BAFTA nominations: Marlon, Amy, Malala and more earn recognition

Sherpa and Cartel Land also get nods

Documentaries on three leading cultural figures earned recognition today as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced nominees for the EE British Academy Film Awards.

Stevan Riley's Listen to Me Marlon, a revealing look at Marlon Brando based on private audio recordings the actor made, earned a nomination, as did Amy, Asif Kapadia's acclaimed documentary about the late Amy Winehouse.

He Named Me Malala, Davis Guggenheim's portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, also scored a nomination.

Two additional films are in contention for the EE British Academy Film Award for Best Documentary:

>Sherpa, directed by Jennifer Peedom, the harrowing story of the single deadliest day for in the history of Mt. Everest, in which more than a dozen Sherpas were killed in an avalanche.

>Cartel Land, Matthew Heineman's visceral exploration of the drug war in Mexico that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The nominations went to an international group of filmmakers. Riley and Kapadia are British; Peedom is Australian, and Guggenheim and Heineman are American.

Kapadia received a second honor as the nominations were announced. Amy is also up for Outstanding British Film, along with five narrative features: 45 Years; Brooklyn; The Danish Girl; Ex Machina, and The Lobster.

Amy is the most honored documentary of the past year on this side of the Atlantic, winning awards from the Los Angeles Critics Association, the Washington Area Film Critics Association, the National Society of Film Critics, the Chicago Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review. Amy is also nominated for a Grammy for Best Music Film.

​The Grammys are set for Los Angeles on February 15. The EE British Academy Film Awards will be presented in London the day before -- February 14. Looks like Mr. Kapadia will be spending a lot of time airplanes.