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Katheryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty (2012)" has been named the Best Picture of 2012 by New York Film Critics Circle. The high-end movie about the hunt for Osama bin Laden wins the prestigious awards at the 2012 NYFCC Awards on Monday, December 3, giving it an early chance to bow on next year's Oscar season.

In addition to claiming the biggest prize, the Jessica Chastain-starring movie brings Bigelow in nabbing the Best Director title. Also, Greig Fraser wins an award from NYFCC thanks to his cinematography work in the Mark Boal-scripted movie.

The other biggest winner at the event is Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln". Though losing the Best Picture gong from "Zero", the Abraham Lincoln pic also collects three prizes including Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Supporting Actress for Sally Field, and Best Screenplay for Tony Kushner.

The Best Actress title goes to Rachel Weisz thanks to her role as the younger wife of judge Sir William Collyer in "The Deep Blue Sea". As for the Best Supporting Actor, it is claimed by Matthew McConaughey for his role as a quirky district attorney in "Bernie" and as a strip club owner in "Magic Mike".

The NYFCC Awards winners mark the first batch of winners of the upcoming awards season. Among the highly-praised and critics' darling pics which are snubbed by NYFCC include "Argo", "Les Miserables", "Beasts of the Southern Wild", "Django Unchained", "Life of Pi", "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", "Moonrise Kingdom", and "The Master".

The NYFCC will hand out the awards to the winners during a ceremony on January 7, 2013 at Crimson in the Flatiron District. Following the New York Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics Association will also announce its winners this coming Sunday, December 9. On Wednesday, the National Board of Review will reveal its picks, while next Monday, it is the American Film Institute which will announce its annual top 10 best films.

2012 NYFCC Winners:

• Best Picture: "Zero Dark Thirty (2012)"
• Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis - "Lincoln"
• Best Actress: Rachel Weisz - "The Deep Blue Sea"
• Best Supporting Actor: Matthew McConaughey - "Bernie%", "Magic Mike"
• Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field - "Lincoln"
• Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow - "Zero Dark Thirty (2012)"
• Best Screenplay: Tony Kushner - "Lincoln"
• Best Cinematographer: Greig Fraser - "Zero Dark Thirty (2012)"
• Best Foreign Film: "Amour" by Michael Haneke
• Best Animated Film: "Frankenweenie" by Tim Burton
• Best Documentary: "The Central Park Five" by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon
• Best First Film: "How to Survive a Plague" by David France