'Mad Max: Fury Road' Named Best Film by National Board of Review

The group revealed its picks for 2015's best on Tuesday.

The National Board of Review on Tuesday revealed its 2015 film awards, naming Mad Max: Fury Road as the best film.

Despite receiving the top prize, best film was the only award won by the post-apocalyptic blockbuster starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy. Released in May, the $150 million pic has grossed $375.8 million worldwide.

Multiple NBR award-winners include The Martian, Room, The Hateful Eight and Beasts of No Nation.

The Martian won honors for best director (Ridley Scott), best actor (Matt Damon) and best adapted screenplay (Drew Goddard). Room star Brie Larson was named best actress, with her young co-star Jacob Tremblay receiving an award for breakthrough performance, which he will share with fellow young sensation Abraham Attah from Beasts of No Nation.

Beasts of No Nation will also share the NBR Freedom of Expression award with Mustang, France's submission for the Oscar for best foreign-language film.

Hateful Eight's two NBR awards are the first major honors received by the Quentin Tarantino pic, which is getting a Christmas Day limited release. The filmmaker won the prize for best original screenplay, and Jennifer Jason Leigh was tapped as best supporting actress.

A number of Oscar hopefuls were shut out by the NBR. Specifically, Steve Jobs, Spotlight, Carol, Joy, Concussion, The Revenant, Anomalisa, Bridge of Spies, Truth, Brooklyn, The Danish Girl, Straight Outta Compton and Tangerine all were missing from the awards list, but Bridge of Spies, Spotlight and Compton were listed as three of NBR's top films.

After receiving a leading 14 nominations from the Annie Awards, Inside Out was named best animated feature by the NBR.

Mediterranea helmer Jonas Carpignano also won his second award in less than 24 hours, receiving the NBR honor for best directorial debut after taking home the Gotham Independent Film Award for best director.

The National Board of Review is also honoring Cecil B. DeMille's granddaughter, Cecilia DeMille Presley, with its 2015 William K. Everson film history award. Presley is vice-chair of the National Film Preservation Foundation and co-authored the book Cecil B. DeMille: The Art of the Hollywood Epic.

NBR president Annie Schulhof said of this year's winners: “2015 has been a banner year for popular cinema. 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.”

The honors will be presented during a Jan. 5 gala at New York's Cipriani 42nd Street, hosted, as they were last year, by Today co-host Willie Geist.

The NBR awards are voted on by a group of film enthusiasts, professionals, academics, young filmmakers and students.

Last year, NBR selected A Most Violent Year as its best film, but the J.C. Chandor-directed drama about New York in 1981 was completely snubbed by the Oscars. The year before, NBR selected Spike Jonze's Her as its best film. The movie won only one Oscar, for best original screenplay. Previous NBR best film winners include Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Hugo (2011), The Social Network (2010) and Up in the Air (2009).

A complete list of this year's winners follows.

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

Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul

Best Documentary: Amy

William K. Everson Film History Award: Cecilia DeMille Presley

Best Ensemble: The Big Short

Spotlight Award: Sicario for Outstanding Collaborative Vision

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Beasts of No Nation & Mustang

Top Films

Bridge of Spies

Creed

The Hateful Eight

Inside Out

The Martian

Room

Sicario

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton



Top 5 Foreign Language Films

Goodnight Mommy

Mediterranea

Phoenix

The Second Mother

The Tribe



Top 5 Documentaries

Best of Enemies

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

The Diplomat

Listen to Me Marlon

The Look of Silence



Top 10 Independent Films

‘71

45 Years

Cop Car

Ex Machina

Grandma

It Follows

James White

Mississippi Grind

Welcome to Me

While We’re Young