Critics’ prizes confirm ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ as Oscar favorite

“Zero Dark Thirty” and Kathryn Bigelow won major critics’ prizes on Sunday, confirming the Osama bin Laden manhunt thriller as an Oscar frontrunner.

Both the Boston and New York Online critics honored the movie as the year’s best, and screenwriter Mark Boal was recognized for best screenplay by the New York group. But it was two other films – “The Master” and “Amour” — that dominated the Los Angeles Film Critics awards to insert themselves in to the Oscar conversation. Joaquin Phoenix upset “Lincoln’s” Daniel Day-Lewis for best actor and Amy Adams won for best supporting actress. Paul Thomas Anderson also won for best director, and the film was named the runner-up for best picture.

The Los Angeles critics named Amour best picture, and actress Emmanuelle Riva tied with Jennifer Lawrence for best actress, completing a sweep of today’s critics’ awards for the 85-year-old French actress.

“Lincoln” fared well also, with Day-Lewis taking home two acting prizes, and Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones winning awards for their supporting performances. Screenwriter Tony Kushner was recognized by the Boston Society critics.

‘Skyfall’ back at No. 1 in week 5 with $11M

BOSTON SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS

Best film: Zero Dark Thirty

Best director: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Best actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Best actress: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Best supporting actor: Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Best supporting actress: Sally Field, Lincoln

Best ensemble cast: Seven Psychopaths

Best animated film: Frankenweenie

Best documentary: How to Survive a Plague

Best foreign-language film: Amour

Best screenplay: Tony Kushner, Lincoln

Best cinematography: Mihai Malaimare, Jr., The Master

Best editing: William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor, Zero Dark Thirty

Best use of music in a film: Moonrise Kingdom

Best new filmmaker: David France, How to Survive a Plague

‘Amazing Race’: And the winners are…

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ONLINE

Best picture: Zero Dark Thirty

Best director: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Best actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Best actress: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Best supporting actor: Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Best supporting actress: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Best ensemble cast: Argo

Best animated film: Chico and Rita

Best foreign language film: Amour

Best documentary: The Central Park Five

Best screenplay: Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty

Best cinematography: Claudio Miranda, Life of Pi

Best use of music: Django Unchained

Best debut director: Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Breakthrough performance: Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Taylor Swift-Harry Styles breakup song?

LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS

Best picture: Amour (Runner-up: The Master)

Best director: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master (Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty)

Best actor: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master (Runner-up: Denis Lavant, Holy Motors)

Best actress: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook and Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Best supporting actor: Dwight Henry, Beasts of the Southern Wild (Runner-up: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained)

Best supporting actress: Amy Adams, The Master (Runner-up: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables and The Dark Knight Rises)

Best animated film: Frankenweenie (Runner-up: It’s Such a Beautiful Day)

Best foreign-language film: Holy Motors (Runner-up: Footnote)

Best documentary: The Gatekeepers (Runner-up: Searching for Sugar Man)

Best screenplay: Chris Terrio, Argo (Runner-up: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook)

Best cinematography: Roger Deakins, Skyfall (Runner-up: Mihai Malaimare Jr., The Master)

Best editing: Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg, Zero Dark Thirty (Runner-up: William Goldenberg, Argo)

Best music score: Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild (Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood, The Master)

Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Leviathan

New Generation Award: Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

See the original article at EW.com.