Awards Season continues today as the National Board of Review picks their winners for the best of 2018! The group has a track record for picking films that go on to be major Oscar contenders. ln past years, they have picked Slumdog Millionaire, The Social Network, Zero Dark Thirty, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Manchester By The Sea as Best Film (all of these films have been in the Best Picture race and Slumdog Millionaire went on to win the top honor.) Time will tell if these winners predict this year’s Oscar race!
Let’s look at the 2018 picks:

Best Film: Green Book
Best Actor: Viggo Mortenson, Green Book
Best Actress: Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Elliot, A Star is Born
Best Supporting Actress, Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Director: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Best Directorial Debut: Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade
Best Original Screenplay: Paul Schrader, First Reformed
Best Adapted Screenplay: Bary Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Animated Feature: The Incredibles 2
Best Foreign Language Film: Cold War
Best Documentary: RBG
Breakthrough Performance: Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace
Best Ensemble: Crazy Rich Asians
William K. Everson Film History Award: The Other Side of The Wind, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: 22 July, On Her Shoulders

Top Films
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Eighth Grade
First Reformed
If Beale Street Could Talk
Mary Poppins Returns
A Quiet Place
Roma
A Star is Born

Top 10 Independent Films
The Death of Stalin
Lean on Pete
Leave No Trace
Mid 90s
The Old Man and the Gun
The Rider
Searching
Sorry to Bother You
We the Animals
You Were Never Really Here

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
Burning
Custody
The Guilty
Happy as Lazzaro
Shoplifters

Top 5 Documentaries
Crime + Punishment
Free Solo
Minding the Gap
Three Identical Strangers
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Green Book takes home the top honor this year winning Best Film. A Star is Born wins the most awards with Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. If Beale Street Could Talk follows closely behind with 2 wins in Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. I’m not sold on the Top Films list, but I’m happy to see A Star is Born, Green Book, and Eighth Grade getting attention! I’ve yet to see Roma and If Beale Street Could Talk, but I’m hearing great things! What do you think of the winners? Did your favorite films get nominated?