Queen and Bond lead BAFTA nominations

Two films about British institutions - The Queen and Bond movie Casino Royale - lead the field for this year's Bafta awards.

The Queen tops the list after notching up 10 nominations, including best film and best actress for Dame Helen Mirren.

Casino Royale is not far behind, nominated in nine categories and a contender for outstanding British film of the year.

Daniel Craig received a best actor nomination for his performance as 007, his first major awards nod as James Bond.

The nominations were announced today at Bafta headquarters in Piccadilly, central London.

Craig was the target of an internet hate campaign when he was first unveiled as the new 007.

But he proved his doubters wrong when Casino Royale was released and became the most successful Bond film ever at the box office.

The 38-year-old actor has been overlooked by other awards bodies.

David Parfitt, chair of the Bafta film committee, said: "I think the Bafta membership looked at his body of work.

"We have been watching him for the past five or six years. This was a very different role for him and demonstrates his great range."

Craig faces competition for the best actor award from Leonardo DiCaprio for The Departed, Richard Griffiths for The History Boys, Forest Whitaker for The Last King Of Scotland and veteran star Peter O'Toole for Venus.

Dame Helen said she never took for granted her many nominations in recent months for The Queen.

She has already won a clutch of awards for her performance, including best actress at the Venice Film Festival, the New York film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

She said: "With Bafta, they have a way of being rather wayward sometimes and so it's never to be expected. I'm absolutely delighted."

Dame Helen said when first approached about the film she "was frightened, terrified on a personal and professional level because of the enormous potential pitfalls.

"I'm not a great mimic. When the project was first suggested to me there was no script. In theory, if it's a challenge and it terrifies me, then I should do it.

"But I thought I'd wait for the script. I didn't want it to be cheap, sycophantic or grovelling or attacking or cruel."

Mr Parfitt insisted she was not a dead cert for the prize.

He said: "It's an amazing performance and she is a Bafta favourite.

"But the other actresses on the list were also wonderful. The Baftas are quirky so you never can predict the winners."

Also nominated for best actress are Dame Judi Dench for Notes On A Scandal, Kate Winslet for Little Children, Penelope Cruz for Volver and Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada.

The best film nominees are Babel, The Departed, The Last King Of Scotland, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen.

Shortlisted for best director are Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Babel, Martin Scorsese for The Departed, Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris for Little Miss Sunshine, Stephen Frears for The Queen and Paul Greengrass for United 93.

United 93, the story of passengers aboard the doomed 9/11 plane which crashed in Pennsylvania, is a contender for outstanding British film of the year.

The other nominees are Casino Royale, The Last King Of Scotland, Notes On A Scandal and The Queen.

In the best supporting actress category there are nominations for Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada, Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls and Frances De La Tour in The History Boys.

The best supporting actor category includes Leslie Phillips for Venus, Michael Sheen for The Queen, Jack Nicholson for The Departed and James McAvoy for The Last King Of Scotland.

There are eight nominations for Guillermo del Toro's fantasy Pan's Labyrinth and seven for Brad Pitt movie Babel.

The awards ceremony will take place on February 11 in the new venue of London's Royal Opera House.

Stephen Fry is stepping down as host after six years. His replacement will be announced next week.