Blockbuster musical Wicked has launched into this year’s Oscar race with a major win from the National Board of Review.

The adaptation of the Broadway hit was named best movie by the group whose picks are seen as a major indicator of Oscar success. “Wicked represents the pure magic that movies can bring to audiences,” said the NBR president, Annie Schulhof. “Every detail is beautifully crafted and designed, the actors are all exceptional and the music is second-to-none – together it adds up to a transporting experience like no other.”

The film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, has made over $356m worldwide since its release last month and has gained mostly positive reviews from critics. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw called it “an enjoyable spectacle”.

Previous winners have included Killers of the Flower Moon, Green Book, Top Gun: Maverick, The Irishman and Da 5 Bloods.

Wicked’s Jon M Chu was also named best director. His previous films have included Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights.

Daniel Craig was named best actor for his role in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer while Nicole Kidman was named best actress for her role in erotic drama Babygirl. A Real Pain’s Kieran Culkin and A Complete Unknown’s Elle Fanning won for supporting performances.

The best ensemble award was handed to the cast of papal election thriller Conclave, best international film was won by The Seed of the Sacred Fig and best animated feature was Flow.

The group’s 10 best films of the year, aside from Wicked in alphabetical order, are Anora, Babygirl, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Gladiator II, Juror #2, Queer, A Real Pain and Sing Sing. Notable omissions include Emilia Perez, Nickel Boys and The Brutalist.

The winners arrive as Oscar season heats up. Earlier this week, the New York Film Critics Circle awarded The Brutalist the award for best film and best actor for Adrien Brody while Hard Truths’ Marianne Jean-Baptiste was named best actress. On Monday, the Gothams named A Different Man best film while acting awards were won by Sing Sing’s Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin.

This week also saw the Independent Spirits announce nominations with Anora and I Saw the TV Glow leading the field.

Next week sees the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations with the ceremony taking place on 5 January.