The Los Angeles Film Critics Association — often contrarian as far as old-fart Academy thinking is concerned, often looking out for their pet ponies, sometimes preciously inclined — has done the right thing, I feel, by giving the org’s Best Picture award to Tom McCarthy‘s Spotlight. Ditto their honoring Max Max: Fury Road‘s George Miller with their Best Director award — yay, George! LAFCA also gave their Best Actor trophy to Michael Fassbender for his hard-hammer performance in Steve Jobs (Son of Saul‘s Geza Rohrig came in second), and their Best Actress award to 45 Years‘ Charlotte Rampling (who edged out Brooklyn‘s Saoirse Ronan).

Ex Machina/Danish Girl‘s Alicia Vikander was named Best Supporting Actress and 99 Homes/Freeheld‘s Michael Shannon was handed LAFCA’s Best Supporting Actor award. The Best Screenplay award went to Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy for Spotlight, and Asif Kapadia’s Amy was named best documentary. Anomalisa won the Best Animated Film award over Inside Out — somebody finally said “sorry, not this time” to Pixar! John Seale‘s cinematography for Mad Max: Fury Road was also awarded; ditto Colin Gibson‘s production design for that film. Carter Burwell won for best musical score for both Anomalisa and Carol. The Best Editing award went to The Big Short‘s Hank Corwin. LAFCA’s previously announced recipient of their 2015 Career Achievement honoree is editor Anne V. Coates.

From a participant: “Just so you know, there was no sense of consensus for Best Picture. The votes were spread all over the place, more than any other year I’ve witnessed. There was no clear frontrunner.”