The Artist and Hugo Top Broadcast Film Critics Nominations; George Clooney Sets Record

The Artist and Hugo, two films that pay homage to the early days of moviemaking, led Tuesday's Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations with 11 each.
They were followed by The Help and Drive, both of which scored eight nods, and The Descendants and War Horse, each with seven. All six are up for Best Picture against Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,Midnight in Paris, Moneyball and The Tree of Life.
The Best Actor race features Oscar front-runners George Clooney (The Descendants), Brad Pitt (Moneyball) and Jean Dujardin (The Artist) against Ryan Gosling (Drive), Michael Fassbender (Shame) and Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar— which managed only one other nomination, for make-up, or in other words, nothing for director Clint Eastwood).

The Descendants and Moneyball among Los Angeles and Boston critics winners

Clooney snagged three nods — two coming in the Best Ensemble category as part of The Descendants and The Ides of March. That brings his career tally to a record 13 nominations.

Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) will go for her third BFCA Best Actress statue against Viola Davis (The Help), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Charlize Theron (Young Adult) and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn). Streep previously won for Doubt and Julie & Julia, but both victories were part of ties.

Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) received a Best Supporting Actor nod for his motion-capture performance as chimp Caesar. He is up against Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Albert Brooks (Drive), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) and Christopher Plummer (Beginners).
The Help co-stars Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer will duke it out in Best Supporting Actress against Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), Carey Mulligan (Shame) and Shailene Woodley (The Descendants).
The 17th annual Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards will air Thursday, Jan. 12 at 8/7c on VH1.
Check out the major nominees:
BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis, The Help
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Patton Oswalt, Young Adult
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Carey Mulligan, Shame
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield, Hugo
Elle Fanning, Super 8
Thomas Horn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Ezra Miller, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Saoirse Ronan, Hanna
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March
BEST DIRECTOR
Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Steven Spielberg, War Horse
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
50/50, Will Reiser
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Win Win, Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
Young Adult, Diablo Cody
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants, Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Eric Roth
The Help, Tate Taylor
Hugo, John Logan
Moneyball, Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin