The Cincinnati-filmed Carol has just won the first big critics poll of the year — the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film of 2015. The announcement was made this afternoon, following voting by the group.

Directed by Todd Haynes from the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, it concerns a lesbian relationship in the New York of the early 1950s. It stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

Besides the film’s award, Haynes received a Best Director nod; Phyllis Nagy got Best Screenplay and Edward Lachman got Best Cinematography.

Because the two actresses both have leading parts, they may have split the vote — Saoirse Ronan received Best Actress for her part in the film Brooklyn.

Carol is in four theaters in New York and L.A. and is getting a very slow national release to build word-of-mouth, hopefully through awards and nominations.

Here is the Variety story on today’s awards.