Spotlight, the Boston-set investigative journalism drama, has reinforced its credentials as the leading Oscar contender by picking up awards from critics’ societies in New York, Los Angeles and Boston itself.

The New York Film Critics Online gave their best picture award to Spotlight, which depicts the hunt for evidence of child sexual abuse and its cover-up by the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, as well as best screenplay, best director (for Tom McCarthy) and best ensemble cast.

Spotlight also took the best picture award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, as well as best screenplay, although McCarthy was passed over as best director for George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road), and the male acting awards went to Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) and Michael Shannon (99 Homes).

The Boston Society of Film Critics, on the other hand, were more wholehearted, giving it best picture, best screenplay and best ensemble cast (though Todd Haynes was named best director, for Carol, ahead of McCarthy).

This emphatic endorsement of Spotlight stands in contrast to the decision of the New York Film Critics Circle, which gave the lion’s share of its prizes to Carol when they were declared on 2 December, although they singled out Spotlight’s Michael Keaton for a best actor award.



In other categories, certain recurrent themes are becoming apparent. Mark Rylance is now heavy favourite for the best supporting actor Oscar after securing the win in all three of the weekend’s critics’ groups awards. Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) has joined Saoirse Ronan and Brie Larson in the best actress race, after winning in Boston and LA, while Amy, the Asif Kapadia documentary about Amy Winehouse, won all three best documentary awards and can now be considered as the Oscar favourite.