The high-brow movies will have their moments in Hollywood. But we learn about the really important awards today, the seventh annual Brians, which recognize excellence in movies which I saw in the theater in 2008.

A record 11 movies qualified for this year’s awards. Many were only really eligible to win The Bridget, which goes to the movie which I only saw because my daughter wanted to see it.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at this year’s winners.

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney, “Juno.” We all know her as CJ Cregg, the feisty press secretary on “The West Wing,” but she really shone as the stepmother of pregnant teen Juno McGuff. We saw the film in early 2008 after it already received consideration for last year’s Oscars. Janney probably should have won then as well, if only for her impassioned monologue during Juno’s sonogram.

Best Supporting Actor: Russell Brand, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” This category has always been my favorite since the movies for immature guys I usually go to see always have plenty of good sidekicks. This year was no different. Brand, who played the self-obsessed yet eerily prescient rock star, had to beat out two-time winner Paul Rudd among others.

Best Actress: Ellen Page, “Juno.” When we went to see this movie, I worried it would be too heavy-handed or just try too hard to be different. Instead, the film portrayed a touching story of family, connection and angst. Page led the way as her interactions with each of the other characters made you really understand what Juno was going through.

Best Actor: Jason Segal, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” Three-time Brian winner Will Ferrell lurked in the wings with strong performances in “Semi-Pro” and “Step Brothers,” but he could not top Segal’s turn as the heartbroken Peter Bretter. A role which combines full frontal nudity and a rock opera about puppet vampires could not be overlooked.

The Bridget: “Kung Fu Panda.” This was easy. “Space Chimps” was cute. “Madagascar 2” had some great laughs. “Wall-E” tried, but preached too much. The touching story mixed with Jack Black’s off-the-wall panda made this film the easy pick in this category. Only one film kind of came close, but that one had bigger fish to fry.

Best Picture: “High School Musical 3.” I struggled long and hard with this one. For a while, I thought it would edge out “Kung Fu Panda” for The Bridget. But the more I thought about it, I realized I enjoyed this movie more than anything else I saw all year.

That’s the essence of these awards. It’s not about emotional depth or plot. Everything comes down to how I feel when I walk out of the theater and reflect on the previous 90 minutes or so. Life has thrown us all a bunch of curveballs this year. The reason “High School Musical 3” stands above the rest is because it tried to do nothing except make you smile.

I can’t think of any way better to celebrate the year in movies. Singing, dancing, and good clean fun. A movie which makes you want to jump in the air and kick your feet together deserves the top prize.