Los Angeles (E! Online) - The critics have chosen, and this year, as ever, Sean Penn is their darling.
The actors passion project Into the Wild raked in a leading seven nominations for the 13th annual Critics Choice Awards, including Best Picture and double-barreled nods for Penn himself, who earned Best Writer and Best Director nominations for his work on the big-screen adaptation.
The indie dramedy Juno, centering on a teenagers unplanned pregnancy, is also up for some kudos from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, with six nominations to its name, including, once again, a Best Picture nod. The film also paves the way for a pair of self-competing Best Young Actor nods for Arrested Development alum turned burgeoning movie star Michael Cera, who bum-rushed the category with two nods for his work in both Juno and Superbad.
Cate Blanchett also managed to score two separate acting nods, albeit not in the same category. Shes up for Best Actress for her work in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, as well as Best Supporting Actress for her uncanny channeling of Bob Dylan in Im Not There.
A bevy of films pulled rank with five nominations apiece, including the Oscar-baiting contenders Atonement, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, Sweeney Todd and Hairspray.
A slew of big-name contenders, not to mention awards-show regulars, made the cut for this years ceremony.
Into the Wild star Emile Hirsch and Eastern Promises Viggo Mortensen are the only Best Actor nominees to not already have Oscar nods to their name, and they will vie against Michael Claytons George Clooney, There Will Be Bloods Daniel Day-Lewis, Lars and the Real Girls Ryan Gosling and the demon barber himself, Johnny Depp, for the award.
As for Best Actress, in addition to Blanchett, Angelina Jolie also scored a nod for the critically acclaimed but commercially ignored A Mighty Heart, as did somewhat disparate conominee Amy Adams for Enchanted, Julie Christie for Away from Her, Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose and Ellen Page for Juno.
No fewer than 10 films were honored with Best Picture nominations, comprising one of the largest contender pools of all major awards shows. American Gangster, Atonement, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Into the Wild, Juno, The Kite Runner, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men (which already took home the top prize from the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics), Sweeney Todd and There Will Be Blood, which topped the L.A. Film Critics year-end list, are all up for the award.
Juno, meanwhile, also secured a nod for Best Comedy, becoming the only nominee from the category to also graduate to the Best Picture pool. Its chuckle-worthy competition in the slightly less lauded category includes Dan in Real Life, Hairspray and Judd Apatows summer bookend blockbusters Knocked Up and Superbad.
Other big-name contenders this year include Casey Affleck, Javier Bardem and Philip Seymour Hoffman--the only singled-out contender from the film seemingly tailor-made for awards season, Charlie Wilsons War--who are all vying against each other in the Best Supporting Actor race, as well as Catherine Keener, Vanessa Redgrave and Tilda Swinton, who are up for Best Supporting Actress. Clint Eastwood also earned a solo nomination for composing Grace Is Gone.
The awards show will be hosted by comedian D.L. Hughley and will air live on VH1 Jan. 7.
Heres the complete list of nominees for the 13th Annual Critics Choice Awards.
Best Picture
* American Gangster * Atonement * The Diving Bell and the Butterfly * Into the Wild * Juno * The Kite Runner * Michael Clayton * No Country for Old Men * Sweeney Todd * There Will Be Blood
Best Actor
* George Clooney, Michael Clayton * Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood * Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd * Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl * Emile Hirsch, Into the Wild * Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Best Actress
* Amy Adams, Enchanted * Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age * Julie Christie, Away from Her * Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose * Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart * Ellen Page, Juno
Best Supporting Actor
* Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford * Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men * Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilsons War * Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild * Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Best Supporting Actress
* Cate Blanchett, Im Not There * Catherine Keener, Into the Wild * Vanessa Redgrave, Atonement * Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone * Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Best Acting Ensemble
* Hairspray * Juno * No Country for Old Men * Sweeney Todd * Gone Baby Gone * Before the Devil Knows Youre Dead
Best Director
* Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd * Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men * Sidney Lumet, Before the Devil Knows Youre Dead * Sean Penn, Into the Wild * Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly * Joe Wright, Atonement
Best Writer
* Diablo Cody, Juno * Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men * Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton * Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl * Sean Penn, Into the Wild * Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilsons War
Best Animated Feature
* Bee Movie * Beowulf * Persepolis * Ratatouille * The Simpsons Movie
Best Young Actor
* Michael Cera, Juno * Michael Cera, Superbad * Freddie Highmore, August Rush * Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, The Kite Runner * Edward Sanders, Sweeney Todd
Best Young Actress
* Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray * Dakota Blue Richards, The Golden Compass * AnnaSophia Robb, Bridge to Terabithia * Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Best Comedy Movie
* Dan in Real Life * Hairspray * Juno * Knocked Up * Superbad
Best Family Film (Live Action)
* August Rush * Enchanted * The Golden Compass * Hairspray * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Best Picture Made for Television
* The Company * Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee * Tin Man * The War
Best Foreign Language Film
* The Diving Bell and the Butterfly * 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days * La Vie en Rose * Lust, Caution * The Orphanage
Best Song
* Come So Far, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley (Hairspray) * Do You Feel Me, Anthony Hamilton (American Gangster) * Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (Once) * Guaranteed, Eddie Vedder (Into the Wild) * Thats How You Know, Amy Adams (Enchanted)
Best Composer
* Marco Beltrami, 3:10 to Yuma * Alexandre Desplat, Lust, Caution * Clint Eastwood, Grace Is Gone * Jonny Greenwood, There Will Be Blood * Dario Marianelli, Atonement * Alan Menken, Enchanted
Best Documentary Feature
* Darfur Now * In the Shadow of the Moon * The King of Kong * No End in Sight * Sharkwater * Sicko
