Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty continued to gather awards momentum as the U.S. National Board of Review named the Osama bin Laden hunt docudrama the best film of the year.

The board is the second notable group to name Zero Dark Thirty best film, following the New York Film Critics Circle. The two early awards suggest the film may be the Academy Awards frontrunner, four years after Bigelow's The Hurt Locker triumphed at the Oscars.

The film took three awards Wednesday from the National Board of Review, which also named Bigelow best director and Jessica Chastain, who stars as a CIA agent, best actress.

Zero Dark Thirty has picked up another year-end film honour. Members of the creative team, including (from left) writer-producer Mark Boal, actor Jason Clarke, director Kathryn Bigelow, actress Jessica Chastain and actor Kyle Chandler, promoted the film in in New York this week. Zero Dark Thirty has picked up another year-end film honour. Members of the creative team, including (from left) writer-producer Mark Boal, actor Jason Clarke, director Kathryn Bigelow, actress Jessica Chastain and actor Kyle Chandler, promoted the film in in New York this week. (Evan Agostini/Associated Press)

The group also gave a boost to the Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell's comedic drama about a mentally unstable former teacher (Bradley Cooper) attempting to reorder his life. Cooper was named best actor and Russell was given best adapted screenplay. (Best original screenplay went to Rian Johnson for his script to the thriller Looper.)

Leonardo DiCaprio won best supporting actor for his performance as a wealthy slave owner in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. Best supporting actress went to Ann Dowd for her performance as a fast-food manager terrorized by a prank caller in Compliance.

The board also cited Ben Affleck, director and star of the Iran hostage crisis drama Argo, for special achievement in filmmaking. Best ensemble went to the cast of Tom Hooper's musical adaptation of Les Misérables. The group is also highlighting John Goodman with its "spotlight award," noting the actor's work this year in Argo, Flight, Paranorman and Trouble With the Curve.

The National Board of Review, a group of film academics, students and professionals founded in 1909, is one of the first groups to announce its picks for the year's best movies. The Los Angeles Film Critics announce their choices on Sunday. The Golden Globe nominations come Dec. 13.

The National Board of Review has some pedigree in picking films that have gone on to win best picture at the Oscars, though not in recent years. Last year, it selected Hugo, while the academy chose The Artist. In 2010, it selected The Social Network while the academy chose The King's Speech.

In addition to individual awards, the board also lists its top 10 films, in no particular order: Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Looper, Les Misérables, The Perks of Being a Wallflower,Silver Linings Playbook and Promised Land.

The awards will be handed out at a gala on Jan. 8 in New York at Cipriani's, to be hosted by Meredith Vieira.