AWARDS- The Coen Brothers take the first big prize of the season as National Board Of Review names “No Country For Old Men” Best Picture

Joel and Ethan Coen’s "No Country for Old Men" took the top honor from the National Board of Review Awards on Wednesday , picking up best picture, as well as best ensemble cast and best adapted screenplay honors.

George Clooney took home best actor for "Michael Clayton" and Julie Christie took home best actress for "Away From Her". Tim Burton took home the best director prize for his forthcoming musical "Sweeney Todd." Best Supporting Actor went to Casey Affleck for "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" while Affleck’s "Gone Baby Gone" co-star Amy Ryan picked up Best Supporting Actress. Emile Hirsch won breakthrough performance by an actor for "Into the Wild," and Ellen Page won breakthrough performance by an actress for "Juno."

Diablo Cody ("Juno") and Nancy Oliver ("Lars and the Real Girl")tied for best original screenplay.

Best foreign film went to Julian Schnabel’s "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" , while the Iraq War expose "Body of War" took home best documentary, "Ratatouille" took home best animated feature, and both "The Great Debaters" and "Persepolis" won the Bvlgari Award for NBR Freedom of Expression.