GRITTY North-East drama I, Daniel Blake will take on exuberant Hollywood musical La La Land at the EE British Academy Film Awards, while Andrew Garfield and Emily Blunt are among the acting nominees.

Ken Loach’s unflinching examination of life in the UK benefits system, which won the coveted Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes festival, will compete for the best film Bafta against the starry love letter to Los Angeles, which won a record seven Golden Globes earlier this week.

Also vying for best film will be sci-fi movie Arrival, melancholy drama Manchester By The Sea and Moonlight, a coming of age story about a gay black man growing up in Miami.

Garfield scored a leading actor nod for his role as a combat medic in Mel Gibson’s Second World War film Hacksaw Ridge, while Blunt picked up leading actress nomination for her starring turn in The Girl On The Train.

While Garfield’s performance has won critical praise, he faces stiff competition from Casey Affleck, who has already won a Golden Globe for his performance in Manchester By The Sea.

They will both compete against La La Land’s Ryan Gosling, who also scored a Golden Globe, Jake Gyllenhaal for Nocturnal Animals and Viggo Mortensen for Captain Fantastic.

Blunt will go head to head with Meryl Streep for the film Florence Foster Jenkins, Amy Adams for Arrival, Golden Globe winner Emma Stone for La La Land and Natalie Portman for her portrayal of the former First Lady in Jackie.

Hugh Grant could land a supporting actor award for his role as Streep’s devoted husband in Florence Foster Jenkins.

The nomination is the British actor’s first since he scooped a gong for the now classic movie Four Weddings And A Funeral, over 20 years ago.

Thanking Bafta for the nomination, he referred to his alter-ego in the film, a not-so successful Broadway actor.

“This is so kind of Bafta, and I feel very pleased both for myself and for St Clair Bayfield, neither of us having been exactly awards season habitues,” he said in a statement to the Press Association.

Grant faces competition from fellow British stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who triumphed at the Globes for Nocturnal Animals, and Dev Patel for Lion, as well as American actors Jeff Bridges for Hell Or High Water, and Mahershala Ali Moonlight.

Skyfall star Naomie Harris has scored a nomination for best supporting actress for her role as a crack addict in Moonlight, alongside I, Daniel Blake’s Hayley Squires, Manchester By The Sea’s Michelle Williams, Lion star Nicole Kidman and Viola Davis for Fences.

La La Land is nominated in 11 categories, including best film.

Arrival and Nocturnal Animals both receive nine nominations and Manchester By The Sea has six.

I, Daniel Blake, the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, as well as Hacksaw Ridge and Lion received five nominations each.

I, Daniel Blake’s nods include mentions for director Loach and original screenplay writer Paul Laverty, as well as outstanding British film, a category which also includes Fantastic Beasts.

Disney films Moana, Finding Dory and Zootropolis will compete against Kubo And The Two Strings for best animated film.

The awards will be handed out at a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on February 12.