Broadcast critics name ‘Hurt Locker’ best picture

“Avatar” won a record-breaking six Critics’ Choice Movie Awards on Friday night, but it was the independent Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker” took home the best picture honors from the Broadcast Film Critics Assn.

Kathryn Bigelow also won as director of the harrowing ensemble war film.

“The Hurt Locker,” which is nominated for best picture and director at Sunday’s Golden Globes, has received the lion’s share of critics’ awards, including honors from the L.A. Film Critics Assn., New York Film Critics Circle and National Society of Film Critics.

Historically speaking, the winner of the Critics’ Choice Award for best picture has gone on to win the Academy Award the last three years.

Though shut out for best picture, James Cameron’s blockbuster sci-fi epic “Avatar” took home awards for action movie, visual effects, sound, cinematography for Mauro Fiore, art direction for Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, and editing for Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron.

Jeff Bridges won the best actor award Friday night for his performance as a washed-up country singer who finds redemption in “Crazy Heart.” There was a tie for best actress, with awards going to Meryl Streep, as chef Julia Child in “Julie & Julia,” and Sandra Bullock, as a Southern mother who adopts an African American teenager in the drama “The Blind Side.”

Christoph Waltz danced away with yet another supporting actor honor as a sadistic Nazi in “Inglourious Basterds,” as did Mo’Nique in the supporting actress category as a toxic mother in “Precious.”

“Inglourious Basterds” also won for acting ensemble and for original screenplay by director Quentin Tarantino. Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner won in the adapted screenplay category for “Up in the Air.”

Saoirse Ronan earned best young actor/actress as a murdered teenager in “The Lovely Bones.” “Up” took home the animated film honors, and best comedy went to the R-rated hit “The Hangover.”

The 15th annual Critics Choice Movie Awards were held Friday evening at the Hollywood Palladium and aired on VH-1. Kristin Chenoweth was the host.

Other awards:

Costume design: Sandy Powell for “The Young Victoria”

Makeup: “District 9”

Foreign-language film: “Broken Embraces”

Documentary feature: “The Cove”

Score: Michael Giacchino for “Up”

Song: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett for “The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”

Made-for-TV movie: “Grey Gardens”

Joel Siegel Award: Kevin Bacon

susan.king@latimes.com