'Slumdog Millionaire' directed by Danny Boyle has earned six nominations for the 2009 London Critics' Circle Film Awards which were announced yesterday.
'Hunger' by debut director Steve McQueen, Mike Leigh's 'Happy-Go-Lucky' and 'Frost/Nixon' each earned five nominations.
Award nominations for 'Slumdog Millionaire', which is set in Mumbai, include the Attenborough Award for British Film of the Year, Director of the Year for Danny Boyle and British Actor of the Year for Dev Patel.
Also competing in the British Actor of the Year category are Ralph Fiennes ('The Duchess'), Ben Kingsley ('Elegy'), German-born, Irish-raised Michael Fassbender ('Hunger') and Michael Sheen ('Frost/Nixon').
Ireland’s Liam Cunningham has been nominated for 'Hunger' in British Actor in a Supporting Role category.
Kate Winslet has received nominations for British Actress of the Year and Actress of the Year for her work in two films – 'The Reader' and 'Revolutionary Road'.
Mickey Rourke for 'The Wrestler' and the late Heath Ledger for ‘The Dark Knight’ have been nominated in the Actor of the Year category while Meryl Streep for ‘Doubt’ and Angelina Jolie for ‘Changeling’ compete in the Actress of the Year category.
For the first time, an NSPCC award for Young British Performer of the Year has been added. The award will be contested between Asa Butterfield ('The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas'), Georgia Groome ('Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging'), Bill Milner ('Son Of Rambow'), Dev Patel ('Slumdog Millionaire'), Will Poulter ('Son Of Rambow') and Thomas Turgoose ('Somers Town, Eden Lake').
It has also been announced that Dame Judi Dench will be presented with the Dilys Powell Award for outstanding contribution to cinema.
The awards ceremony, on February 4 and in aid of the NSPCC, will be hosted by Mariella Frostrup and Paul Gambaccini at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.
