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

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
The Hateful Eight/The Martin/Creed should be pretty damn good, it appears.