2024 National Board of Review (NBR) Awards: ‘Wicked’ Flys to the Top with Best Film, Director; Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig Win Acting Prizes
Wicked has been named the Best Film of 2024 by the National Board of Review, the oldest organization to give out film awards, also giving the film the directing prize for Jon M. Chu and the NBR Spotlight Award for the collaboration of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
“Wicked represents the pure magic that movies can bring to audiences. Every detail is beautifully crafted and designed, the actors are all exceptional and the music is second-to-none – together it adds up to a transporting experience like no other. The NBR is proud to honor director John M. Chu and his remarkable cinematic vision,” said NBR President Annie Schulhof.
As the org doesn’t include it’s Best Film winner in it’s top 10 (really making it a top 11), the NBR top films of the year are: Anora, Babygirl, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Gladiator II, Juror #2, Queer, A Real Pain and Sing Sing.
Daniel Craig won Best Actor for Queer; and Nicole Kidman won Best Actress for Babygirl. In the supporting categories, Kieran Culkin triumphed after his NYFCC win for A Real Pain and in a big surprise, Elle Fanning was named Best Supporting Actress for her turn in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, coming out on Christmas Day.
The NBR to Oscar translation is quite a strong one for Best Picture, with only three films in 25 years to miss out on a nomination: 2000’s Quills, 2014’s A Most Violent Year and 2020’s Da 5 Bloods. However, since the Academy expanded its Best Picture lineup from five to 10 in 2009, NBR and the Oscars have only matched once, with 2018’s Green Book.
Brie Larson in Room (2015), Renée Zellweger in Judy (2019) and Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) are the most recent examples of lead actresses turning their NBR wins into Oscar gold and for Best Actor, Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea (2016) and Will Smith in King Richard (2021) made it happen while Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year (2014), Tom Hanks in The Post (2017) and Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems (2019) didn’t make the Oscar cut.
Last year’s NBR acting winners Paul Giamatti, Lily Gladstone, Mark Ruffalo and Da’Vine Joy Randolph all earned Oscar nominations with Randolph beginning her season-long sweep here.
Established in 1909, the NBR recognizes excellence in filmmaking. This year, 246 films were viewed by a select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students, many of which were followed by in-depth discussions with directors, actors, producers, and screenwriters. Ballots were tabulated by the accounting firm of Lutz and Carr CPA.
The honorees will be fêted at the NBR Awards Gala, hosted by Willie Geist (Host, NBC News’ Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist and co-host, MSNBC’s Morning Joe) on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at Cipriani 42nd Street, in New York City.
Here is the complete list of winners.
Best Film: Wicked
Best Director: Jon M. Chu, Wicked
Best Actor: Daniel Craig, Queer
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman, Babygirl
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress: Elle Fanning, A Complete Unknown
Best Ensemble: Conclave
Breakthrough Performance: Mikey Madison, Anora
Best Directorial Debut: India Donaldson, Good One
Best Original Screenplay: Mike Leigh, Hard Truths
Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing
NBR Spotlight Award: Creative Collaboration of Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: No Other Land
Best Animated Feature: Flow
Best International Film: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best Documentary: Sugarcane
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Top Films (in alphabetical order):
Anora
Babygirl
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Juror #2
Queer
A Real Pain
Sing Sing
Top 5 International Films (in alphabetical order):
All We Imagine as Light
The Girl with the Needle
I’m Still Here
Santosh
Universal Language
Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order):
Black Box Diaries
Dahomey
Look Into My Eyes
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper
Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order):
Bird
A Different Man
Dìdi
Ghostlight
Good One
Hard Truths
His Three Daughters
Love Lies Bleeding
My Old Ass
Thelma
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2024 National Board of Review (NBR) Awards: ‘Wicked’ Flys to the Top with Best Film, Director; Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig Win Acting Prizes - December 4, 2024
- SFFILM Executive Director Anne Lai and Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks Discuss the SFFILM Awards and the Future of Film Festivals - December 4, 2024
- 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: ‘Anora,’ ‘I Saw the TV Glow,’ ‘Shōgun,’ ‘English Teacher’ Lead - December 4, 2024
2024 National Board of Review (NBR) Awards: ‘Wicked’ Flys to the Top with Best Film, Director; Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig Win Acting Prizes 
SFFILM Executive Director Anne Lai and Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks Discuss the SFFILM Awards and the Future of Film Festivals 
40th Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: ‘Anora,’ ‘I Saw the TV Glow,’ ‘Shōgun,’ ‘English Teacher’ Lead 
Predictions for 2024 National Board of Review (NBR) and AFI’s Top 10