Critics' Choice Nominations Help Kick Off Award Season

By Marla Lehner

12/11/2012 at 01:00 PM EST

'Tis the season ... for Hollywood awards!

Forget Santa and Frosty, on Monday the nominees for the 18th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards were announced, unofficially kicking off more than two months of nominations, parties and award shows that will culminate with the Academy Awards on Feb. 24.

This week on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globe nominations will also be announced. (The Oscar nods aren't revealed until after the actual holidays are over, on Jan. 15, 2013.)

So, which films do the critics think are the best of 2012?



Lincoln is their top pick, with a record-setting 13 nominations, including the biggies, such as best picture, best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, best supporting actress for Sally Field and best director for Steven Spielberg.

Just behind Lincoln is another historical drama – this one with music! Les Misérables received 11 nods. And the quirky love story Silver Linings Playbook, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, got 10 nods.

What no Twilight you ask? Not so fast: This year for the first time, fans can vote on their favorite film franchise, and nominees include Batman; Harry Potter; Indiana Jones; James Bond; Lord of the Rings; Spider-Man; Star Trek; Star Wars; Toy Story; and our favorite bloodsuckers from Twilight.

The winners will be announced Jan. 10, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and broadcast live on The CW Network (8 p.m. ET). See the full list of nominations at CriticsChoice.com.

• Check out the recommendations from PEOPLE's movie critic, Alynda Wheat, here