Los Angeles Film Critics Awards

Best Picture
Wall-E
Runner-up: The Dark Knight

Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

Actor
Sean Penn, Milk
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Runner-up: Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky

Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Elegy
Runner-up: Viola Davis, Doubt

Screenplay
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York

Foreign-language Film
Still Life
Runner-up: The Class

Documentary
Man on Wire
Runner-up: Waltz With Bashir

Animation
Waltz With Bashir

Cinematography
Yu Lik Wai, Still Life
Runner-up: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire

Production Design
Mark Friedberg, Synecdoche, New York
Runner-up: Nathan Crowley, The Dark Knight

Music/score
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

These guys often go popular, having given the Best Picture Award to Star Wars and E.T. in the past. They also like Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky) way too much as seen by past major wins by Secrets and Lies and Vera Drake.