Idris Elba and Bel Powley are among the British stars nominated for the latest Film Independent Spirit Awards.

The Luther star received a best supporting male lead nod for his turn as an African war lord in Beasts Of No Nation while A Royal Night Out star Bel was nominated for best female lead for her role as a teenager embracing her sexual awakening in The Diary Of A Teenage Girl.

Actor Idris Elba at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala in Palm Springs, California
Luther star Idris Elba has been nominated for a Spirit Award for his role in Beasts Of No Nation (Jordan Strauss/Invision)

Irish author Emma Donoghue also picked up a nomination for the awards, which celebrate the best of independent film. She received a nod for best first screenplay for Room, an adaptation of her hit novel about a mother and her young son living in captivity.

Bel Powley poses for a portrait to promote the film, "The Diary of a Teenage Girl", at the Eddie Bauer Adventure House during the Sundance Film Festival
British actress Bel Powley (Victoria Will/Invision)

Carol is the most nominated movie this year, picking up nods for best feature, best female lead for both stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, as well as best director for Todd Haynes, best screenplay and best cinematography.

Rooney Mara, left, and Cate Blanchett at the premiere of Carol at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett are both nominated for best lead actress for their performances in Carol (Evan Agostini/Invision)

Beasts Of No Nation scored five nominations, including the nod for Idris. The film is also nominated for best feature, best male lead for young star Abraham Attah and best director and best cinematography for Cary Joji Fukunaga.

The movie ties with journalism drama Spotlight, which also picked up five nominations, for best feature, best director for Todd McCarthy, best editing and best screenplay. It will also be honoured with the Robert Altman Award.

Stop motion animation film Anomalisa and Tangerine, about a working girl looking for her pimp, complete the best feature nominations.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards will be presented in a ceremony on the beach in Santa Monica on February 27, 2016.