Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter in THE KING'S SPEECH

The London Critics' Circle has weighed in with its announcements for its is 31st Film Awards. Two British films, The King's Speech and Another Year lead the nominations, celebrating another strong year for British cinema, with seven apiece. Pre-Oscars favourite The King's Speech is nominated in categories including the Sky 3D Award for Film of the Year, Actor of the Year, and the Actress of the Year award. Mike Leigh's humanist drama Another Year receives nods including British Director, British Actress and British Actor. The Social Network, the current contender for Oscar honors, also made a strong showing with five nominations. The acclaimed British debut feature The Arbor garnered an impressive four nominations, with Joel and Ethan Coen's True Grit getting four nominations for director and cast members.

For Best Foreign Language film honors, the films Dogtooth (Greece), I Am Love (Italy), Of Gods and Men (France), The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina) and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand) compete for top honors. Last year's best actor recipient, Colin Firth (for his role in A Single Man) is up for top nod again, this time for his role as the stuttering king in The King's Speech. Competition in the Best Actor category also includes Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and Edgar Ramirez (Carlos).

In the hotly contest Best Actress race, the frontrunners are Annette Bening for her comedic role in The Kids Are Allright, running neck in neck with Natalie Portman, for her astonishing turn in the ballet horror film Black Swan. The remaining actresses in the category are all newcomers, including Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), Sweden's Noomi Rapace (The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit).  One of the unique features of the Critics Circle Film Awards is a concentration of nominations for specifically British acting and directing talent (whether in British films or not). The roster of nominees include such celebrated names as Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Tilda Swinton, Christian Bale, Jim Broadbent, Andrew Garfield and Minnie Driver in a host of lead and supporting acting categories (for full list, see below).   

The Critics' Circle Film Awards will be held for the first time at BFI Southbank on 10 February 2011, in aid of their new charity partner, the BFI Archive. The Awards are presented in partnership with Sky 3D and Moët & Chandon. The Circle is made up of 120 British writers, journalists and critics who write for both print, television, radio and online outlets.

Sandy Mandelberger, Awards Watch Editor

LONDON CRITICS CIRCLE FILM AWARDS NOMINATIONS 

SKY 3D AWARD: FILM OF THE YEAR

Black Swan

The Kids Are All Right

The King's Speech

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR

127 Hours

The Arbor

Another Year

The King's Speech

Monsters

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

Dogtooth (Greece)

I Am Love (Italy)

Of Gods and Men (France)

The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina)

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand)

ACTOR OF THE YEAR sponsored by Narrabeen Communications

Jeff Bridges - True Grit

Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network

Colin Firth - The King's Speech

Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine

Edgar Ramirez - Carlos

MOËT ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone

Natalie Portman - Black Swan

Noomi Rapace - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR in association with Cameo Productions

Riz Ahmed - Four Lions

Christian Bale - The Fighter

Jim Broadbent - Another Year

Colin Firth - The King's Speech

Andrew Garfield - Never Let Me Go

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech

Lesley Manville - Another Year

Rosamund Pike - Barney's Version

Ruth Sheen - Another Year

Tilda Swinton - I Am Love

BRITISH ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

David Bradley - Another Year

Pierce Brosnan - The Ghost

Andrew Garfield - The Social Network

Tom Hardy - Inception

Peter Wight - Another Year

BRITISH ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Helena Bonham Carter - Alice in Wonderland

Christine Bottomley - The Arbor

Minnie Driver - Barney's Version

Rosamund Pike - Made in Dagenham

Olivia Williams - The Ghost

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Jessica Barden - Tamara Drewe

Conor McCarron - NEDs 

Will Poulter - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Saoirse Ronan - The Way Back 

Thomas Turgoose - The Scouting Book for Boys

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan

Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - True Grit

David Fincher - The Social Network

Christopher Nolan - Inception

Apichatpong Weerasethakul - Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives 

BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Clio Barnard - The Arbor

Danny Boyle - 127 Hours

Tom Hooper - The King's Speech

Mike Leigh - Another Year

Christopher Nolan - Inception

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg - The Kids Are All Right

Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - True Grit

Chris Morris, Sam Bain, Simon Blackwell & Jesse Armstrong - Four Lions

David Seidler - The King's Speech

Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network

Virgin Atlantic BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER

Banksy - Exit Through the Gift Shop

Clio Barnard - The Arbor

J Blakeson - The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Gareth Edwards - Monsters

Chris Morris - Four Lions