Eddie Redmayne hoping to make it a Bafta Film double

Eddie Redmayne will be hoping to follow up on his success at last year's Bafta Film Awards when the nominations for 2016 are announced today.

The London-born actor was named best actor at the British Academy Film Awards 2015 for his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything and went on to win an Oscar.

His portrayal of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl is likely to put him in the running again at the next month's awards.

The only other actor to win Bafta for two consecutive years is Colin Firth, who won in 2009 for A Single Man and again in 2010 for The King's Speech.

Comedian Stephen Fry and actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw will reveal the nominations at 7.35am on Friday, ahead of the ceremony on Valentine's Day.

Redmayne will likely face competition from actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, who could pick up a nod in the Best Actor category for The Revenant.

DiCaprio has never won a Bafta, despite three nominations.

German-Irish actor Michael Fassbender, who stars in Steve Jobs, may also be in the running.

The Best Actress category is likely to be fiercely competitive this year after a high number of strong performances from leading women.

Carol star Cate Blanchett will almost certainly receive a nod, and her co-star Rooney Mara could also be nominated - unless she is considered in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Brie Larson, who is also in the running for the Bafta Rising Star Award, will be a hot contender for her role in Room.

They may also face competition from Carey Mulligan for her role in Suffragette, Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn, and Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl.

English director Sir Ridley Scott, who has never won a Bafta for Best Direction, could be a contender for his film The Martian.

After the announcement, the second round of voting will open as Academy members choose their winners.

The Rising Star Award nominees have already been announced, including Star Wars actor John Boyega and 50 Shades Of Grey's Dakota Johnson.

Bafta Film Awards will be handed out on February 14 at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden.