:: Many more nominations and awards for 2004 motion pictures have been announced in recent days:

• National Board of Review: Named its Top Ten Films of 2004, with Finding Neverland at the top of the list, Jamie Foxx as Best Actor for Ray, Annette Bening as Best Actress for Being Julia. It also awarded "Special Recognition of Films that Reflect the Freedom of Expression" to Fahrenheit 9/11, The Passion of the Christ, and Conspiracy of Silence.
  
• The IFP Independent Spirit Awards: The ISAs are announced the night before the Oscars, usually in a big freakin' tent. The press release provides further details.
  
• European Film Awards: European Actor went to Javier Bardem for Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside), and Imelda Staunton won European Actress for Vera Drake. European Film 2004 was awarded to Gegen Die Wand (Head-On), directed by Fatih Akin, Germany.
  
• Los Angeles Film Critics Awards: Sideways took Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor and Actress, and Screenplay.
  
• London Film Critics: Nominations were announced December 20, 2004, awards will be given on February 9, 2005. Perhaps because some American films are released in the UK in the year following their US release, Charlize Theron is nominated for Monster. Also of interest is Geoffrey Rush's nomination for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, which was a television release in the US and Canada in December 2004.
  
• Chicago Film Critics: Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen continue their Supporting Actor and Actress wins for Sideways, which also takes Best Picture, Actor and Screenplay. Chicago gave Clint Eastwood the Best Director nod for Million Dollar Baby.
  
• Southeastern Film Critics: A Sideways assault, with Church (or is it Haden Church, what exactly IS his last name?) and Madsen winning again, as well as Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.
  
• Florida Film Critics: Hilary Swank wins Best Actress for Million Dollar Baby, and Laura Linney sneaks a Supporting Actress Award from Virginia Madsen, for her work in Kinsey.
  
• Phoenix Film Critics: This group of critics bucked the trend, awarding Best Picture to The Aviator, and Best Director to Martin Scorsese. Two interesting awards: Overlooked Film of the Year: Stage Beauty, and Best Use of Previously Published or Recorded Music: Ray.
  
• San Diego Film Critics: Perhaps feeling the Phoenix vibe, the San Diego film scribes awarded four prizes to Vera Drake: Best Picture, Actress, Supporting Actor (Phil Davis), and Original Screenplay. Natalie Portman came in from left field to win Best Supporting Actress for Closer, which I think was well deserved, as is Davis's award. (But then, what award isn't deserved?)

As mentioned in earlier posts, kudos to the brilliant site, Movie City News, which collates all the awards information on their Awards Watch 2005 page.