The Coen Brothers’ latest, ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ Won Top Honors at the 2013 Gotham Awards

The awards season is in full bloom, as tonight the winners of the 2013 Gotham Independent Film Awards were handed out in New York City.  Honoring the best in American independent cinema, the Gothams serve as the companion piece to the recently announced Independent Spirit Awards.  Of note, this year, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave led the field in both groups, cementing itself as an early frontrunner in this years awards derby.Nominations for the Gothams were announced in October by a jury consisting of film critics and historians – last year Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom took the top prize.  This year 12 Years a Slave was joined by David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight, The Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, and Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color in the Best Feature line-up.  This year’s ceremony also includes tributes to actor Forest Whitaker (currently an awards contender for his performance in Lee Daniels’ The Butler), filmmaker Richard Linklater, media executive Katherine Oliver, and the late James Gandolfini.

And the 2013 winners are:

BEST FEATURE: Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS: Brie Larson, Short Term 12

BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing

BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station

BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR: Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station

THE EUPHORIA CALVIN KLEIN SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN FILMMAKERS: Gita Pullapilly, Beneath the Harvest Sky-  this award comes with a $25,000 grant for emerging female filmmakers.

AUDIENCE AWARD: Life on Four Strings

The entire ceremony, which was broadcast via LiveStream earlier tonight can be seen here.