LORD OF THE RINGS - RETURN OF THE KING DOMINATES BRITAIN'S EMPIRE AWARDS

LORD OF THE RINGS conclusion THE RETURN OF THE KING is the frontrunner at this year's (04) SONY ERICSSON EMPIRE AWARDS - after scooping an impressive eight nominations.

The PETER JACKSON-directed epic was nominated in the Best Film and Best Director categories and stars VIGGO MORTENSEN and SEAN ASTIN are included in the Best International Actor shortlist. Also, British co-stars SIR IAN McKELLEN, ORLANDO BLOOM and ANDY SERKIS are all up for the Best British actor gong.

The British movie magazine has given six nods-a-piece to swashbuckling adventure PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL and epic civil war romance COLD MOUNTAIN.

Voted for by the respected publication's readers, the awards have also given an impressive four nominations to QUENTIN TARANTINO's ultra-violent comeback KILL BILL: VOL 1 and an equal number to the RICHARD CURTIS-directed romantic comedy LOVE ACTUALLY.

The Awards will be held in London on 4 February 2004.

The full list of nominees are:

BEST NEWCOMER:

MARTINE MCCUTCHEON - LOVE, ACTUALLY

MACKENZIE CROOK - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

FENELLA WOOLGAR - BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS

ANDREW LINCOLN - LOVE ACTUALLY

ELI ROTH - CABIN FEVER

SONY ERICSSON SCENE OF THE YEAR:

RIDE OF THE ROHIRRIM - LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

HOUSE OF THE BLUE LEAVES - KILL BILL

OPENING BATTLE - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

THE FLAG SPEECH - GANGS OF NEW YORK

THE RUM SCENE - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

BEST BRITISH ACTRESS:

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

EMMA THOMPSON - LOVE ACTUALLY

JULIE WALTERS - CALENDAR GIRLS

HELEN MIRREN - CALENDAR GIRLS

EMILY MORTIMER - YOUNG ADAM

BEST BRITISH ACTOR:

JUDE LAW - COLD MOUNTAIN

ANDY SERKIS - LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

SIR IAN MCKELLEN - LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

ORLANDO BLOOM - LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

EWAN MCGREGOR - YOUNG ADAM

BEST BRITISH FILM:

LOVE, ACTUALLY

CALENDAR GIRLS

JOHNNY ENGLISH

YOUNG ADAM

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS

BEST ACTRESS:

UMA THURMAN - KILL BILL: VOL 1

NICOLE KIDMAN - COLD MOUNTAIN

JULIANNE MOORE - HEAVEN

MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL - SECRETARY

CATE BLANCHETT - VERONICA GUERIN

BEST ACTOR:

JOHNNY DEPP - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

VIGGO MORTENSEN - LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

HUGH JACKMAN - X2

SEAN ASTIN - LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - GANGS OF NEW YORK

BEST DIRECTOR:

PETER JACKSON - LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

QUENTIN TARANTINO - KILL BILL: VOL 1

THE COEN BROTHERS - INTOLERABLE CRUELTY

ANTHONY MINGHELLA - COLD MOUNTAIN

PETER WEIR - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

BEST FILM:

LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

KILL BILL: VOL 1

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

COLD MOUNTAIN

X2