The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) named Nickel Boys Best Picture of 2024 in its 59th annual awards voting meeting on Jan. 4, with Anora and All We Imagine Is Light following as runner-ups.  

Based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Nickel Boys,” the film depicts the compelling friendship between two African-American teenagers in 1960s Florida who navigate the trials of reform school together. 

Nickel Boys, directed by RaMell Ross, also won Best Cinematography for Jomo Fray, and was runner-up for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. 

The films that also gained two honors apiece are All We Imagine as Light, Hard Truths and A Real Pain. All We Imagine as Light won Best Director for Payal Kapadia and Best Film Not In The English Language. Hard Truths received Best Actress for Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Best Supporting Actress for Michele Austin. A Real Pain was recognized as Best Screenplay for Jesse Eisenberg and Best Supporting Actor for Kieran Culkin.

NSFC’s website states that the organization consists of over 60 of the country’s most notable movie critics who vote for categories such as best picture, director, actor and actress, supporting actor and actress, screenplay, and cinematography. Critics voted in-person in Los Angeles and New York, while also voting virtually from across the country. 

According to the society’s Bluesky posts, voting is conducted through a weighted ballot system. On the first ballot, members vote for their top three choices. The nominee that receives the most points and appears on a majority of ballots wins.

Here’s a full list of the winners and runner-ups: 

Best Picture: Nickel Boys
Runners-up:
Anora
All We Imagine As Light

Best Director: Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine As Light
Runners-up:
RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
Sean Baker, Anora

Best Actor: Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Runners-up:
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Best Actress: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Runners-up:
Mikey Madison, Anora
Ilinca Manolache, Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World

Best Supporting Actress: Michele Austin, Hard Truths
Runners-up:
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys
Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Runners-up:
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Adam Pearson, A Different Man

Best Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Runners-up:
Radu Jude, Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
Sean Baker, Anora

Best Cinematography: Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys
Runners-up:
Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu

Best Nonfiction Film: No Other Land
Runners-up:
Dahomey
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Best Film Not in the English Language:  All We Imagine As Light
Runners-up:
Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best experimental film: The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire

Special citation for a film awaiting U.S. distribution: No Other Land

Film heritage award: Scott Eyman

Film heritage award: IndieCollect

Film heritage award: To Save and Project: The MoMa International Festival of Film Preservation