Cillian Murphy is one of the nominees for the Orange Rising Star award for emerging talent, which will be presented at the Bafta ceremony in London on February 11th.
The other nominees are Ben Whishaw (Perfume), Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Eva Green (Casino Royale) and Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Caribbean 2). The nominations were chosen by a panel including Anthony Minghella, Thandie Newton and last year's winner, James McAvoy.
The full list of Bafta nominations will be announced today, following the longlisting of 12 contenders in each category. Murphy is on the best actor longlist for The Wind That Shakes the Barley (pictured). Two Irish designers are on the longlist for best costume design: Consolata Boyle for The Queen and Joan Bergin for The Prestige. Paul Laverty is on the best original screenplay longlist for The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
Joint front runners on the longlists are The Queen and Casino Royale with 14 placings each, although the Bond movie is most unlikely to figure so prominently in the shortlists announced today.