Meryl Streep wins NY Film Critics Circle Award for playing Margaret Thatcher in “Iron Lady.” Is Oscar next?

Meryl Streep, who has not won an Academy Award in nearly 30 years, has won the 2011 New York Film Critics Circle Award for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the film Iron Lady.

Will this finally be the year that Miss Streep wins that long-overdue third Academy Award? Her previous wins were for 1980’s Kramer vs. Kramer and 1982’s Sophie’s Choice. She has been nominated a record total of 16 times but has lost the last 12 times despite superb performances in such films as Doubt, Julie & Julia, The Devil Wears Prada, Adaptation and One True Thing, among many others.

Other NY Film Critics winners are: Brad Pitt who won Best Actor for his work in Moneyball and Tree of Life; Albert Brooks, who has earned the Best Supporting Actor prize for Drive; Jessica Chastain who won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her performances in Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter, and Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin who have won the Best Screenplay Award for Moneyball.

The NYFCC Award for Best Feature goes to The Artist and the prize for Best First Feature goes to Margin Call.