Historical biopic "Lincoln" leads the race for the British Academy Film Awards, with 10 nominations including best picture and best actor -- but nothing for director Steven Spielberg. "Les Miserables" and "Life of Pi" received nine nominations each Wednesday for Britain's equivalent of the Oscars. James Bond adventure "Skyfall" got eight -- rare awards recognition for an action movie -- and Iran hostage thriller "Argo" took seven. "Lincoln" is also tipped for a clutch of nominations when the Academy Awards finalists are announced Thursday.

Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for leading actor for his uncanny embodiment of the president, and there are supporting nominations for Sally Field as his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist firebrand Thaddeus Stevens. The best picture nominees are "Lincoln," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty."

Ben Affleck is nominated both as director of "Argo" and as its leading actor. The other best male acting contenders are Bradley Cooper for "Silver Linings Playbook," Hugh Jackman for "Les Miserables" and Joaquin Phoenix for "The Master." The best-actress list includes "Amour" star Emmanuelle Riva; Jennifer Lawrence for "Silver Linings Playbook"; Jessica Chastain for "Zero Dark Thirty"; Marion Cotillard for "Rust and Bone"; and Helen Mirren for "Hitchcock."

Other directors nominated are Michael Haneke for "Amour," Quentin Tarantino for "Django Unchained," Ang Lee for "Life of Pi" and Kathryn Bigelow for "Zero Dark Thirty." In recent years, the BAFTAs have helped underdog films gain Oscar momentum. The winners will be in London on Feb. 10, two weeks before the Oscars.

Douglas Kennedy sue maternity nurses A son of the late Robert F. Kennedy who was acquitted of criminal charges in a maternity ward scuffle is suing two nurses who said on TV that he hurt them. Douglas Kennedy is alleging defamation and malicious prosecution by nurses Cari Luciano and Anna Lane. He also accuses Luciano of assaulting him. The lawsuit stems from Kennedy's attempt a year ago to take his 2-day-old son, Anthony Boru Kennedy, from a hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. The nurses tried to block his way, then claimed he hurt them. A judge said that the baby was not in danger -- except from the nurses' actions -- and that Kennedy didn't demonstrate any intent to hurt them. The nurses have sued Kennedy, seeking $200,000 and accusing him of negligence, assault and battery, and causing them emotional and physical distress. Kennedy's lawsuit does not specify damages.

NEW CO-HOST: Luke Bryan is joining Blake Shelton to co-host the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards. The show will be broadcast live on CBS on April 7. He replaces Reba McEntire, who stepped aside to focus on her new sitcom "Malibu Country."