Yahoo Movies hires film critic Thelma Adams for awards season

The 2011 movie awards season officially kicked off on Tuesday with the unveiling of New York Film Critics Circle and Independent Spirit Award nominations. And Yahoo has made a key awards-season hire, naming film critic and author Thelma Adams as a contributing editor. Adams, who spent more than a decade as the chief film critic at Us Weekly (two of them as the NYFCC chair), will anchor Y! Movies awards coverage. Her first post for Yahoo is here.

Adams--who spent six years at the New York Post prior to Us Weekly--called it her "first big jump from years in print media."

In terms of the 2012 Oscar race, Adams said that Stephen Spielberg's "War Horse" is an early favorite. "This is an exciting time to enter the race with Yahoo because I'm seeing all the films now and the field is clarifying."

"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," "Descendants" and "The Artist" are also among the early contenders tabbed by critics, Adams said.

And her dark horse? "Kirsten Dunst, best actress for 'Melancholia.' "

Other popular Yahoo! News stories:
• ESPN questioned over Syracuse tape; Times criticized for coverage of Penn State victim
• Israel Defense Ministry apologizes for strip search of pregnant New York Times photographer
• Megyn Kelly on pepper spray: 'It's a food product, essentially'