AN EDUCATION, the 1960s-set drama by Danish director Lone Scherfig, led the pack at the announcement of the 30th London Film Critics’ Circle Awards nominations. The film scored seven nominations, including British Film of the Year and notices for actors Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike and Olivia Williams.

AN EDUCATION will compete for Best British film with the likes of Jane Campion’s BRIGHT STAR, Armando Iannucci’s IN THE LOOP, Andrea Arnold’s FISH TANK, and Duncan Jones’s MOON. Nominees for Best Film of the Year included such Oscar contenders as James Cameron’s AVATAR, Kathryn Bigelow’s THE HURT LOCKER, Jacques Audiard’s A PROPHET, Michael Haneke’s THE WHITE RIBBON and Jason Reitman’s UP IN THE AIR.

Additionally, the LFCC announced that they will award Quentin Tarantino its highest honour, the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Cinema, at their ceremony on February 18, 2010 at the Landmark Hotel in London.

Sandy Mandelberger, Awards Watch Editor

2009 LONDON FILM CRITICS AWARDS NOMINATIONS

FILM OF THE YEAR
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
Up in the Air

THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Bright Star
An Education
Fish Tank
In the Loop
Moon

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Class
Katyn
Let the Right One In
A Prophet
The White Ribbon

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Jacques Audiard – A Prophet
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Michael Haneke – The White Ribbon
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank
Armando Iannucci – In the Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Kevin Macdonald – State of Play
Sam Taylor-Wood – Nowhere Boy

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
George Clooney – Up in the Air
Tahar Rahim – A Prophet

Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Mo’Nique – Precious
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Peter Capaldi – In the Loop
Colin Firth – A Single Man
Tom Hardy – Bronson
Christian MacKay – Me and Orson Welles
Andy Serkis – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria
Helen Mirren – The Last Station
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank
Kristin Scott Thomas – Nowhere Boy

BRITISH ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Michael Fassbender* – Fish Tank
John Hurt – 44 Inch Chest
Jason Isaacs – Good
Alfred Molina – An Education
Timothy Spall – The Damned United

BRITISH ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Emily Blunt – Sunshine Cleaning
Anne-Marie Duff – Nowhere Boy
Rosamund Pike – An Education
Kierston Wareing – Fish Tank
Olivia Williams – An Education

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche – In the Loop
Thomas Bidegain & Jacques Audiard – A Prophet
Joel & Ethan Coen – A Serious Man
Michael Haneke – The White Ribbon
Nick Hornby – An Education

THE NSPCC AWARD: YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank
Aaron Johnson – Nowhere Boy and Dummy
George MacKay – The Boys Are Back
Bill Milner – Is Anybody There? and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Saoirse Ronan – The Lovely Bones

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER
Daniel Barber – Harry Brown
Armando Ianucci – In the Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Peter Strickland – Katalin Varga
Sam Taylor-Wood – Nowhere Boy