British war film 1917 in battle for best picture Oscar

British war epic 1917 will take on Korean social satire Parasite in the race for the top prize at the Oscars today.

Sir Sam Mendes, Sir Elton John and Florence Pugh are among the British contenders hoping to take home prizes, amid criticism of a lack of diversity among nominees.

Director Sir Sam will be aiming to replicate the success 1917 enjoyed at the Bafta film awards, where it took seven of the nine gongs it was nominated for, including best film, best British film, best director and best cinematography.

Joker, Todd Phillips’s dark exploration of a troubled loner’s descent into madness, leads the way in nominations with 11, ahead of 1917, The Irishman and Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood, which have 10 each.

All four of these films are nominated for best picture, alongside Ford V Ferrari – released in the UK as Le Mans ’66 – Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, Marriage Story and Parasite, which would be the first non-English language movie to win the top prize.

Sir Elton is nominated for his first Oscar since he won the best original song prize for The Lion King in 1995.

This time he is recognised, alongside longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, for his track (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again from the biopic about his life, Rocketman.

Cynthia Erivo is the only non-white contender in the acting categories, having picked up a nomination for Harriet Tubman biopic Harriet.

If she wins, she will be the youngest ever EGOT (a winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony).

The ceremony has again faced criticism for a lack of diversity among nominees after the OscarsSoWhite hashtag started trending in 2015 and 2016, when there were no non-white performers recognised.

Last year, three of the four acting categories were won by non-white actors.

Erivo will compete for best leading actress with Renee Zellweger for Judy, Charlize Theron for Bombshell, Saoirse Ronan for Little Women and Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story.

Pugh is nominated for her first Oscar for her turn as Amy March in Little Women, but faces competition for the best supporting actress prize from co-star Laura Dern, who is nominated for her role in Marriage Story and has swept the category at preceding awards ceremonies.

Also recognised in the category is Kathy Bates for Richard Jewell, Johansson for Jojo Rabbit, and Margot Robbie for Bombshell.

Sir Sam is now considered a frontrunner in the directing category, despite competition from industry heavyweights Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Todd Phillips and Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho.

The British movie-maker last won the directing category in 2000 for American Beauty.

Female directors have been snubbed for a second year in a row, despite anticipation that Greta Gerwig might be recognised for Little Women.

Welsh star Jonathan Pryce is nominated in the leading actor category for The Two Popes but will have to fend off Joaquin Phoenix, who is nominated for Joker after already racking up gongs from Bafta, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice.

Also nominated is Antonio Banderas for Pain And Glory, Leonardo DiCaprio for Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood and Adam Driver for Marriage Story.

Pryce’s co-star Sir Anthony Hopkins is nominated in the best supporting actor category, alongside Joe Pesci and Al Pacino for The Irishman, Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood and front runner Brad Pitt for Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood.

The ceremony will not have a presenter for the second year in a row, but there will be performances from Erivo, Sir Elton, Idina Menzel, Chrissy Metz and Randy Newman, who will perform their nominated songs, as well as from Billie Eilish.

The 92nd Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9.