A Queen Sweep

2006 NYFCO Movie Awards

By Kam Williams

Eagerly-anticipated as an early indicator of Oscar buzz, The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) recently announced its annual awards for 2006 at O'Neals' Restaurant in Manhattan. The Queen ended up the evening’s big winner, landing a quintet of accolades in the categories for Best Picture, Best Director (Stephen Frears), Best Actress (Helen Mirren), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Sheen), and Best Screenplay (Peter Morgan).

Best Actor even went to royalty, namely, Forest Whitaker for his command performance as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Newcomer Jennifer Hudson enjoyed a couple of kudos, both Breakthrough Performer and Best Supporting Actress, for her stellar work in Dreamgirls.

NYFCO, a group comprised of about two dozen of the city’s top movie reviewers, boasts a diverse membership which ranges from Rex Reed of the upscale New York Observer to Kurt Loder of MTV. There’s also the politically-progressive Prairie Miller of WBAI, and Louis Proyect of Marx Mail, as well as the spiritually-oriented Frederic and Marry Ann Brussat. The group’s minority representation includes Armond White, Julian Roman, Ed Gonzalez and yours truly.

Complete List of Winners