It’s a good day for Killers of the Flower Moon, which picked up three wins from the National Board of Review, including the top prize of best film.
Martin Scorsese also won for best director, while Lily Gladstone continues her hot streak with another win for best actress. Killers of the Flower Moon recently also took the top prize from the New York Film Critics Circle, where Gladstone was honored as well.
“Killers of the Flower Moon is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic as our best film and Scorsese as our best director,” said NBR president Annie Schulhof.
The best actor prize went to The Holdovers star Paul Giamatti, and his costar Da’Vine Joy Randolph took the prize for supporting actress. Randolph has strong momentum after also picking up an Indie Spirit nomination yesterday and a Gotham Awards nomination. Mark Ruffalo earned NBR’s supporting actor award for Poor Things. Both Poor Things and The Holdovers earned screenplay wins as well.
The winners, which also include Teyana Taylor for breakthrough performance for A Thousand and One and Celine Song for best directorial debut for Past Lives, will be honored at the NBR Awards Gala on January 11 in New York. Maestro director and star Bradley Cooper will receive the NBR Icon Award at the event.
The National Board of Review winner for best film, voted on by “a select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students,” doesn’t often go on to win best picture at the Academy Awards, but is often an Oscar nominee and strong contender. Previous winners include Top Gun: Maverick, Licorice Pizza, Da 5 Bloods, and The Irishman. The two awards did match up on best picture in 2018, when Green Book took home both.
The group also lists its top 10 films of the year (which include Barbie, Ferrari, The Iron Claw, and Oppenheimer) and highlights their top picks in documentary, international, and independent films. See the full list of winners below.
Best film: Killers of the Flower Moon
Best director: Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best actor: Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Best actress: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best supporting actor: Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Best supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
NBR Icon Award: Bradley Cooper
Best original screenplay: David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Best adapted screenplay: Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Breakthrough performance: Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One
Best directorial debut: Celine Song, Past Lives
Best animated feature: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best international film: Anatomy of a Fall
Best documentary: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Best ensemble: The Iron Claw
Outstanding achievement in stunt artistry: Director Chad Stahelski and stunt coordinators Stephen Dunlevy & Scott Rogers, John Wick: Chapter 4
Outstanding achievement in cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie & Killers of the Flower Moon