George Clooney and Shailene Woodley, the leads of the Oscar front runner ‘The Descendants’, started their awards season with wins at the prestigious ‘Palm Springs International Film Festival’ as best actor and best supporting actress respectively.

Clooney also flew from the festival to pick up yet another award from the National Board of Review Gala in Manhattan, where he was bestowed the best actor award.

Releasing across Indian theatres on January 26, ‘The Descendants’ is directed by Alexander Payne of the Oscar-winning ‘Sideways’ fame and stars George Clooney as Matt King, a privileged Honolulu attorney from a landowning family who is compelled to reevaluate his marriage and life, while his wife lies comatose in a hospital bed following a boating accident.

With five Golden Globe nominations at the upcoming ceremony this weekend, ‘The Descendants’ is expected to garner all major film awards this year, starting with the Oscars in February.