The Oscar nominations won’t hit us until Tuesday morning, but, by this point, 2011′s awards season has provided the same few winners enough times over, to the point where we can make a good guess with our eyes closed. Just look at the list of victorious pictures for this year’s London Film Critics’ Circle and tell me it doesn’t all feel so familiar. (I can’t wait for everyone to forget The Artist by September, by the way.)

If there’s any truly unexpected choice to be found here, it’s in the Best Actress category, where Anna Paquin‘s work in Margaret ended up netting her a tie with the Oscar frontrunner, Meryl Streep. This doesn’t mean she’ll take a seat at the Kodak Theatre on February 26th, mind you, but it’s been remarkable to see this once-doomed movie rise from its own ashes this profoundly; good for her. I was happy that Craig Roberts earned some love for his touching, layered turn in Submarine, though I’m also surprised that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - one of 2011′s finest films – got almost nothing from its own people.

Read the group’s top ten and a list of their winners below:

CRITICS’ CIRCLE TOP 10 FILMS of 2011
1. The Artist
2. A Separation
3. Drive
4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
5. The Tree of Life
6. We Need to Talk About Kevin
7. Melancholia
8. Shame
9. Margaret
10. The Descendants

FILM OF THE YEAR
The Artist (Entertainment)

The Attenborough Award: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
A Separation (Artificial Eye)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Senna (Universal)

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist (Entertainment)

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Asghar Farhadi – A Separation (Artificial Eye)

The Virgin Atlantic Award: BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER
Andrew Haigh – Weekend (Peccadillo)

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Jean Dujardin – The Artist (Entertainment)

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR (Tied)
Anna Paquin – Margaret (Fox)
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé)

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn (Entertainment)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Sareh Bayat – A Separation (Artificial Eye)

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Michael Fassbender – A Dangerous Method (Lionsgate), Shame (Momentum)

The Moët & Chandon Award: BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Olivia Colman – The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé), Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal)

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Craig Roberts – Submarine (StudioCanal)

The Sky 3D Award: TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Maria Djurkovic, production design – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)

The Dilys Powell Award: EXCELLENCE IN FILM
Nicolas Roeg

Any thoughts on these selections?

Source: Deadline