Carey Mulligan has been named Best Actress by the Houston Film Critics Society.

The British actress was honoured for her lead role in An Education, where she plays schoolgirl Jenny, whose drab life changes when she meets a charming older man (Peter Sarsgaard).

George Clooney added another trophy to his mantelpiece after picking up the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a corporate restructurer in Up In The Air.

Co-star Anna Kendrick won Supporting Actress, and script-writers Jason Reitman and Shelton Turner bagged a gong for their screenplay at the ceremony, held at Houston's Museum of Fine Arts.

Kathryn Bigelow's intense drama, The Hurt Locker, won three prizes - Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography.

Other winners include Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who won Best Supporting Actor for his turn as Nazi Colonel Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, Up for Best Animated Film and Original Score, and Sin Nombre for Best Foreign Film.

The late Patrick Swayze was honoured with a lifetime achievement award.