Independently-made Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker has won a second key film critics award in a week heavy with nominations that are likely to set the stage for the Oscars.
The New York Film Critics Circle named The Hurt Locker its film of the year and gave Kathryn Bigelow her second directing award in two days.
Bigelow and the movie also won honours on Sunday (US time) from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
George Clooney was named best actor by the New York critics for his roles in both Up In The Air and for voice work in animated movie Fantastic Mr Fox.
Veteran Meryl Streep was a surprise choice for best actress playing television chef Julia Child in Julie And Julia.
But some of the most influential choices will come later today with the Golden Globe nominations, and on Thursday when the Screen Actors Guild announces its list of contenders for the top movies and performances of 2009.
Until now, most nominations and awards have been picked by various US critics and independent movie groups and have shown little broad consensus.
On Monday, the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) gave Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and the Fellini-inspired musical Nine a leading 10 nominations each.
Sci-fi movie Avatar was close behind with nine BFCA nods and The Hurt Locker picked up eight.
Taken together, critics awards and nominations often give a movie momentum heading into the race for Oscars - the movie industry's most coveted awards given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on March 7, 2010.
Oscar nominations are announced in early February.
The New York Film Critics Circle named The Hurt Locker its film of the year and gave Kathryn Bigelow her second directing award in two days.
Bigelow and the movie also won honours on Sunday (US time) from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
George Clooney was named best actor by the New York critics for his roles in both Up In The Air and for voice work in animated movie Fantastic Mr Fox.
Veteran Meryl Streep was a surprise choice for best actress playing television chef Julia Child in Julie And Julia.
But some of the most influential choices will come later today with the Golden Globe nominations, and on Thursday when the Screen Actors Guild announces its list of contenders for the top movies and performances of 2009.
Until now, most nominations and awards have been picked by various US critics and independent movie groups and have shown little broad consensus.
On Monday, the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) gave Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and the Fellini-inspired musical Nine a leading 10 nominations each.
Sci-fi movie Avatar was close behind with nine BFCA nods and The Hurt Locker picked up eight.
Taken together, critics awards and nominations often give a movie momentum heading into the race for Oscars - the movie industry's most coveted awards given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on March 7, 2010.
Oscar nominations are announced in early February.
Source: Reuters / ABC NEWS
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