Put on your golden Oscar hat and get ready to complain about snubs and flubs: It’s officially Awards Season, the happiest time of the year—or at least it is for the people who win awards and those of us who care about the outfits that celebrities wear on the various red carpets. The National Board Of Review kicked things off this morning with a fabulous gala event that was actually a thrilling email press release, announcing the winners of its various year-end awards in a very smart and streamlined way that saves us from having to sit through any boring speeches (the Academy Awards ceremony is a fun show, but we’d all be happier if they just sent out an email beforehand that listed all of the winners).
Anyway, the awards themselves will be handed out at an actual gala event in January, but let’s move on to who’s winning those awards. As spoiled by the headline, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was named the Best Film of 2019, with NBR President Annie Schulhof referring to the film as a “masterful mob epic” that is a “rich, moving, beautifully textured movie that represents the best in what cinema can be.” Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino also received the organizations first-ever Icon Award, acknowledging both the success of their respective careers and just how good The Irishman was (no love for Joe Pesci, apparently).
Quentin Tarantino was named Best Director for Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood, with brad Pitt also getting Best Supporting Actor for that film. Best Actor went to Adam Sandler for Uncut Gems (he seems like a rising star to keep an eye on) and Renée Zellweger won Best Actress for Judy. Supporting Actress went to Kathy Bates for Richard Jewell.
The full list of awards is below, along with the alphabetized lists of Top Films.
Best Film: The Irishman
Best Director: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood
Best Actor: Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Best Actress: Renée Zellweger, Judy
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood