RUSSELL CROWE - CROWE LEADS RACE FOR LONDON CRITICS' AWARDS

RUSSELL CROWE's latest film MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD has garnered an impressive six nominations for the LONDON FILM CRITICS' CIRCLE AWARDS.

Among its possible wins are Best Film, Best Director for PETE WEIR and Best Actor for Crowe. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING and MYSTIC RIVER will also battle it out for Best Film, while Crowe will be competing for his gong with ED HARRIS (THE HOURS), SEAN PENN (Mystic River), BILL MURRAY (LOST IN TRANSLATION) and NICHOLAS CAGE (ADAPTATION).

Best Actress contenders include NICOLE KIDMAN (COLD MOUNTAIN), HOLLY HUNTER (THIRTEEN), MERYL STREEP (Adaptation), SCARLETT JOHANSSON (GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING) and JULIANNE MOORE (FAR FROM HEAVEN).

Nominees for the ATTENBOROUGH AWARD for best British film include The Hours, YOUNG ADAM, THE MAGDALENE SISTERS and THE MOTHER.

JUDE LAW (Cold Mountain), PAUL BETTANY (Master and Commander) and EWAN McGREGOR (Young Adam) are among those up for Best British actor, while TILDA SWINTON (Young Adam), JULIE WALTERS and DAME HELEN MIRREN (CALENDAR GIRLS), CHARLOTTE RAMPLING (THE SWIMMING POOL) and ANNE REID (THE MOTHER) are being considered for Best British actress.

Among those nominated in the best foreign film category are ETRE ET AVOIR, GOODBYE LENIN and BELLEVILLE RENDEZVOUS.

The awards, which will be held in London on 11 February (04) in aid of a children's charity, were established to promote the art of criticism.