'Zero Dark Thirty' Picks Up Best Picture, Actress for Chastain from National Board of Review

It's officially award season, and as critics and industry groups continue to name their favorites, Oscar patterns begin to form. Based on the early lists (New York's Film Critics Circle handed out their winners earlier this week) one movie has already taken its place as a frontrunner: Zero Dark Thirty. The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Jessica Chastain, chronicles the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden and it's striking a chord with voting members across the board. Today, the National Board of Review bestowed their top honor to the sharp thriller, along with its directing award for Bigelow and Best Actress for Chastain. With months to go until Oscar time, the talk of the town is all about Zero Dark Thirty.

But newcomers emerged as well: Bradley Cooper is now a real contender for Silver Linings Playbook and Leonardo DiCaprio solidifies himself as the Supporting Actor to beat for his work in Django Unchained. There are plenty more groups who will vote and name winners in the upcoming weeks, but for now, here are the names whose Academy Award odds just skyrocketed:

Best Film:

Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director:

Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor:

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actress:

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Supporting Actor:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress:

Ann Dowd, Compliance

Best Original Screenplay:

Rian Johnson, Looper

Best Adapted Screenplay:

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Animated Feature:

Wreck-It Ralph

Special Achievement in Filmmaking:

Ben Affleck, Argo

Breakthrough Actor:

Tom Holland, The Impossible

Breakthrough Actress:

Quvenzhané Wallis,  Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Directorial Debut:

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Foreign Language Film:

Amour

Best Documentary:

Searching for Sugarman

William K. Everson Film History Award:

50 Years of Bond Films

Best Ensemble:

Les Miserables

Spotlight Award:

John Goodman (Argo, Flight, ParaNorman, Trouble with the Curve)

NBR Freedom of Expression Award:

Central Park Five

NBR Freedom of Expression Award:

Promised Land

Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches

[Photo Credit: Sony Pictures]

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