Slumdog Millionaire scoops six nominations

(AP Photo/Fox Searchlight, Ishika Mohan)

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire earned six nominations for the 2009 London Critics' Circle Film Awards announced today.

British films Hunger by debut director Steve McQueen and Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky follow closely behind with five nominations, as does Frost/Nixon.

Award nominations for Slumdog Millionaire, 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 up for British Actor are Ralph Fiennes (The Duchess), Ben Kingsley (Elegy), Michael Fassbender (Hunger) and Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon).

A highlight of the awards night will be the presentation of the Dilys Powell Award for outstanding contribution to cinema to Dame Judi Dench.

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.

Hollywood hopes include Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler and the late Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight in the Actor of the Year category, as well as Meryl Streep for Doubt and Angelina Jolie for Changeling 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).

London Film Critics' Circle chairman Jason Solomons said: "I am thrilled by this exciting set of nominations which acknowledge the best in film-making from around the world."

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

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.

Here are the nominees for the 29th London Critics' Circle Film Awards:

* Film of the Year

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Warner)

Frost/Nixon (Universal)

Milk (Momentum)

Wall-E (Disney)

The Wrestler (Optimum)

* The Attenborough Award: British Film of the Year

Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Hunger (Pathe)

In Bruges (Universal)

Man On Wire (Icon)

Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

* Foreign Language Film of the Year

Gomorrah (Optimum)

I've Loved You So Long (Lionsgate)

The Orphanage (Optimum)

Persepolis (Optimum)

Waltz With Bashir (Artificial Eye)

* Director of the Year

Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler (Optimum)

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Clint Eastwood - Changeling (Universal)

David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Warner)

Gus Van Sant - Milk (Momentum)

* British Director of the Year

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Terence Davies - Of Time And The City (BFI)

Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Steve McQueen - Hunger (Pathe)

Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight (Warner)

* Actor of the Year

Josh Brolin - W (Lionsgate)

Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon (Universal)

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight (Warner)

Sean Penn - Milk (Momentum)

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler (Optimum)

* Actress of the Year

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Optimum)

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married (Sony)

Angelina Jolie - Changeling (Universal)

Meryl Streep - Doubt (Miramax)

Kate Winslet - The Reader (Entertainment) and Revolutionary Road (Paramount)

* British Actor of the Year

Michael Fassbender - Hunger (Pathe)

Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess (Pathe)

Ben Kingsley - Elegy (Entertainment)

Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon (Universal)

* British Actress of the Year

Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Optimum)

Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long (Lionsgate)

Tilda Swinton - Julia (Chelsea)

Kate Winslet - The Reader (Entertainment) and Revolutionary Road (Paramount)

* British Actor in a Supporting Role

Liam Cunningham - Hunger (Pathe)

Toby Jones - Frost/Nixon (Universal) and W. (Lionsgate)

Eddie Marsan - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Peter O'Toole - Dean Spanley (Icon)

Mark Strong - Body Of Lies (Warner)

* British Actress in a Supporting Role

Hayley Atwell - The Duchess (Pathe)

Kristin Scott Thomas - Easy Virtue (Pathe)

Tilda Swinton - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Warner)

Emma Thompson - Brideshead Revisited (Miramax)

Alexis Zegerman - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

* Screenwriter of the Year

Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

David Hare - The Reader (Entertainment)

Martin McDonagh - In Bruges (Universal)

Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon (Universal)

Eric Roth - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Warner)

* The NSPCC Award: Young British Performer of the Year

Asa Butterfield - The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (Miramax)

Georgia Groome - Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging (Paramount)

Bill Milner - Son Of Rambow (Optimum)

Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Will Poulter - Son Of Rambow (Optimum)

Thomas Turgoose - Somers Town (Optimum) and Eden Lake (Optimum)

* Breakthrough British Film-Maker

Joanna Hogg - writer/director: Unrelated (New Wave)

Martin McDonagh - writer/director: In Bruges (Universal)

Steve McQueen - writer/director: Hunger (Pathe)

James Watkins - writer/director: Eden Lake (Optimum)

Rupert Wyatt - director: The Escapist (Vertigo)

* Dilys Powell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema

Dame Judi Dench