The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug looks set to desolate the competition at this year's Empire Awards.

The second instalment of Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings prequel leads the way with seven nods, ahead of Steve McQueen's critically acclaimed 12 Years A Slave, which has tended to dominate many awards nominations this year.

The controversial slave drama is up for six awards, and will again do battle with Paul Greengrass' true life thriller Captain Phillips, which has five nominations and Alfonso Cuaron's 3D space epic Gravity, with four nods.

Voted for by the public, the Jameson Empire Awards 2014 recognises box office blockbusters alongside the critics' favourites.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is also a frontrunner at this year's awards, with five nominations.

As well as five nods for Captain Phillips, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Thriller, Paul Greengrass will receive the Empire Inspiration Award at the ceremony for his body of work which includes the Bourne trilogy.

This year sees the introduction of Best Supporting Actress and Actor categories, with 12 Years A Slave stars Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o among those in the running, along with The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug's Richard Armitage and Evangeline Lilly.

12 Years A Slave beauty Nyong'o is also nominated for Best Female Newcomer, while Jennifer Lawrence is up for both Best Supporting Actress, for her performance in American Hustle, and Best Actress for her starring role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

While Steve Coogan's Bafta-winning Philomena is not recognised, the long-awaited Alan Partridge film Alpha Papa is among the nominees for Best British Film, which also includes Dexter Fletcher's adaptation of The Proclaimer's musical Sunshine On Leith and Formula One movie Rush.

The Best Horror category sees recognition for Ben Wheatley's British film A Field In England alongside Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead remake and Brad Pitt's zombie movie World War Z.

The awards will be presented at a star-studded ceremony in London on Sunday March 30.

The public can vote for the shortlisted nominees at empireonline.com/awards2014

The Jameson Empire Awards 2014 Nominations

Best Male Newcomer presented by Tresor Paris

Aidan Turner - The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Barkhad Abdi -Captain Phillips

George MacKay - Sunshine On Leith

Oscar Isaac - Inside Llewyn Davis

Tye Sheridan - Mud

Will Poulter - We're The Millers

Best Female Newcomer

Adele Exarchopoulos - Blue Is The Warmest Colour

Antonia Thomas - Sunshine On Leith

Elizabeth Debicki - The Great Gatsby

Freya Mavor - Sunshine On Leith

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years A Slave

Margot Robbie - The Wolf Of Wall Street

Best Horror

A Field In England

The Conjuring

Evil Dead

War Z

You're Next

Best Comedy presented by Magic 105.4

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

This Is 40

This Is The End

The World's End

Best Thriller

Captain Phillips

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Now You See Me

Prisoners

Trance

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy presented by MediCinema

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Pacific Rim

Star Trek Into Darkness

Best Supporting Actor

Daniel Bruhl - Rush

Michael Fassbender - 12 Years A Slave

Sam Claflin -The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Richard Armitage -The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Tom Hiddleston - Thor: The Dark World

Best Supporting Actress

Evangeline Lilly - The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years A Slave

Mia Wasikowska - Stoker

Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

Best British Film

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Filth

Rush

Sunshine On Leith

The World's End

Best Actress

Amy Adams - American Hustle

Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Emma Thompson - Saving Mr Banks

Jennifer Lawrence - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Sandra Bullock - Gravity

Jameson Best Actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years A Slave

James McAvoy - Filth

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf Of Wall Street

Martin Freeman - The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips

Best Director presented by Air New Zealand

Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity

Edgar Wright - The World's End

Paul Greengrass - Captain Phillips

Peter Jackson - The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

Steve McQueen - 12 Years A Slave

Best Film presented by Sky Movies

12 Years A Slave

Captain Phillips

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire