The 15th National Society of Film Critics Awards, given on 6 January 1981, honored the best filmmaking of 1980.^[1][2]

1. Melvin and Howard
2. Raging Bull
2. Every Man for Himself (Sauve qui peut (la vie))

1. Martin Scorsese – Raging Bull
2. Jonathan Demme – Melvin and Howard
3. Jean-Luc Godard – Every Man for Himself (Sauve qui peut (la vie))

1. Peter O'Toole – The Stunt Man
2. Robert De Niro – Raging Bull
3. Robert Duvall – The Great Santini

1. Sissy Spacek – Coal Miner's Daughter
2. Mary Tyler Moore – Ordinary People
3. Goldie Hawn – Private Benjamin

1. Joe Pesci – Raging Bull
2. Timothy Hutton – Ordinary People
3. Jason Robards – Melvin and Howard

1. Mary Steenburgen – Melvin and Howard
2. Debra Winger – Urban Cowboy
3. Cathy Moriarty – Raging Bull

1. Bo Goldman – Melvin and Howard
2. John Sayles – Return of the Secaucus 7
3. Jean Gruault – Mon Oncle d'Amérique

1. Michael Chapman – Raging Bull
2. Freddie Francis – The Elephant Man
3. Ghislain Cloquet and Geoffrey Unsworth – Tess

• Past Awards