Other Awards: February 2007 Archives

The Oscars are almost as much about momentum as the films themselves. Here’s a final pre-Oscars list of what honors the top movies are winning this awards season leading up to tonight's big show:

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The road comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" won best picture and three other prizes for independent films at the Spirit Awards today, one day before competing for Hollywood's top honors at the Academy Awards. The hilarious though dark-tinged tale of a deeply dysfunctional family also won the supporting-actor award for Alan Arkin; best director for the husband-and-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and best first screenplay for Michael Arndt. ...

LOS ANGELES — Sharon Stone should have trusted her first ‘‘Basic Instinct’’ and left it alone, according to voters of the Razzies, which mocks the worst of Hollywood. ‘‘Basic Instinct 2’’ won four Razzies on Saturday, including worst picture and worst actress for Stone. ...

Inspired by the Academy's theme this year of great movie lines, Netflix polled nearly 5,000 members and asked what was the best movie line of 2006. The winners ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Christian singer Chris Tomlin, the Dove Awards’ artist of the year in 2006, is the leading nominee of the gospel music awards again this year with nine nominations, including another nod for artist of the year. Other leading nominees announced today for the Gospel Music Association’s 38th annual awards were Jars of Clay with six and The Crabb Family with five. Newcomers Aaron Shust and the group Leeland had five each. ...

PARIS — French President Jacques Chirac inducted American actor-director Clint Eastwood into the Legion of Honor on Saturday, saying he represents ‘‘the best of Hollywood.’’ The Oscar-winning director was named a knight in France’s elite Legion of Honor. ‘‘France of course wants to pay homage to your immense talent as an actor, your genius as a director and to your place in the world of cinema,’’ Chirac said in a ceremony in the presidential Elysee Palace. ...

GLENDALE, Calif. — A cocky race car that learns the wisdom of slowing down won the race for best animated feature Sunday at the 34th annual Annie Awards, honoring achievements in feature film and television animation. ‘‘Cars,’’ from The Walt Disney Co. and Pixar Animation Studios, defeated a crowd of contenders that included ‘‘Happy Feet’’ from Warner Bros., ‘‘Over the Hedge,’’ from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., ‘‘Monster House’’ from Sony Pictures, a division of Sony Corp., and ‘‘Open Season,’’ also from Sony Pictures. ...

LONDON — A gracious monarch and a charismatic dictator took the top prizes Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards. Dame Helen Mirren was crowned best actress for playing Queen Elizabeth II in ‘‘The Queen,’’ which also was named the year’s best picture. Forest Whitaker took the best actor prize for his riveting turn as Idi Amin in ‘‘The Last King of Scotland,’’ the story of a young Scottish doctor’s entanglement with the Ugandan dictator. ‘‘Last King’’ was named best British film and also took the prize for best adapted screenplay. ...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Beyonce positioned herself as the performer to beat in next month’s annual Soul Train Music Awards, gathering a leading three nominations Tuesday, including one for best female album for ‘‘B’Day.’’ She was also up for honors for best female single, for the hit song ‘‘Irreplaceable,’’ and for the Michael Jackson Award for best music video.

LONDON — Daniel Craig was honored but Helen Mirren was denied Sunday at the 34th annual Evening Standard British Film Awards. Craig was named best actor for ‘‘Casino Royale,’’ his debut outing as James Bond. Craig, who has won both critical praise and box office favor as the first blond Bond, is also up for the best-actor prize at next week’s British Academy Film Awards. ...

By CHRISTY LEMIRE

LOS ANGELES — Martin Scorsese’s long-overdue glory at the Directors Guild of America Awards clearly paves the way for his long-overdue glory at the Academy Awards. That leaves just one category at the Oscars — the biggest of all — still up for grabs as this busy awards season nears its end. ...