Naturally, British Film Critics went nuts for An Education. Not only did Lone Scherfig’s coming-of-age drama nab nominations for five UK-only categories, but two international-friendly ones as well: Carey Mulligan for Actress of the Year and Nick Hornby for Screenwriter of the Year.

Funny thing is, An Education nabbed a nomination for The Attenborough Award: British Film of the Year, but not in the Film of the Year category. In fact, no British films were nominated. The list pits Avatar up against The Hurt Locker, A Prophet, The White Ribbon and Up in the Air. British critics not satisfied with domestic filmmaking this year? I thought this would have been Moon’s time to shine, but Duncan Jones and his film were relegated to the British Film of the Year, British Director of the Year and Breakthrough British Film-Maker categories. At least the film is still well represented.

Inglourious Basterds only received a nomination – and a well-deserved one – in the Actor of the Year category for Christoph Waltz’s performance. I’m sure that’s good enough for Quentin Tarantino because on top of that, he’ll be the recipient of The London Film Critics' Circle’s top honor, the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Cinema. He’ll be honored at the 30th Critic’s Circle Film Awards on February 18th, 2010.

Emily Blunt will get two chances at a win having been nominated for British Actress in a Supporting role for Sunshine Cleaning and British Actress of the Year for The Young Victoria. Peter Jackson was likely expecting far more notoriety, but should be pleased to see his young leading actress Saoirse Ronan get a nomination for The NSPCC Award: Young British Performer of the Year for her role in The Lovely Bones.

1979 may feel like ages ago, but Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now was fresh on the Critic’s Circle mind and named the best film of the last 30 years.

Take a look below to see the full list of nominees:

FILM OF THE YEAR

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

A Prophet

The White Ribbon

Up in the Air


THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR

Bright Star

An Education

Fish Tank

In the Loop

Moon


FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

The Class

Katyn

Let the Right One In

A Prophet

The White Ribbon


DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Jacques Audiard - A Prophet

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

James Cameron – Avatar

Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon

Jason Reitman - Up in the Air


BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Andrea Arnold - Fish Tank

Armando Iannucci - In the Loop

Duncan Jones – Moon

Kevin Macdonald - State of Play

Sam Taylor-Wood - Nowhere Boy


ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

George Clooney - Up in the Air

Tahar Rahim - A Prophet

Michael Stuhlbarg - A Serious Man

Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds


ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Abbie Cornish - Bright Star

Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air

Mo'Nique – Precious

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia


BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Peter Capaldi - In the Loop

Colin Firth - A Single Man

Tom Hardy – Bronson

Christian MacKay - Me and Orson Welles

Andy Serkis - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll


BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria

Helen Mirren - The Last Station

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Katie Jarvis - Fish Tank

Kristin Scott Thomas - Nowhere Boy


BRITISH ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Michael Fassbender* - Fish Tank

John Hurt - 44 Inch Chest

Jason Isaacs – Good

Alfred Molina - An Education

Timothy Spall - The Damned United


BRITISH ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Emily Blunt - Sunshine Cleaning

Anne-Marie Duff - Nowhere Boy

Rosamund Pike - An Education

Kierston Wareing - Fish Tank

Olivia Williams - An Education


SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche - In the Loop

Thomas Bidegain & Jacques Audiard - A Prophet

Joel & Ethan Coen - A Serious Man

Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon

Nick Hornby - An Education


THE NSPCC AWARD: YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Katie Jarvis - Fish Tank

Aaron Johnson - Nowhere Boy and Dummy

George MacKay - The Boys Are Back

Bill Milner - Is Anybody There? and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Saoirse Ronan* - The Lovely Bones


BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER

Daniel Barber - Harry Brown

Armando Ianucci - In the Loop

Duncan Jones – Moon

Peter Strickland - Katalin Varga

Sam Taylor-Wood - Nowhere Boy


DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CINEMA

Quentin Tarantino