The Social Network hardly needed a leg-up this awards season but got it anyway in the form of four major prizes from the National Board Of Review.

The Facebook saga earned best film of 2010, best director for David Fincher, best actor for Jesse Eisenberg and best adapted screenplay for Aaron Sorkin.

In other key honours, Lesley Manville from Another Year was anointed best actress, while Christian Bale took best supporting actor for The Fighter and Jacki Weaver best supporting actress for Animal Kingdom.

Best foreign language film and documentary went to Of Gods And Men and Waiting For “Superman”, respectively. Toy Story 3 was named best animated feature.

The Town won best ensemble cast, Jennifer Lawrence from Winters’ Bone took breakthrough performance, and the debut directors prize went to Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington for Restrepo.

The Spotlight Award went to Sylvain Chomet and Jacques Tati for The Illusionist and the surprise of the day came when the NBR awarded Chris Sparling’s Black List script for Buried the original screenplay prize. Dante Ferretti took the production side award for Shutter Island.

The Special Filmmaking Achievement Award went to Sofia Coppola for writing, directing, and producing Somewhere; the William K Everson Film History Award went to Leonard Maltin; the NBR Freedom Of Expression honour was given to Fair Game, Conviction and Howl

The ten best films in alphabetical order:Another Year,The Fighter, Hereafter, Inception, The King’s Speech,Shutter Island, The Town, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter’s Bone.

The five best foreign language filmsin alphabetical order: I Am Love, Incendies, Life, Above All, Soul Kitchen and White Material.

The five best documentaries in alphabetical order: A Film Unfinished, Inside Job, Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work,Restrepo and The Tillman Story.

The top ten independent films in alphabetical order: Animal Kingdom, Buried, Fish Tank, The Ghost Writer, Greenberg, Let Me In, Monsters, Please Give, Somewhere and Youth in Revolt.

The 2010 NBR Awards will take place on January 11, 2011 at Cipriani’s 42nd St in New York City.