The 24th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2011, were announced on December 19, 2011.

Winners and nominees

Best Actor

Michael Shannon – Take Shelter

• George Clooney – The Descendants
• Jean Dujardin – The Artist
• Michael Fassbender – Shame
• Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Actress

Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn

• Kirsten Dunst – Melancholia
• Elizabeth Olsen – Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Anna Paquin – Margaret
• Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

Best Animated Film

Rango

• The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
• Arthur Christmas
• Puss in Boots
• Winnie the Pooh

Best Cinematography

The Tree of Life – Emmanuel Lubezki

• Drive – Newton Thomas Sigel
• Hugo – Robert Richardson
• Melancholia – Manuel Alberto Claro
• War Horse – Janusz Kamiński

Best Director

Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life

• Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
• Alexander Payne – The Descendants
• Martin Scorsese – Hugo
• Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive

Best Documentary Film

The Interrupters

• Cave of Forgotten Dreams
• Into the Abyss
• Pina
• Project Nim
• Tabloid

Best Film

The Tree of Life

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• Drive
• Hugo

Best Foreign Language Film

A Separation, Iran

• In a Better World, Denmark/Sweden
• Incendies, Canada
• The Skin I Live In, Spain
• Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Thailand

Best Original Score

Drive – Cliff Martinez

• The Artist – Ludovic Bource
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
• Hanna – The Chemical Brothers
• Hugo – Howard Shore

Best Screenplay – Adapted

Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

• The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
• Drive – Hossein Amini
• Hugo – John Logan
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan

Best Screenplay – Original

The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius

• Martha Marcy May Marlene – Sean Durkin
• Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
• A Separation – Asghar Farhadi
• The Tree of Life – Terrence Malick

Best Supporting Actor

Albert Brooks – Drive

• Nick Nolte – Warrior
• Patton Oswalt – Young Adult
• Brad Pitt – The Tree of Life
• Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Best Supporting Actress

Jessica Chastain – The Tree of Life

• Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
• Carey Mulligan – Shame
• Octavia Spencer – The Help
• Shailene Woodley – The Descendants

Most Promising Filmmaker

Sean Durkin – Martha Marcy May Marlene

• J. C. Chandor – Margin Call
• Simon Curtis – My Week with Marilyn
• Drake Doremus – Like Crazy
• Tate Taylor – The Help

Most Promising Performer

Elizabeth Olsen – Martha Marcy May Marlene

• Liana Liberato – Trust
• Brit Marling – Another Earth
• Hunter McCracken – The Tree of Life
• Shailene Woodley – The Descendants