Broadcast Critics Go "Mountain" Climbing

The gay cowboys of Brokeback Mountain are continuing on their ride towards apparent domination of this pre-Oscar season.

Ang Lee's Western-themed love story racked up a leading eight nods Sunday when the Broadcast Film Critics Association revealed its nominations for the 11th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, including bids for Best Picture and Best Director.

Heath Ledger snared a Best Actor nod for his work in the film, while onscreen lover Jake Gyllenhaal scored a Supporting Actor nomination. Ledger's real-life love, Michelle Williams, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

The film also earned nominations for Best Composer, Writer and Song.

The Critics' Choice Awards are considered to be something of a crystal ball when it comes to picking out which films and stars will go on to claim glory at the Academy Awards.

The awards will be passed out at a Jan. 9 ceremony in Santa Monica, which is scheduled to be telecast live on the WB. Dennis Miller has been tapped to host the gala.

This year's nominations were announced just one day after Brokeback Mountain was honored with Best Picture and Best Director prizes by the Los Angeles Critics Association, adding to the already substantial Oscar buzz surrounding the film.

Tailing Brokeback Mountain, with a total of six Critics' Choice nominations, was race relations drama Crash, which landed a competing Best Picture bid, a Best Director nomination for Paul Haggis, a Best Ensemble nomination for the cast and Best Supporting Actor nods for Matt Dillon and Terrence Howard. Howard also garnered a Best Actor nod for his starring role in Hustle & Flow.

Apart from Howard and Ledger, Russell Crowe, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and David Strathairn are in the running for Best Actor kudos, while Joan Allen, Judi Dench, Felicity Huffman, Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon are vying against one another in the Best Actress race.

Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, Truman Capote biopic Capote, boxing tale Cinderella Man and McCarthy Era drama Good Night, and Good Luck each received four Critics' Choice nominations, while divorce drama The Squid and the Whale, Broadway import Rent, indentured servitude story Memoirs of a Geisha and wizard-friendly fare Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire pulled in three nominations apiece.

In the battle for Best Young Actress, Harry Potter thesp Emma Watson faces off against War of the Worlds cutie Dakota Fanning, while newcomer Georgie Henley of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe threatens to give both a run for their piggy banks.

Over in the young male category, Master Harry Potter himself, aka Daniel Radcliffe, squares off against lil' Charlie Bucket, aka Freddie Highmore, as well as the two youngsters from The Squid and the Whale and Millions star Alexander Etel in the competition for the Best Young Actor prize.

George Clooney is slated to receive the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Freedom Award for illuminating "values of freedom, tolerance and democracy" with his film Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney is also nominated for three awards, including Best Director and Writer for Good Night and Best Supporting Actor for Syriana.

Here's a complete roundup of the nominees for the 11th Annual Critics' Choice Awards:

BEST PICTURE: Brokeback Mountain Capote Cinderella Man The Constant Gardener Crash Good Night, and Good Luck King Kong Memoirs of a Geisha Munich Walk the Line BEST ACTOR: Russell Crowe, Cinderella Man Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck BEST ACTRESS: Joan Allen, The Upside of Anger Judi Dench , Mrs. Henderson Presents Felicity Huffman, Transamerica Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice Charlize Theron, North Country Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: George Clooney, Syriana Kevin Costner, The Upside of Anger Matt Dillon, Crash Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain Terrence Howard, Crash BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Adam, Junebug Maria Bello, A History of Violence Catherine Keener, Capote Frances McDormand, North Country Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE: Crash Good Night, and Good Luck Rent Syriana Sin City BEST DIRECTOR: George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck Paul Haggis, Crash Ron Howard, Cinderella Man Peter Jackson, King Kong Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain Steven Spielberg, Munich BEST WRITER: Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck Dan Futterman, Capote Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Chicken Little Corpse Bride Howl's Moving Castle Madagascar Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit BEST YOUNG ACTOR: Jesse Eisenberg, The Squid and the Whale Alex Etel, Millions Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Owen Kline, The Squid and the Whale Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire BEST YOUNG ACTRESS: Flora Cross, Bee Season Dakota Fanning, War of the Worlds Georgie Henley , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe Q'Orianka Kilcher, The New World Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire BEST COMEDY MOVIE: The 40 Year-Old Virgin Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang Mrs. Henderson Presents The Producers The Wedding Crashers BEST FAMILY FILM (LIVE ACTION): Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Dreamer Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: Into the West No Direction Home Rome Warm Springs BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: Cache Kung Fu Hustle Oldboy Paradise Now 2046 BEST SONG: "Hustle & Flow" by Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" by Emmylou Harris, Brokeback Mountain "Same in Any Language" by I Nine, Elizabethtown "Seasons of Love" by Tracie Thoms, Jesse L. Martin and Cast, Rent "Travelin' Thru" by Dolly Parton, Transamerica BEST SOUNDTRACK: Elizabethtown Memoirs of a Geisha The Producers Rent Walk the Line BEST COMPOSER: James Horner, The New World Gustavo Santaolalla, Brokeback Mountain John Williams, Memoirs of a Geisha Nancy Wilson, Elizabethtown BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Enron--The Smartest Guys in the Room Grizzly Man Mad Hot Ballroom March of the Penguins Murderball