Creed named Black Film Critics Circle best movie of 2015

In Creed, Rocky Balboa (left) becomes trainer and mentor to the son of his late rival

Creed has been voted the best film of 2015 by the Black Film Critics Circle.

The Rocky spin-off was also given prizes for lead actor Michael B Jordan and for supporting players Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson.

The best ensemble performance award went to Straight Outta Compton, which also won for best original screenplay.

Brie Larson won best actress for Room and George Miller won best director for Mad Max: Fury Road, which also won the best cinematography prize.

Beasts of No Nation received a special mention, with young lead Abraham Attah getting the BFCC's rising star award.

The US critics' association called the Ghanaian's debut as an African child soldier was "one of the strongest and most phenomenal we have ever seen" and said he had "a very bright future ahead of him".

Beasts of No Nation is about a child soldier trapped in a civil war in an unnamed African country

Rapper Ice Cube, producer of NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, won a pioneer award for showing "artistic integrity and an unerring commitment to excellence".

Cube, the BFCC said, "continues to defy expectations [and] expand the boundaries of what black film-makers can achieve".

The Black Film Critics Circle also released their top 10 films of 2015.

1. Creed

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

3. Straight Outta Compton

4. Spotlight

5. The Martian

6. Room

7. Beasts of No Nation

8. The Hateful Eight

9. The Big Short

10. Ex Machina

Creed sees former boxing champion Rocky Balboa, played by Stallone, serve as trainer and mentor to the son of his late rival Apollo Creed.