Ralph Fiennes' week took a turn for the better yesterday when the newly-dumped star of The Constant Gardener picked up a Best British Actor nod at the London Film Critics' Circle awards, while co-star Rachel Weisz triumphed in the female category.

The writers of gay cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain and racial drama Crash were honoured at the Writers Guild Awards (WGA) on Saturday with one gong each.

The cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain led the Academy Awards field today with eight nominations, including those for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.