The National Board of Review recently announced their annual best of 2009, and among the winners were Morgan Freeman, who tied with George Clooney ('Up in the Air') for their Best Actor choice.

The NBR is usually the first group to dish out a best-of-the-year list, which is considered a potential pre-cursor to Academy Awards nominations.

The Memphis, Tennessee native won for his role as iconic South African President Nelson Mandela in the upcoming Clint Eastwood film, 'Invictus,' which also stars Matt Damon.

The film was also chosen among the group's top ten for the year.

Freeman, after three previous nominations, finally won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2005 for his role in another Eastwood film, 'Million Dollar Baby.'

'Invictus' tells the inspiring true story of how Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected as president of the nation, at the time Mandela knows South Africa remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup championship match.

Also winning awards from the NBR were Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, who took the Breakthrough Performance by a Female award for her role in 'Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire,' and Chris Rock's documentary's 'Good Hair,' which was chosen as one the top five best documentaries of the year.

For over 100 years the National Board of Review has dedicated its efforts to the support of film, domestic and foreign, as both art and entertainment. The nonprofit organization celebrates the distinctive voice of the individual artist, honoring excellence and supporting freedom of expression in film.