"Little Miss Sunshine," a comedy about a dysfunctional family on an ill-fated road trip, and "Half Nelson," a drama about the bond forged between a drug-addicted teacher and one of his students, lead the list of nominees for Film Independent's Spirit Awards, announced Tuesday.

Fox Searchlight's "Sunshine" and ThinkFilm's "Nelson" picked up five nominations apiece in the main categories, including best feature.

Previously known as the Independent Spirit Awards, the awards, sponsored by Los Angeles-based Film Independent, honor achievements in the indie film scene. The winners will be unveiled Feb. 24 at the group's annual awards luncheon, which takes place in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.