Benedict Cumberbatch's BAFTA Nomination Is a First

Is it just me, or is Benedict Cumberbatch having the world's most awesome year despite the fact that it isn't even February yet? Not only is Cumberbatch nominated for a Golden Globe, and likely to be nominated for an Oscar, but he's also getting married to Sophie Hunter and has a Cumberbaby on the way. Not bad for the actor behind the great asexual detective Sherlock Holmes. The full list of nominees for the 2015 BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards) has been revealed, and, not only is Cumberbatch's film The Imitation Game nominated for nine awards, but the actor himself has hit a milestone: it's his first time being nominated for at the BAFTAs for a film. But how many BAFTAs has Cumberbatch won? Sadly, the answer is none.

As an actor at the BAFTAs, Cumberbatch has been nominated Best Actor (Hawking) in 2004, Best Supporting Actor (Small Island) in 2009, Best Leading Actor (Sherlock) twice in 2011 and 2012, but lost out every time. Now he can add Best Actor in a Leading Role (The Imitation Game) to his list of nominations, and I'm already hoping he goes home with the Award come the ceremony on Sunday, February 8. This year, Cumberbatch is competing with Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Michael Keaton (Birdman), and Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel) — so it's definitely not going to be easy.

Even if Cumberbatch somehow doesn't manage to go home with the Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, he can still join the rest of The Imitation Game cast on stage to accept awards for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, and Sound. Keira Knightley is also up for a BAFTA Award for Supporting Actress in the film, so it's inconceivable that a movie as great as The Imitation Game could be nominated in all nine of those categories and have everyone go home empty-handed. Unless I just jinxed them by saying so, in which case I will hide my face in shame.

However, even if this isn't finally Cumberbatch's year to add a BAFTA to his wall of awards, I'm not too worried. There's always the Golden Globes and, I optimistically assume, the Oscars. Even if he misses out on those recognitions for all his great work, he has a beautiful and supportive wife, and the unconditional love of a baby coming his way. At this point, does Cumberbatch really care what awards he does or doesn't win? He's been winning at life for so long that a little statue probably means nothing to him at this point, except an excuse to put on a fancy suit and make the Cumberbabes go wild.

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