London, Dec 2 (ANI): British actor Dame Helen Mirren has been nominated for the best female actress title at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Mirren takes on Maria Bello, Nisreen Faour, Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Gabourey Sidibe in the best female lead category, reports the BBC.

The legendary actress has been nominated for her role in ‘The Last Station’ about the death of writer Leo Tolstoy, which leads the charge with five nominations alongside gritty drama ‘Precious’.

Colin Firth is up for best male lead for his role in ‘A Single Man’, a British college professor who struggles to find meaning in his life after the sudden death of his partner, Jim.

Samantha Morton is nominated for best supporting actress for ‘The Messenger’.

The awards, which honour independent film and are seen as a warm-up for the Oscars, take place in LA on 5 March.

‘Precious’, based on the novel Push by Sapphire, is also up for five awards including the two leading actress categories.

Sidibe is nominated for best actress, while Mo’Nique is competing for best supporting female.

‘The Messenger’, which is up for four awards, is about a US army officer who returns home and finds himself in a job where he has to notify the relatives of soldiers who have been killed.

Apart from a nod for Morton, the film is also nominated for the best first feature prize, best screenplay and best supporting male - Woody Harrelson. (ANI)