Australian Baz Luhrmann's high-kicking musical Moulin Rouge and New Zealander Peter Jackson's epic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring scored 12 nominations each to lead the pack for the 2002 British Academy Film Awards, otherwise known as the BAFTAs.
Moulin Rouge and Lord of the Rings both gave Aussies and Kiwis something to cheer about, picking up nods for Best Picture, Best Actor (Sir Ian McKellen for his spellbinding performance as Gandalf), screenplay, cinematography, editing, sound, costume design and visual effects, among others.
The BAFTAS used to be held after the Academy Awards, but ceremonies were moved up last year to take advantage of the pre-Oscar hype and position it as a prognosticator of Hollywood's biggest night.
Also singled out this year: director Robert Altman's English comedy Gosford Park and French feel-good hit Amélie, which scored nine nominations apiece, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, following close behind with eight.
Universal's A Beautiful Mind which dominated the Golden Globe Awards last week, picked up five nominations, including a Best Actor nod for Oscar-winner Russell Crowe, who last year lost to Billy Elliot's Jamie Bell in the same category (he was nominated for his role in Gladiator, which ultimately won him the Oscar).
Fellow Golden Globe winner Nicole Kidman is up for a BAFTA for her portrayal of a terrified mum in this summer's sleeper haunted-house hit, The Others.
Eddie Murphy, meanwhile, should be mighty pleased. His voice-over work as Donkey in Shrek was recognized with a Best Supporting Actor nod. The computer-generated fairy tale was also nominated for Best Picture.
As for Great Britain, the home team didn't go home empty-handed. Iris, an absorbing drama about novelist Iris Murdoch's battle with Alzheimer's disease, earned six nominations, including Best Actress for Judi Dench, Best Actor Jim Broadbent and Best Supporting Actress for Kate Winslet. It will compete with Bridget Jones's Diary, Gosford Park, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (known stateside as the Sorcerer's Stone) and Me Without You for the Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year.
While Harry Potter may seem an odd choice for an all-British category given it was underwritten by a major Hollywood studio, it's allowed since it used a primarily British cast and was shot in the United Kingdom.
Broadbent, meanwhile, also can-canned his way to a Best Supporting Actor nod for his show-offy performance in Moulin Rouge (his version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" no doubt put him over the top). Dench also nabbed a Supporting Actor nod for her role in The Shipping News.
The awards will be handed out February 24 at the Odeon Leicester Square theater. Here's a rundown of the top categories in competition: Best Film: Amélie, A Beautiful Mind, The Lord of the Rings, Moulin Rouge, Shrek
British Film of the Year: Bridget Jones's Diary, Gosford Park, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Iris, Me Without You
David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amélie; Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind; Robert Altman, Gosford Park; Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings; Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge
Best Actress: Judi Dench, Iris; Nicole Kidman, The Others; Sissy Spacek, In the Bedroom; Audrey Tautou, Amélie; Renée Zellweger, Bridget Jones's Diary
Best Actor: Jim Broadbent, Iris; Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind; Ian McKellan, The Lord of the Rings; Kevin Spacey, The Shipping News; Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind; Judi Dench, The Shipping News; Helen Mirren, Gosford Park; Maggie Smith, Gosford Park; Kate Winslet, Iris
Best Supporting Actor: Hugh Bonneville, Iris; Jim Broadbent, Moulin Rouge; Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Colin Firth, Bridget Jones's Diary; Eddie Murphy, Shrek
Foreign Film: Amélie, Amores Perros, Behind the Sun, Monsoon Wedding, The Piano Teacher