanganMY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jenny Shircore
SOUND THE ARTIST Nadine Muse, Gerard Lamps, Michael KrikorianHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 James Mather, Stuart Wilson, Stuart Hilliker, Mike Dowson, Adam Scrivener HUGO Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John MidgleyTINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY John Casali, Howard Bargroff, Doug Cooper, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley WAR HORSE Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Richard Hymns
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Joe LetteriHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery HUGO Rob Legato, Ben Grossman, Joss Williams RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher WhiteWAR HORSE Ben Morris, Neil Corbould
SHORT ANIMATION
ABUELAS Afarin Eghbal, Kasia Malipan, Francesca Gardiner BOBBY YEAH Robert Morgan A MORNING STROLL Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe
SHORT FILM
CHALK Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, James Bolton, Ilaria Bernardini MWANSA THE GREAT Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet ONLY SOUND REMAINS Arash Ashtiani, Anshu PoddarPITCH BLACK HEIST John Maclean, Gerardine O'Flynn TWO AND TWO Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen
THE ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
ADAM DEACON CHRIS HEMSWORTH CHRIS O'DOWD EDDIE REDMAYNE TOM HIDDLESTON