Clarity Grows for Front-Runners (at Least Among Critics' Groups) This season's multitudinous race may finally be getting some shape, as the critical and industry love add up. The Broadcast Film Critics Association, which bills itself as the largest critics group in the United States and Canada, announced its picks Monday, and members were evenly split between "American Hustle" and "12 Years a Slave," which both earned 13 nominations, including best picture, director, actor, screenplay (original and adapted, respectively) and ensemble. The same two films also tied in nominations at the Golden Globes, which may position them as front-runners. For the broadcast prizes, televised as the Critics Choice Awards, "Gravity" was another top finisher, with 10 nominations, including all the biggies. The group's list of 10 best picture hopefuls mirrors almost exactly that of the American Film Institute: In addition to "12 Years," "Hustle" and "Gravity," they both chose "Her," "Wolf of Wall Street," "Captain Phillips," "Saving Mr. Banks," "Inside Llewyn Davis," and "Nebraska." The broadcasters went with "Dallas Buyers Club" while AFI picked "Fruitvale Station" to round out its list. On the Weinstein Company front, "Lee Daniels" The Butler" scored three nominations and "August: Osage County four. They won't contend as best picture but they could earn best ensemble (as they might at the Screen Actors Guild Awards). Also Monday, the Online Film Critics Society announced its winners, with "12 Years a Slave" getting the most votes. That echoes the assessment of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, and the Houston Film Critics Society. The African-American Film Critics Association also went with "12 Years a Slave" as its No. 1 film.