COEN BROTHERS TRIUMPH AT CRITICS' CHOICE AWARDS

ETHAN and JOEL COEN's movie NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN has triumphed at the 2008 Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles.

The film landed the coveted Best Picture award as well as the Best Supporting Actor accolade for Javier Bardem at the ceremony on Monday (07Jan08) night.

The awards, which are given out by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, are not covered by Writer's Guild contracts so was not affected by the ongoing strike which has forced other events, including the prestigious Golden Globe Awards, to be cancelled.

Other winners at the ceremony include Daniel Day Lewis, who picked up the Best Actor gong for his role in There Will Be Blood, and Julie Christie, who won Best Actress for Away From Her.

Amy Ryan was honoured as Best Supporting Actress for Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck's directorial debut - and teen pregnancy movie Juno was named Best Comedy.

Hairspray was also among the big winners of the night, scooping two awards for Best Acting Ensemble and Best Young Actress for its 19-year-old star Nikki Blonsky.

George Clooney, who was nominated for his starring turn in Michael Clayton, presented the inaugural Joel Siegel Award to his Ocean's 13 co-star Don Cheadle for his humanitarian work - and he used the opportunity to call for a resolution to the writers strike.

He told the audience, "When the strike happens, it's not just writers (affected). Our hope is that all the players will lock themselves in a room and not come out until they finish. We want this to be done. That's the most important thing."

The main category winners are as follows:

Best Picture

No Country for Old Men

Best Comedy

Juno

Best Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Actress

Julie Christie, Away from Her

Best Supporting Actor

Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone

Best Acting Ensemble

Hairspray

Best Young Actor

Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, The Kite Runner

Best Young Actress

Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray

Best Director

Ethan and Joel Coen, No Country for Old Men

Best Writer

Diablo Cody, Juno

Best Composer

Jonny Greenwood, There Will Be Blood

Best Song

Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard + Marketa Irglova, Once

Best Foreign Language Film

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Animated Feature

Ratatouille

Best Family Film

Enchanted

Best Documentary

Sicko

Best Picture Made for Television

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee