National Board of Review: Mad Max Fury Road wins best film

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Published on December 1, 2015 10:46PM EST

Oh, what a lovely day indeed for Mad Max: Fury Road. The National Board of Review has announced its 2015 award winners, naming George Miller’s Fury Road the best film of the year.

The Martian earned the most awards with three, including Best Director for Ridley Scott, Best Actor for Matt Damon, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Drew Goddard.

“2015 has been a banner year for popular cinema,” NBR president Annie Schulhof said in a release. “We are thrilled to be awarding George Miller and Ridley Scott, two iconic filmmakers at the top of their game, while also celebrating the next generation of talent.”

Brie Larson brought home the Best Actress award for her role in Room, and her costar Jacob Tremblay shared a Breakthrough Performance award with Abraham Attah from Beasts of No Nation. The Hateful Eight earned two awards: Best Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino and Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Jason Leigh. Sylvester Stallone was named Best Supporting Actor for Creed.

The Mad Max NBR honor raises questions about the film’s Oscar chances, and as awards season approaches, some have wondered whether George Miller’s action epic could earn a Best Picture nod. The NBR has a mixed record when it comes to predicting Best Picture winners, and since 2000, an NBR Best Film has only gone on to win an Oscar for Best Picture twice (No Country for Old Men in 2007 and Slumdog Millionaire in 2008). Last year’s NBR winner, A Most Violent Year, didn’t even snag a Best Picture nomination. Out of last year’s 11 NBR selections, only six went on to earn an Oscar nomination in the same category.

See the complete list of NBR winners below.

Best Film: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Director: Ridley Scott – The Martian

Best Actor: Matt Damon – The Martian

Best Actress: Brie Larson – Room

Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone – Creed

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight

Best Adapted Screenplay: Drew Goddard – The Martian

Best Animated Feature: Inside Out

Breakthrough Performance: Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation & Jacob Tremblay – Room

Best Directorial Debut: Jonas Carpignano – Mediterranea