LONDON (AP) — Leonardo DiCaprio could add to his accolades for epic endurance story "The Revenant" with a win at the British Academy Film Awards.

DiCaprio is bookies' favorite to take the best-actor trophy at Sunday's ceremony, considered a portent of success at Hollywood's Feb. 28 Academy Awards. The role of a fur trapper fighting for his life has earned DiCaprio his sixth Oscar nomination — and, many believe, his best shot at finally winning.

Hundreds of fans gathered to watch the stars arrive at the Royal Opera House on a cool, crisp London winter evening. Among the arrivals were nominees DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet, Steven Spielberg and "Star Wars" action hero John Boyega.

At the British awards, known as BAFTAs, he's up against Matt Damon for "The Martian," Bryan Cranston for "Trumbo," Fassbender for "Steve Jobs" and last year's winner Eddie Redmayne, nominated for playing a transgender artist in "The Danish Girl."

The best-actress category pits Alicia Vikander for "The Danish Girl" against Brie Larson for "Room," Blanchett for "Carol," Maggie Smith for "The Lady in the Van" and Ronan for "Brooklyn."

Steven Spielberg's Cold War thriller "Bridge of Spies" and Todd Haynes' lesbian romance "Carol" have nine nominations each for Sunday's prizes. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "The Revenant" has eight, while George Miller's dystopian thrill ride "Mad Max: Fury Road" has seven.

A group called Creatives of Colour Network organized a protest beside the red carpet against a lack of racial diversity in show business. Demonstrators rallied under the hashtag #baftablackout, and distributed leaflets declaring the awards "male, pale and stale."

The movie awards season has been dominated by debate about why the film industry remains dominated by white men. All the acting nominees for the Oscars both this year and last have been white.

The BAFTAs are slightly more diverse, with two black actors nominated — Idris Elba in the supporting actor group for "Beasts of No Nation" and Boyega, the favorite in the rising star category.

The head of the British film academy said she supported Sunday's protesters.

"Our industry isn't diverse enough, so the pool of people to draw award winners from isn't diverse enough," chief executive Amanda Berry told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Like Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the British film academy says it will work to make sure its 6,500 voting members become a more diverse group.

On the red carpet, Boyega said he was glad the issue was being aired.

"I just think a larger conversation is being had and I think that's a very, very positive thing," he said.

Pioneering black American actor Sidney Poitier is due to receive a lifetime achievement award at the BAFTAs.

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Online: http://www.bafta.org