‘La La Land,’ ‘Moonlight’ and More Top New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2016 Winners List

It’s officially December, which means it’s the most wonderful tiiiiime of the year…and by that we mean awards season (OK, sure, decked-out trees and spiked ’nog are fun too, I guess). On the heels of this morning’s Critics’ Choice Awards nominations, the New York Film Critics Circle has announced its full list of winners, with La La Land, Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea leading the pack — unsurprisingly.

After landing big wins and nominations from the Gotham Awards, The National Board of Review and the Critics’ Choice Awards, the 2017 Oscar race is beginning to take shape. The New York Film Critics Circle, of which our own editor-in-chief Matt Singer is a member, has announced their annual list of awards winners, including favorites like La La Land, Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea, all of which are emerging as clear frontrunners for the Academy Awards.

It’s also interesting (and exciting!) to note that Isabelle Huppert has racked up another win for Best Actress for her turn in Elle following her win at the Gotham Awards. It seemed unlikely that Huppert would earn so much attention from awards groups for her role in Paul Verhoeven’s controversial and darkly comedic thriller, but her recent wins signal a potential trend that could lead her straight to the Oscars. (For more on Elle, check out the first episode of our new podcast, Long Takes.)

Here’s the full list of New York Film Critics Circle Awards winners:

Best Film: La La Land 

Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Best Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, Elle and Things to Come

Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Best Supporting Actress: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea and Certain Women

Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Best Cinematography: James Laxton, Moonlight

Best Foreign Language Film: Toni Erdmann

Best Animated Feature: Zootopia

Best First Film: Tie – The Edge of Seventeen and Krisha

Best Documentary: O.J.: Made in America

The NYFCC also gave out two Special Awards: One for editor Thelma Schoonmaker, the other for the 25th anniversary restoration of Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust.

For more on awards season, listen to the first episode of our new podcast, And the Podcast Goes To…, in which our editors share their top Oscar picks. The episode is also available for free on iTunes: